SR 05-22-2018 3O
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: May 22, 2018
Agenda Item: 3.O
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Katie Lichtig, Assistant City Manager, City Manager's Office
Subject: Santa Monica Airport Air Quality Study Agreement Modification
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a second modification to Agreement #3333 in the amount of $56,939 with
Trustees of Tufts College, a Boston-based entity, to conduct the final monitoring phase
of the Santa Monica Airport Air Quality Study at a later time period than the original
agreement delineated, requiring additional costs associated with pausing and restarting
the project. This will result in an amended agreement with a new total amount not to
exceed $110,930 within the original 18-month agreement term.
Executive Summary
The temporary full closure of the Santa Monica Airport (SMO) during the runway
shortening construction in December 2017 offered the City a unique opportunity to
monitor air quality with no runway operations. The City selected Tufts University (Tufts)
to conduct the air quality study at SMO by way of a competitive bidding process.
The air quality study was originally projected to take place over approximately five
weeks of measurements divided into three field campaigns:
before airport closure;
during closure for construction of the new airstrip configuration; and
after the airport reopened, post-runway shortening.
When the Airport reopened with the shortened 3,500-foot runway, Airport activity was
strikingly low. Tufts, therefore, recommended that the post-runway shortening air quality
sampling instead take place later in the term of the agreement, which ends June 11,
2019. This allows time to ensure that measurements are taken after any transition
period and at the Airport’s new normal level. This delay in conducting the final sampling
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requires the Tufts team to restage monitoring equipment at the two sites, and dedicate
staff to collect and analyze data. Staff requests Council approval of the additional costs
for this follow-up monitoring work.
Background
On August 28, 2017, the Airport Commission recommended that the City conduct an air
quality study at the Airport to measure jet pollution before, during, and after the runway
shortening (Attachment A). The purpose of the study is to update the air quality study
conducted by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) in 2010 and
2011, establishing a baseline immediately before the runway shortening project begins,
during the full airport closure, and after the project is completed once airport operations
resume. The temporary full closure of the Airport during the runway shortening
construction facilitated the City’s efforts to conduct monitoring during a period with no
runway operations.
The new airport configuration, with the runway shortened from 5,000 to 3,500 feet, limits
the fleet mix of turbine aircraft operations by frequency of take-offs and landings. With
this study, the City seeks to learn whether the change in the turbine aircraft fleet mix
impacts the air quality surrounding the airport by comparing levels before and after the
runway shortening to baseline data collected during this closure.
On November 27, 2017, the City awarded Tufts a contract in the amount of $54,342,
through a competitive bid process, to conduct the air quality study at SMO. Tufts initially
proposed a five-week monitoring period, spanning mid-December 2017 to a few weeks
past the runway reopening, such that enough data could be gathered. The proposal
accounted for uncertainty associated with construction schedules, including the
possibility of having to run monitoring past mid-February but assumed Airport
operations levels would return to normal following the Airport’s reopening.
Discussion
Tufts completed the over 40 days of monitoring between December 5, 2017 and
January 14, 2018. However, the post-runway shortening aircraft activity at the Airport
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after the reopening was much lower than expected. Jet operations in January 2018
were 84% less than the average for January the prior two years, were 82% less in
February 2018 than the prior two-year average, and 86% less in March 2018 than the
prior two-year average. Due to concerns regarding the representativeness of the flight
activity post-runway shortening, Tufts paused the monitoring and recommended
monitoring at a later time when airport operations reach a “new normal”. City staff
requested a proposal from Tufts to amend agreement #3333 to include a pause period
and three weeks of follow-up sampling, with exact monitoring dates to be ascertained at
a later date in consultation between the researchers and the City.
A three-week air quality monitoring period scheduled in the coming months is required
to collect sufficient data to finalize the Santa Monica Airport Air Quality Study. It is not
clear when airport operations will normalize. Monthly jet operations for the first three
months post-runway shortening were between 82% and 86% less than the prior two-
year average. If jet operations remain consistent in the coming months, staff will work
with Tufts researchers to determine when best to schedule the three-week follow-up,
the contents of which, as well as subsequent steps, are listed below.
Next Steps
Staff will continue to monitor Airport traffic and work with Tufts University to assess
when Airport operations appear to have stabilized at a new normal level. A period
between September and October was suggested in the latest consultation between
researchers and City staff. Upon determination of exact monitoring dates for the follow-
up monitoring, Tufts will return to set up equipment, install cameras to record flight
activity to identify durations for the different flight activities (taxiing, hold and take-off),
monitor air quality and complete their evaluation, concluding their study. During this
time, staff will continue to inform the community of what to expect in the coming months,
including the study’s findings and what they mean for the community in light of new,
normal operations at Santa Monica Airport.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
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The contract modification to be awarded to Tufts University is $56,939 for an amended
contract total not to exceed $110,930. Funds are available in the FY 2018-19 Proposed
Budget in the Airport Fund. The contract will be charged to account 33431.555060.
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Suja Lowenthal, Senior Advisor for Airport Affairs
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Attachment A-AC's Recommendation to Council
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(UNAPPROVED)
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
AIRPORT COMMISSION MINUTES
August 28, 2017
A regular meeting of the Santa Monica Airport Commission was called to order
by Chair Donald at 7:02 p.m., on Monday, August 28, 2017 at City Council
Chambers, 1685 Main Street.
Convene/Pledge On order of the Chair, the Airport
Commission convened at 7:02 p.m. without
all Commissioners present. Chair Donald
led the assemblage in the Pledge of
Allegiance.
Roll Call
Present:
Absent:
Also Present:
Chair Peter Donald
Vice-chair Lael R. Rubin
Commissioner Suzanne Paulson (arrived 7:21)
Commissioner Joe Schmitz
Commissioner Andrew Wilder
None
Stelios Makrides, Airport Director
Ivan Campbell, Deputy City Attorney
Michael Ferguson, Secretary
Special Agenda
Items/Announcements
Election of Officers
Public Comment
The Commission deferred the election of
officers until later in the meeting. Please
see election results under Old Business.
No requests to speak.
Consent Calendar
Public Comment
Motion
The Commission discussed and
considered the Consent Calendar.
No Requests to speak.
Motion by Commissioner Schmitz;
seconded by Commissioner Rubin to
approve the minutes of June 26, 2017 was
confirmed by the following vote:
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Motion
Motion
Minutes
Ayes: Commissioner Donald
Commissioner Rubin
Commissioner Schmitz
Nays: None
Abstain: Commissioner Wilder
Absent: Commissioner Paulson
Commissioner Wilder could not vote on
June 26, 2017 minutes because he was not
a Commissioner at that time.
Motion by Commissioner Schmitz;
seconded by Commissioner Rubin to
approve the minutes of August 1, 2017 was
confirmed by the following vote:
Ayes: Commissioner Donald
Commissioner Rubin
Commissioner Schmitz
Commissioner Wilder
Nays: None
Absent: Commissioner Paulson
Motion by Commissioner Rubin; seconded
by Commissioner Wilder to approve Non-
Aviation Commercial Operations Permit for
David Kellen & Associates was confirmed
by the following vote:
Ayes: Commissioner Donald
Commissioner Rubin
Commissioner Schmitz
Commissioner Wilder
Nays: None
Absent: Commissioner Paulson
Recommendation to approve the minutes
of June 26, 2017 and August 1, 2017
meetings was accepted.
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Non-Aviation Commercial
Operations Permits
Recommendation to approve Non-Aviation
Commercial Operations Permit for David
Kellen & Associates was accepted.
Airport Management Report
Monthly Operations Report
Public Comment
New Venue for Meetings
Next Meeting
Stelios Makrides, Airport Director,
presented the Monthly Operations Reports
for June & July 2017.
The Commission and staff discussed
increasing trend in noise violations, Santa
Monica Airport Noise Office complaint
response procedures, and Los Angeles
International Airport (LAX) traffic
complaints.
Member of public: Dave Hopkins
commented on the Monthly Operations
Reports.
The Airport Commission meetings will
relocate to the Santa Monica Main Library
Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium from
September 2017 through December 2017
due to construction activities related to the
new City Service Building making the City
Council Chambers unavailable for
Commission meetings.
Next regular Airport Commission meeting
is scheduled to take place on September
25, 2017 at Santa Monica Main Library
MLK Auditorium.
Old Business
Update and Discussion on the
Runway Shortening Project
The Commission heard this item out of
order.
Rick Valte, City Engineer City of Santa
Monica, and Alan Sheth, Civil Engineering
Associate City of Santa Monica, provided
the Commission with an update on the
Runway Shortening Project including
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Public Comment
Update and Discussion on
Airport Security
Public Comment
Update and Discussion of
Consent Decree
Public Comment
Update and Discussion of On-
Demand Air carriers
Public Comment
Election of Officers
proposed completion date and construction
schedule.
The Commission and staff discussed
construction-scheduling, options for
replacing removed portions of the runway,
and public access after completion.
Member of public: Dave Hopkins
commented on the Runway Shortening
Project.
The Commission and staff discussed the
speed of implementation, design
completion, stakeholder/public
participation, budget and source of funding.
Member of public: Dave Hopkins
commented on Airport Security.
Staff provide the Commission with an
update on legal challenges to the Consent
Decree.
The Commission and staff discussed the
Brown Act violation complaint filed
regarding the Consent Decree approval
process.
Member of public: Dave Hopkins
commented on the Consent Decree.
Chair Donald made reference to publication
“GUIDE TO SELLING CHARTER BY THE
SEAT” issued by the National Business
Aviation Association (NBAA) for review by
the Commissioners and future discussion.
Member of public: Dave Hopkins
commented on On-Demand Air carriers.
The Commission conducted an Election of
Officers in accordance with Article X,
Section 1004 of the City of Santa Monica
Charter.
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Public Comment
Ad Hoc Noise Committee
Interim Report
Public Comment
The Commission elected Commissioner
Donald to continue as Chair by unanimous
consent.
Election of Vice-chair was deferred to next
meeting due to technical questions
regarding rules of order.
No requests to speak.
The Ad Hoc Noise Committee consisting of
Commissioners Schmitz and Wilder
provided an interim report to the
Commission.
The presentation outlined historical
reference to how the Noise Code evolved
over time; how the Code is currently
applied; and what an effective Code
enforcement would provide.
The Ad Hoc Committee met with Airport
staff and collected noise violation data. The
data presented to the Commission included
frequent Noise Code violators and Noise
Code violation patterns.
The Ad Hoc Committee requested that
Airport staff provide two months of Noise
Monitor #1 readings with individual Runway
21 jet take-offs and comparable data after
runway shortening.
The Commission and staff discussed the
history of the Code, legal barriers to Code
change, and the Airport Noise & Capacity
Act 1990 (ANCA) as well as the technical
requirements in collecting the data
requested.
Members of the public: Dave Hopkins, Zina
Joesphs, Stacy Brown commented on the
Ad Hoc Noise Committee’s report.
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The Commission and staff discussed the
implementation of SoCal Metroplex in
regards to noise complaints.
New Business
Natural experiment for Santa
Monica Airport (SMO) Air
Pollution Study
Commissioner Paulson presented an
overview of air quality impacts of general
aviation and proposed a Natural
Experiment at Santa Monica Airport by
measuring pollution levels before, during,
and after the Runway Shortening Project
since the runway will be closed for a
portion of the project.
The Commission and staff discussed the
proposition of conducting the study
including requirements for instrumentation,
costs, and study requirements.
Members of the public: Dave Hopkins,
Zina Joesphs, Stacy Brown, and Cathy
Larson commented on the proposed
Natural Experiment.
Commissioner Paulson recused herself
from further discussion because her
employer University of California Los
Angeles (UCLA) may provide services for
the Natural Experiment; she left the
chambers, not to return, at 9:43 pm.
The Commission and staff continued
discussion on how to implement the
Natural Experiment within the timeframe
before the Runway Shortening Project is
to begin.
Motion by Commissioner Schmitz;
seconded by Commissioner Rubin
recommending that City Council fast-track
Commissioner Paulson’s request or
equivalent to perform a natural experiment
to measure jet pollution before, while, and
after the runway is shortened was
approved by the following vote:
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Ayes: Commissioner Donald
Commissioner Rubin
Commissioner Schmitz
Commissioner Wilder
Nays: None
Absent: Commissioner Paulson
Commissioner Item Commissioner Wilder proposed the use of
the public monitors to project proposed
motions so that the Commission can
develop and edit motions in real time.
The Commission and staff briefly discussed
the proposal.
Public Comment Member of the public: Dave Hopkins
addressed the Commission regarding costs
and revenue of the Airport.
Adjournment On order of Chair Donald, the Commission
adjourned at 10:04 pm on August 28, 2017
without all Commissioners present.
Attest: Approved:
_________________________ ______________________________
Michael Ferguson, Secretary Peter Donald, Chair
REFERENCE:
Modified Contract No.
10685
(CCS)