REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 05/15/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Police Department and Public Works Department
SUBJECT:
Title
AUTHORIZE THE PURCHASE OF ONE NEW FORD F150 4X4 FOR THE HOMELESS OUTREACH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION (HOPE) TEAM OF THE CORONA POLICE DEPARTMENT
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This Staff Report asks the City Council to authorize the issuance of a purchase order for one new Ford F150 for use by members of the Police Department’s HOPE Team, using funds allocated for this purpose from the Santa Ana Riverbed (SAR) grant.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Authorize an Exception to Competitive Bidding pursuant to Corona Municipal Code Section 3.08.140(E) that competitive bidding has been satisfied based upon the reasons provided in “Basis for Determination of Competitive Bidding” with Fritts Ford for the purchase of one (1) new vehicle for the Police Department in the amount of $53,382.54.
b. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to issue a purchase order to Fritts Ford in the amount of $53,382.54.
c. Authorize an appropriation in the amount of $24,567 to the Police Department’s operating budget in the Measure X Fund 120 in Fiscal Year 2025 for the recurring motor pool costs associated with the vehicle purchase.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The Corona Police Department has partnered with other local agencies to form the Homeless Outreach and Psychological Evaluation (HOPE) Team. The Department currently has three Police Officers, one Corporal, and one Sergeant assigned to the team. These officers are responsible for addressing those issues associated with the unhoused in our community. This includes responding to calls for service from community members, seeking to help those experiencing a mental health crisis, and abating problems created by illegal camping.
Our personnel are assisted by a Clinical Technician who focuses their efforts on those dealing with mental health issues. This is a specialized resource that spends hours every week working with our sworn personnel to help community members.
These duties often require staff to visit camps that have been constructed in the Santa Ana Riverbed.
ANALYSIS:
To assist with the HOPE team’s efforts, the City of Corona was awarded a grant of $1,071,434.10. Of that money, $90,000.00 was authorized for the purchase of a new Ford F150 4x4. This will help ensure our officers can traverse varied terrain to provide appropriate services.
The Department has located a suitable vehicle at Fritts Ford in Riverside to meet the team’s needs.
BASIS FOR DETERMINATION OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING
A competitive bid procedure has been conducted by the County of Riverside. The vehicle at Fritts Ford was previously ordered by the County of Riverside for use by one of their departments. Prior to ordering the truck, the County conducted its due diligence and determined the agreement with Fritts Ford met their contractual requirements. When the vehicle was delivered, the County determined it was not needed and told Fritts Ford that the dealership was free to sell it to any interested buyer.
This method of procurement is permitted per the Corona Municipal Code (CMC) section 3.08.140(C), which states that competitive bidding is not required for non-public projects as follows:
(C) Competitive bidding already completed. When the purchasing agent and the authorized contracting party, with the approval of the City Manager, determine that:
(1) A competitive bid procedure has been conducted by another public agency including, but not limited to, another local agency, the state through the California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS), the federal government through the General Services Administration (GSA), the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance, or the Western States Contracting Alliance (WSCA); and (2) The price to the city is equal to or better than the price to that public agency.
The City seeks cooperative purchasing agreements because they allow the City to save time, cut administrative costs, improve agency efficiency, and maximize city budgets by securing collective competitive pricing. By utilizing cooperative purchasing, the City will leverage a previous purchasing solicitation that another government agency performed. Here, we rely upon previously negotiated rates agreed to by another state government that allows state, county, and local agencies to avoid a prolonged bidding process.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Funding for the one-time vehicle purchase and upfit costs is available in the Homeless Solutions Program operating budget within the State Encampment Resolution Funding Grant Fund 412. Approval of the recommended action will result in an appropriation in the amount of $24,567 to the Police Department’s operating budget in the Measure X Fund 120 in Fiscal Year 2025 for the recurring motor pool costs associated with the vehicle purchase
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in questions may have significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action merely approves the purchase of a vehicle, and there is no possibility that this purchase will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: ROBERT MONTANEZ, POLICE SERGEANT
REVIEWED BY: ROBERT NEWMAN, CHIEF OF POLICE
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Quote from Fritts Ford
2. Exhibit 2 - Quote from Innovative Emergency Equipment