HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-02-28 - AGENDA REPORTS - CONTR DIAL A RIDE BUSESO
Agenda Item: 5
1. CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
CONSENT CALENDAR
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: '
DATE: February 28, 2023
SUBJECT: EL DORADO NATIONAL CORPORATION, GILLIG
CORPORATION, AND A-Z BUS SALES CONTRACTS FOR THE
PURCHASE AND DELIVERY OF LOCAL AND DIAL -A -RIDE
BUSES
DEPARTMENT: Economic Development
PRESENTER: Adrian Aguilar
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute a contract with El Dorado National
Corporation for the purchase of two (2) 40-foot hydrogen fuel cell electric buses, training,
and spare parts in an amount not to exceed $2,500,616, or modify the award in the event
issues of impossibility of performance arise, subject to City Attorney approval.
2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to negotiate and execute a contract with Gillig
Corporation for the purchase of one (1) 29-foot and two (2) 40-foot compressed natural gas
buses in an amount not to exceed $2,251,825, or modify the award in the event issues of
impossibility of performance arise, subject to City Attorney approval.
3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to negotiate and execute a contract with A-Z Bus
Sales for the purchase of two (2) 24-foot compressed natural gas cutaway buses in an amount
not to exceed $437,396, or modify the award in the event issues of impossibility of
performance arise, subject to City Attorney approval.
BACKGROUND
Santa Clarita Transit has a fleet replacement program that meets the Federal Transit
Administration's (FTA) 12-year life cycle for commuter and transit vehicles and 7-year life cycle
for Dial -A -Ride vehicles. Five of the City of Santa Clarita's (City) local buses and two of the
Dial -A -Ride buses have reached the end of their useful life and are scheduled to be replaced over
the next 18 months.
Page 1
Packet Pg. 26
O
As required by state law, the City Council adopted the City Zero Emissions Transition Plan
(Plan) in late 2020. The Plan serves as a roadmap for the City to comply with the state mandate
which requires the City to have a 100-percent zero emission bus fleet by 2040. The Plan calls for
a phased approach in which 50 percent of all new local transit buses purchased before 2028 are
zero emission. This approach will allow the City to control capital and operating costs, as
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses are less expensive to purchase and operate.
The purchase of two hydrogen fuel cell electric (fuel cell) and three CNG local buses allows the
City to continue to improve fleet reliability, reduce emissions within the region, and improve the
overall fuel economy of the City's bus fleet. The buses proposed for purchase have new vehicle
designs and technology that will improve the customer experience. The recommended action
would also bring the City in alignment with the desired capital replacement schedule, where
approximately one -twelfth of the transit fleet and one -seventh of the Dial -A -Ride fleet are
scheduled for replacement each fiscal year.
The City intends to purchase the fuel cell buses through the State of Virginia Contract and the
CNG powered vehicles through the CalACT/Morongo Basin Transit Authority (MBTA) vehicle
purchasing cooperative, of which the City is a member. Purchasing buses through this method
expedites the purchasing process and ensures competitive pricing. Under these cooperative
agreements, product specifications were identified and prices negotiated, based on the total
projected participation of the cooperative members rather than just the vehicles scheduled to be
purchased by the City.
As an added measure, staff conducted a price analysis of both cooperatives to ensure the
proposed pricing is within industry standards and is the most advantageous to the City. The use
of purchasing cooperatives is common within the transit industry and is a practice accepted by
the FTA.
If this action is approved by the City Council, the City will be able to take advantage of state
incentive programs for the purchase of zero emission buses, to replace a number of aging buses
that have reached the end of their useful life, and to implement the latest engine technology.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
1. Direct staff to issue a Request for Proposal for the procurement of fuel cell and CNG
powered transit, and Dial -A -Ride buses.
2. Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact to the General Fund as a result of this procurement. The City has programmed
Federal 5307 Transit Grant funds to cover 80 percent of the total contractual cost of the buses.
The remaining 20 percent will be funded using Municipal Operator Service Improvement
Program (MOSIP) funds. Adequate funds for this purchase are available in Transit Capital
Equipment Account 97003702-520103.
Page 2
Packet Pg. 27