HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05201997 - C8 c �
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: J. MICHAEL WALFORD, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
DATE: May 20, 1997
SUBJECT: Approve Petroleum Violation Escrow Account (PVEA) Grant Application
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)& BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
I. Recommended Action:
APPROVE the Petroleum Violation Escrow Account (PVEA) grant application of $350,000 to
partially fund the County's digital microwave radio transmission conversion project.
REQUEST Senator Rainey nominate this project for inclusion in Senate Bill 368, the annual PVEA
allocations legislation.
If. Financial Impact:
If the grant is approved, it will reduce County's general funds contribution to the microwave
conversion project.
III. Reasons for Recommendations and Background:
PVEA is an annual allocation to the State of California from funds collected as the settlement to
the tidewater oil overcharge suit. Projects are nominated for inclusion in the allocation by
members of the Senate or Assembly. To be included, the project has to demonstrate significant
energy savings. This year, the Public Works, Community Development and General services
departments have jointly reviewed candidate projects and recommend that the digital microwave
conversion project be nominated for inclusion in the PVEA allocation. The detailed description
of the project is attached.
IV. Consequences of Negative Action:
The County will lose the chance to receive PVEA funds for this year.
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Continued on Attachment: SIGNATURE: t
_RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
_RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE (S):
ACTION OF BOARD ON Tq7
��MCI7 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED_OTHER_
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
UNANIMOUS (ABSENT )
AYES: NOES:
ABSENT: ABSTAIN:
MMS::DRG
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Orig.Div: Public Works(Admin)
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05/13/97 TUE 13:18 FAX 510 313 7088 ;
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT
ENERGY GRANT PROPOSAL
MAY 7, 1997 '
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Contra Costa County's Digital Microwave System can provide many services and t
applications, including Public safety Communications, that directly save on energy usage
and costs plus allow almost immediate transmission of data and video that benefits
County departments and the public. Direct and indirect benefits are information
efficiencies reducedg energy g
pollution, savings on ever usage and costs and increased
productivity for County staff. Members of the business, educational, and public
communities benefit from this technology as described. ? '
We therefore request grant funding of $350,000 to assist the County to pay for the
advanced technologyof a digital microwaves stem, where the direct reduction of energy
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usage, pollution, transportation time, and vehicles on the road can improve the life of
Contra Costa County for all its residents. This money will establish the Infrastructure
for the possibilities described later. This request is equivalent to less than 5% of the
cost of the digital microwave system, which is estimated at $7.2 million for the }
installation costs with additional costs for new services being placed on the system. It is
an investment that has wide-reaching benefits to law enforcement, other public safetyf;':
operations,and air quality with reduced emissions from vehicles.
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"Information Superhighway" is a concept promoted by Al Gore, Vice President,
beginning in the early 1990s, when the Vice President was a Senator and saw the many C.
advantages that advanced telecommunications systems could offer in education,business,
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and the public sector. President Bill Clinton share this interest in advanced technology.
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Advanced telecommunications systems and software can offer services and improve the �.: `dal?'
quality of life for all. The "Superhighway" infrastructure uses fiber optics and copper j ` W:
wire over low and high band air waves for wired and wireless/cellular/satellite
transmissions.
This telecommunications"Superhighway"infrastructure can reduce pollution and save on ', !
the costs and use of energy, allow business transactions, or provide and educational _
encounter all without leaving the office, school, or home. Contra Costa County is t
currently building this information infrastructure with the installation of a digital t:
microwave system for Public Safety Communications that include police, fire, emergency
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services, emergency medical services, and other agencies that provide countywide •
response. In addition, the system can offer the benefits of a reduction of physical
transportation with virtual transportation over air waves. 4;
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05/13/97 TUE 13:19 FAX 510 313 7088 }
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With grant funding, Contra Costa County can increase its efforts to reduce vehicle +`
pollution, decrease the use of non=renewable energy resources, and reduce the time for !'
drivers on the road by doing business over the microwave system,while at the same time
provide distance learning, public service television for Contra Costa County and Public
Safety Communications that overall benefit the public.
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The County has 18 microwave paths to provide coverage throughout the County. The
backbone system includes 9 main locations for the planned digital microwave system. +`ti
These are in a "loop configuration" for system reliability. Branching off from the main `
system are smaller systems. This is the infrastructure that is used for public safety ?.
communications.
Servts._other tl:an F.ublic Safety Co»rnrunrcatiorrs s ' i
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Digital Technology offers services shown below:
• G,:±
Telecommuting
• Distance Learning +'
• Backbone infrastructure for Public Safety/Sheriff Communications using CDPD
Technology
• Video Conference
• Electronic mail
• Imaging i •
• Accessing data bases
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These are the primary additional services that digital technology can provide.
j'ostt�ve I»rpacts u�:�l�nerg�Sn�rf:gs. ; '�'i
Using digital technology allows numerous advantages and energy savings. These are the i
possibilities:
• Video Conference
Contra Costa County is concerned about preparing for disasters and how the County can
function if a major disaster occurs, such as a large earthquake in the Bay Area. Video
Conferencing offers a significant means to assemble key County staff to consider County
response to the damages from a major earthquake on the Hayward Fault. The County
Administrator can assemble his administration staff on the first floor Video Conference
room in the County Administration Building,turn on the camera and speakerphone ready
to discuss the damages. Because traveling across the County would be too dangerous,
with roads impassable and bridges down; he can assemble other key staff from
departments at different Video Conference Centers, which can be located in the West, 011'
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East, and Central counties,
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COUNTY sERVICE CTR
05/13/97 TUE 13:19 FAX 510 313 7088II' ;�
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• Telecommuting I
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Businesses are looking for logical solutions for their employees to get to work. Driving i' '
to work can increase air pollution and traffic congestion. It can place stress on the
commuter and the quality of family life. Telecommuting offers the advantages of a '
virtual office either in the home or at a central site designed for alternative work l'
locations. Instead of moving workers to their offices, telecommuting transports the work ak�.
to the employee. The County's digital microwave system can transport the work to the p ` '
worker. For example- Four Social Services workers live in Pittsburg and work in
Richmond, Martinez And Concord. Combined commute miles back and forth are 200
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miles. Each worker performs similar functions and duties, using a computer, updating '
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and completing forms and answering calls. A Telecommute Center can be designed to
meet their needs for phones and computer work using CCC digital microwave system.
Outcome- 3'
• Elimination of 1,000 commute miles/week and the concomitant pollution;
• Elimination of the use of gasoline, motor oil, and refrigerant used in a vehicle
driven to work(see chart below for savings); and
• Reduced usage of 3 office spaces and their costs for electricity and maintenance
on telecommuting days.
av'n s or 1 Week Weeks 3 Weeks 4 Weeks
Reduction 1000 Miles 2000 Miles 3000 Miles 4000 Miles 1}
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Gas and Oil @
20 miles per
gallon 50 gallons 100 gallons 150 gallons 200 gallons !
Per square foot ;
Electrical,
Heating and
Air I)
Conditioning 300 watts 600 watts 900 watts 1200 wattsl.lt
Auto on the
highway
Hours not '
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Polluting air 8 hours 16 hours 32 hours 40 hours
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05/13/97 TUE 13:20 FAX 510 313 7088
COUNTY SERVICE CTR
• Electronic Mail
The digital microwave system can send electronic mail over the system, so that a County
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department, such as Public Works, could send a Computer Aided Design (CAD) project J,
to several locations and external companies. Public Works can broadcast the design to
multiple locations that can act as a "post office" for pick-up. This can eliminate
messenger services by vehicle, as well as, deliver the design quickly. This can prevent
the snaking of unnecessary copies, and the design can be placed on a floppy disk, which 1
saves on making paper copies. Other departments can use the system to avoid
messengers driving documents to other locations, which again saves on energy usage and
their costs plus labor time.
• Cellular Digital Packet Data(CDPD)
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CDPD is a new, open standard for wireless data transmission. The technology allows
persons, from a vehicle, to send data information to other locations via wireless, Law
enforcement agencies throughout the United States are either using or trailing this
concept for the officer in the field. This technology can provide facial or finger print i
images, fast information, and ability to access other databases. The County Digital
Microwave System can be used as the infrastructure for CDPD to reduce the need for
Sheriffs deputies to physically travel to obtain specialized data available through the
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CDPD system, which reduces the cost of travel time and energy usage plus the lower cost lr
to use the County system over a private carrier. i' 4
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