REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 05/01/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Fire Department
SUBJECT:
Title
AUTHORIZE THE PURCHASE OF TWO (2) NEW CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500HD FIRE DEPARTMENT COMMAND VEHICLES FROM DON RINGLER CHEVROLET
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to authorize the purchase of two (2) new vehicles in the amount of $355,625 from Don Ringler Chevrolet for the Fire Department. This will replace the aging vehicles that have passed their life cycle.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Authorize an Exception to Competitive Bidding pursuant to Corona Municipal Code Section 3.08.140(C) that competitive bidding has been satisfied based upon the reasons provided in "Basis for Determination of Competitive Bidding" with Don Ringler Chevrolet for the purchase of two (2) new vehicles for the Fire Department in the amount of $355,625.
b. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to issue a purchase order to Don Ringler Chevrolet in the amount of $355,625.
c. Authorize an appropriation in the amount of $36,105 from the Public Safety Reserve within Measure X Fund 120 for the purchase of two (2) vehicles for the Fire Department and upfitting.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Annually, the Fire Department selects vehicles for replacement based on Administrative Policy No. 09100.508 "Vehicle Equipment Replacement" and an American Public Works Association's (APWA) vehicle assessment. Unit 61055 and 61056 are 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD fire department command vehicles designed to function as mobile command vehicles for the incident command and resource accountability of multi-unit emergency responses. These units can be dispatched within the city, region, and across the state through the California Mutual Aid System.
At eight years old, units 61055 and 61056 are due for replacement according to Administrative Policy No. 09100.508, which stipulates a 5-year replacement period. Moreover, both units scored 28 points on the (APWA) assessment, qualifying it for immediate replacement, as anything above 28 points merits such action. The APWA assessment considers six factors: age, mileage/hours, reliability, maintenance/repair costs, condition, and service type. Both unit's service type is classified by APWA as severe duty. Severe duty equipment, as defined by APWA refers to vehicles and machinery designed and built to withstand harsh and demanding operating conditions. These conditions could include heavy usage, extreme weather, rough terrain, and other challenging environments. These vehicles operate in an off-road setting, traversing a variety of challenging terrain for long periods of time, often in extreme heat and wind.
Both units are on the Fiscal Year 2024 Vehicle Replacement List which was approved by Council on June 21, 2023 as part of the budget approval process An initial budget of $319,520 was allocated for replacing and upfitting both vehicles. Due to price increases, the cost of replacing and upfitting the vehicles has risen to $355,625, leading to a shortfall of $36,105. Consequently, there is a request for an additional $36,105 to cover the actual cost of replacing and upfitting both vehicles.
Because of limited stock, disruptions in the supply chain, and long wait times for unit up-fitting, it's expected that these vehicles will reach or approach ten years of age with higher APWA ratings by the time the new units are finally received and put into service. Given these circumstances, it's crucial to order the vehicles promptly to avoid them becoming unreliable and needing expensive repairs.
ANALYSIS:
The proposed units have the same chassis and configuration as the current units set for replacement. The new incident command module will utilize tablets in place of mobile data computers and secondary screens, reducing the initial up-fit cost and future repair and technology upgrade costs. The ¾ ton chassis and command module up-fit are industry standard and commonly used by surrounding agencies.
Staff believes that an exception to competitive bidding is warranted for this purchase pursuant to Corona Municipal Code (CMC) Section 3.08.140(C), which states as follows:
"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." On April 6, 2023, a Request for Proposals was published through various entities, nationally, for fire trucks, ambulances, and other first responder vehicles with a response deadline of May 19, 2023. Ultimately, three contracts were awarded on June 22, 2023 based on a scored evaluation system, which factors in nine different criteria.
The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS-USA) is a national purchasing cooperative that offers access to competitively procured purchasing contracts. TIPS-USA provides access to competitively procured contracts with quality vendors, saving time and financial resources necessary to fulfill bid requirements.
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.
Based on this previously conducted bid process by TIPS-USA, the Corona Fire Department requests approval to purchase two (2) Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD fire department command vehicles for $355,625.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Partial funding is available in the Vehicle Procurement Operating and Maintenance Project No. 68340 within the Fleet Replacement Fund 684. Approval of the recommended actions will result in an appropriation in the amount of $36,105 from the Public Safety Reserve within Measure X Fund 120 to the Vehicle Procurement Operating and Maintenance Project No. 68340 to offset the increase in costs to purchase and upfit the vehicles. There is sufficient fund balance for the recommended actions.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Corona Municipal (CMC) 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 question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action involves the purchase of a vehicle that meets California and Federal emissions standards, and there is no possibility that approving this project will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: JUSTIN DETMER, FIRE CAPTAIN
REVIEWED BY: BRIAN YOUNG, FIRE CHIEF
Attachment(s):
1. Exhibit 1 - Don Ringler Chevrolet TIPS Contract
2. Exhibit 2 - TIPS Request for Proposal
3. Exhibit 3 - TIPS Proof of Publication
4. Exhibit 4 - TIPS Supplier Participation
5. Exhibit 5 - Don Ringler Chevrolet Price Letter and Specification
6. Exhibit 6 - Vehicle Upfit Command Package Specification
7. Exhibit 7 - American Public Works Association Evaluation