September 19, 2023
Library and Community Services
DATE: September 19, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
LaShonda White, Deputy City Manager, Community
Services
Tamara Walker, Deputy Director of Community Services,
Employment & Training
Fred Lucero, Program Manager
Subject:
Grant-Funded Contract with Association for Energy
Affordability (AEA) to Provide Building Energy Efficiency Training
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed expenditure of $16,000 will not impact the general fund. The entirety of the project funds will come from an Environmental Protection Agency $500,000 grant
awarded to the City of Richmond in May 2023.
(12571141-400538-27G02)
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
There is no previous council action.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Employment and Training would like to contract with
Association for Energy Affordability (AEA) to provide
building energy efficiency training to RichmondBUILD
participants.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: APPROVE a contract with the Association for Energy Affordability to provide training and certifications on high- performance building energy efficiency classes in an
amount not to exceed $16,000, for a term commencing
on September 13, 2023, and ending June 30, 2026, with
two one-year time-only extension options – Community
Services Department, Employment and Training Division
(Tamara Walker 510-307-8006/ Fred Lucero 510-621-
1562).
AGENDA
REPORT
September 19, 2023
DISCUSSION:
In May 2023, the Employment & Training Division (“E&T”) of the Community Services Department was awarded a $500,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”). This grant was part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Infrastructure Bill.
Only twenty-five grants were awarded across the country and the City of Richmond by and through the Employment and Training Division’s RichmondBUILD program received one of the grants. Under the requirements outlined in the EPA grant’s Work Plan, RichmondBUILD is required to teach high-performance building energy efficiency training classes. The types of classes and available budget to cover the required classes was outlined in the grant application.
E&T followed the City of Richmond’s Bids Online protocol and posted a Request for Qualifications. However, since there were no responses to the RFQ, Association of Energy Affordability (“AEA”) was awarded the contract, as AEA has successfully provided services to RichmondBUILD in the past, and the demonstrated quality of AEA’s performance.
The AEA contract total is for $16,000 and the funding will come from the EPA 500 grant.
Over the course of the five-year grant, AEA will teach a series of eight one-week home efficiency courses at RichmondBUILD. AEA will receive $2,000 per session, for eight sessions, totaling $16,000. The budget was established by E&T staff when E&T applied for the grant. AEA was also written into the grant because they previously worked with RichmondBUILD and MCE on energy efficiency classes.
In conjunction with MCE, AEA has previous experience teaching energy efficiency classes through E&T’s programs. AEA successfully referred RichmondBUILD graduates, for energy efficiency jobs. E&T also worked with AEA on an MCE-funded grant in the past and had very successful outcomes.
As outlined in the EPA 500 grant, AEA will teach a total of eight (8) customized classes over the course of the grant. Each class will be comprised of one week per cohort.
Final exams will be taken at the end of training. Below is the curriculum for the high- performance building modules. The eight one-week classes shall consist of the following:
Energy home use and conservation
Building Shell, Components, and Brownfields
Mechanical Systems
Renewable Energy and Electrification - Topics to be covered:
o Thermal Comfort
o Air Movement in Buildings
o Ventilation Systems
o Renewable Energy
o Heat Pumps
o Cooling Systems
September 19, 2023
o Domestic Hot Water
o Lighting & Controls
o Water Conservation
o Electrical Safety
City staff recommends City Council approval of a contract with the Association for Energy Affordability to provide training and certifications on high-performance building energy efficiency classes in an amount not to exceed $16,000, for a term commencing of September 13, 2023, and ending June 30, 2026, with two one-year extension options for time only.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Standard Contract
Attachment 2 - RFQ