Summary:
ORDINANCE approving and authorizing submission of an application for and acceptance of the Texas Volkswagen Emission Reduction Program Grant (“Grant”); declaring the City’s eligibility for such Grant; authorizing the Director of the Fleet Management Department’s designee to act as the City’s representative in the application process, to apply for, accept, and expend the Grant Funds if awarded, and to apply for, accept, and expend all subsequent awards, if any, pertaining to the Grant and to extend the budget period.
Background:
The Fleet Management Department (FMD) recommends that City Council adopt an ordinance authorizing the application for and acceptance of a grant award from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to provide financial assistance for emission reduction projects in accordance with the Texas Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Program (TxVEMP). When awarded the budget and project period will be effective from August 1, 2020 through August 1, 2022. The grant award amount will be $529,595. Cash matching funds are not required.
The grant funds from the State will be used by the City of Houston for the purchase of 5 replacement Solid Waste Vehicles classified as On-Road Garbage Trucks. The Solid Waste vehicles earmarked for replacement have a model year of 2006 or older, and currently emit a NOx standard rate of 2.375g/bhp-hr. The replacement vehicles to be purchased will be model year 2021 or newer and will emit a NOx standard rate of 0.2g/bhp-hr resulting in just over 90% emission reductions per vehicle. This replacement project is aligned to the Climate Action Plan and Resiliency Plan goals of improving air quality through vehicular emissions reductions.
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Victor Ayers, Director
Fleet Management Department