SUBJECT:
Title
A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Erie Approving a Professional Services Agreement with Boulder A.I.R. LLC for Air Quality Monitoring
Department
DEPARTMENT: Environmental Services
Presenter
PRESENTER(S): David Frank, Director of Environmental Services
end
Time
TIME ESTIMATE: 15 minutes
end
For time estimate: please put 0 for Consent items.
Fiscal
FISCAL SUMMARY:
Cost as Recommended (18-month contract): $443,459
Cost as Recommended (42-month contract): $1,070,899
Balance Available: $93,000
Fund General Fund
Line Item Number: 100-25-115-560100-000000
New Appropriation Required: Yes ($50,459 in 2025)
Policy
POLICY ISSUES:
The two proposals reflect the direction received from Town Council at the May 20, 2025, Special Meeting to continue the live monitoring by Boulder AIR at the Erie Community Center (ECC) Station while continuing as much of the Triggered SUMMA Canister Monitoring Stations as possible.
Local Air Quality Monitoring serves both residents and staff in identifying potential emission sources and general air quality in the Town. These proposals will maximize the Town’s financial commitment to ensuring continued monitoring of our local air quality.
Recommendation
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends a longer-term (42-month) commitment contract with Boulder AIR to operate the real-time station at the Erie Community Center as well as 5 SGS SmartSense solar powered air monitoring stations with battery backup through the end of 2028. Rates for 2027 and 2028 factor in a 3% increase per year to adjust for the anticipated rate of inflation. This longer-term contract assists the contractor to mitigate financial risk associated with the purchase and operational expenses incurred from the deployment of newly acquired equipment for the SGS SmartSense solar powered air monitoring stations. Staff are also providing a shorter duration (18-month) contract for Council consideration which includes 4 SGS SmartSense solar powered air monitoring stations in addition to the continued operations of the ECC real-time station. While the scope of services is slightly reduced, this proposal would allow the Town to reevaluate the program at the end of 2026 rather than committing to a 3½ year contract for air quality monitoring services.
Body
SUMMARY/KEY POINTS
Two potential contracts are offered for the Council’s consideration:
1. A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Erie Approving a Professional Services Agreement with Boulder A.I.R. LLC for Air Quality Monitoring covering a period of 18 months (July 2025 through December 2026), including real-time monitoring at the ECC Station and deployment of 4 SGS SmartSense solar powered air monitoring stations.
OR
2. A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Erie Approving a Professional Services Agreement with Boulder A.I.R. LLC for Air Quality Monitoring covering a period of 42 months (July 2025 through December 2028), including real-time monitoring at the ECC Station and deployment of 5 SGS SmartSense solar powered air monitoring stations.
This reflects the direction provided to staff by Council at the May 20 Special Meeting to continue the monitoring at the Erie Community Center ballfields and to continue as many of the PID-triggered SUMMA canister monitoring stations as possible.
BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
In May 2021, the Board approved funding for and deployment of Air Quality Monitoring stations to be operated by Boulder AIR and Ajax/CSU which would gather data regarding air quality in Erie. This monitoring is intended to compliment and coordinate with air quality monitoring programs conducted by the City and County of Broomfield, City of Longmont, and Boulder County. The initial contracts included monitoring through the calendar year 2023. Contracts were subsequently renewed through June 2025 with no significant changes.
Following four years of data collection, staff recommends scaling back the program to better fit Town Council priorities.
The existing program for Erie using both contractors consist of the following elements:
• An Anchor Site operated by Boulder A.I.R. providing reference grade continuous monitoring of Ozone, specific VOCs, Methane, particulates, and meteorological variables. View reporting from Boulder A.I.R.’s AirLive Combined Northern Colorado Front Range website and includes data from the Erie Community Center station: https://www.bouldair.com/NoCoFrontRange.htm
• Ten apis https://www.apis-aq.com/product-information/ sensors operated by Ajax/CSU deployed at locations shown in the attached illustrations, with sensors located west of Kenosha Farms, two north of the Colliers Hill neighborhood near the Mae J/Papa Jo/Yellowhammer pads, three around the Front Range Landfill and near the Coyote well pad, and near Red Hawk Elementary School. These monitors provide continuous monitoring of total VOCs and auto-triggered canister sampling if total VOCs exceed specified levels. These stations also provide continuous monitoring of particulates and NO/NO2. Ajax/CSU also operates a mobile plume tracking vehicle that can be deployed up to 12 times each year to identify and track specific emission plumes. Finally, Ajax/CSU also supplies the Town with up to two grab canisters per month to deploy in other locations and analysis of samples taken with those canisters. The Ajax data are available at https://www.ajax-analytics.com/erie with quarterly reports available by clicking the Quarterly Reports tab and selecting Erie Community Monitoring in the upper right.
The apis TVOC sensors detect increases and decreases of a group of more than 900 volatile organic compounds. This indicator measurement does not identify which compounds are in the air, nor exactly how many parts per billion (ppb) are in the air at any given point. What these sensors do show are how VOC levels change on a minute-by-minute basis during different types of activities happening in an area. If the TOVC Indicator detects total VOCs above certain levels, it triggers a sample that is then analyzed for specific compounds at the ppb level.
The proposals presented reduce the number of triggered canister stations from 10 to 4 stations operated for 18-months, or 5 stations operated for 42-months. All stations would be operated by BoulderAIR and the number of VOCs analyzed per sample collected would be reduced from 47 species to 25 individual species of VOC.
priorities
TOWN COUNCIL PRIORITY(S) ADDRESSED:
☐ Attractive Community Amenities
☒ Engaged and Diverse Community
☐ Prosperous Economy
☐ Well-Maintained Transportation Infrastructure
☐ Small Town Feel
☒ Safe and Healthy Community
☐ Effective Governance
☒ Environmentally Sustainable
☒ Fiscally Responsible
attachments
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Resolution 25-115
2. 18-month contract for services
3. 18-month Scope of Work and Proposal
4. Resolution 25-116
5. 42-month contract for services
6. 42-month Scope of Work and Proposal