REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: BRIAN BARR, Director
General Services Department
BY: MIGUEL RAMIREZ, Senior Management Analyst
General Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the award of a Purchase Contract to Swanson Fahrney Ford, of Selma, California, for the purchase of 38 Ford vehicles for various departments in the amount of $2,152,964 (Bid File 12500815)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council approve the award of a Purchase Contract to Swanson Fahrney Ford, of Selma, California, for the purchase of 38 Ford vehicles for various departments in the amount of $2,152,964.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Department of Public Utilities (DPU), Department of Public Works (DPW), Fire Department (FFD), Capital Projects Department (CPD), and Animal Center are requesting approval to purchase 38 Ford vehicles to replace and grow their respective fleets. To align the fiscal and operational needs of City departments, General Services Department (GSD) developed an acquisition plan in FY2025 to ensure compliance with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation. Due to the timing of this plan’s finalization, the standard vehicle procurement process could not be completed before the close of the fiscal year. As a result, 29 of the 38 vehicles are FY2025 acquisitions and the remaining 9 vehicles are for FY2026.
GSD has determined 15 Ford electric F-150 Lightnings are required to be purchased for compliance with ACF. Of these, 10 units will be purchased to ensure compliance for DPW and Animal Center under the Purchase pathway for calendar year 2025. The remaining five units are designated for DPU to support their transition to zero emission vehicles under the Fleet Milestone pathway.
BACKGROUND
In an effort to save both time and resources, GSD has combined the light equipment needs from both FY2025 and FY2026 into one procurement. The strategy has yielded an agreement that is within budget and has saved administrative resources through multiple departments. DPU, DPW, FFD, CPD, and Animal Center will utilize this contract to purchase both replacement and additional vehicles to meet the needs of their operations.
Of the 38 total vehicles, DPU is requesting 15 vehicles, DPW is requesting 17 vehicles, FFD is requesting 2 vehicles, CPD is requesting 1 vehicle, and Animal Center is requesting 3 vehicles. Of the requested units, 23 will serve as replacements and 15 will be additions used to meet the needs of growing staff and projects.
DPU provides service to the residents of Fresno through water delivery, collection of solid waste, and the treatment of wastewater. Each division utilizes vehicles to perform inspections, repair and maintain service systems, and travel to jobsites. DPU is requesting 15 vehicles: three F-150’s, five electric F-150 Lightnings, two F-350’s, two F-450’s, two F-550’s, and one van to haul small tools, transport personnel, and move equipment for their teams. Of the requested units, 12 will serve as replacements and three will be used to meet the needs of growing staff and projects.
DPW provides service to the residents of Fresno through the construction and maintenance of roads, streetlights, city owned buildings, and adjacent landscaping throughout the city. To accomplish this, each division utilizes service trucks, vans, and half-ton pickup trucks to meet their daily needs. DPW is requesting 17 vehicles: three F-150’s, 10 electric F-150 Lightnings, and four F-450’s to haul small tools, transport personnel to jobsites, and move equipment as needed. Of the requested units, nine will serve as replacements and eight will be used to meet the needs of growing staff and projects.
FFD, established in 1877, is one of the oldest fire departments in the United States, and the largest department in the Central Valley. The department operates 21 fire stations and responds to emergency calls with fully staffed fire engines and support vehicles. FFD is requesting one F-150 and one F-250, these units will be utilized as emergency response and for operations staff. Both units will serve as replacements.
CPD manages the planning, design, and construction of public infrastructure and facility improvement projects throughout the City. The department ensures projects are delivered efficiently, cost-effectively, and in compliance with all applicable standards and regulations. CPD is requesting one F-150 which is used by staff to travel to project sites, transport plans and equipment, and perform onsite inspections. The requested unit will be used to meet the needs of growing staff and projects.
The City’s Animal Center provides animal services, resources, and assistance to City of Fresno residents and their pets. To accomplish this goal the Animal Center is requesting three F-350’s. The new vehicles will be utilized for support and transporting animals.
This purchase complies with the City’s plan for the transition of the Municipal fleet to zero-emission as required by the ACF regulation. Municipal fleet vehicles assigned to DPU shall transition to zero-emission technologies utilizing the Milestone compliance pathway. Under the Milestone compliance pathway, internal combustion vehicles may still be purchased under the condition the department still meets its prescribed zero-emission transition percentage which is based upon its total fleet size. For 2025, the zero-emission transition percentage has been met with other vehicle purchases within the department. By 2027 DPU is required to have converted 10% of Class 2b through Class 6 vehicles to zero emission.
Additionally, municipal fleet vehicles assigned to DPW and Animal Center shall transition to zero emission technologies utilizing the Purchase compliance pathway. Under the Purchase compliance pathway 50% of all applicable purchases must be zero emission. However, this requirement changes to 100% in 2027. For 2025, these acquisitions will be offset through the purchase of 10 electric Ford Lightnings which qualifies as a Class 2b vehicle under the Advanced Clean Fleets regulation.
The light equipment class of vehicles is on a ten-year or 100,000-mile replacement schedule which has been established by the Fleet Management Division as the optimum replacement time. The 23 units identified for replacement have exceeded their useful life in both time and mileage, therefore the Fleet Management Division recommends replacement.
Competitive bids were solicited for 35 Ford vehicles (Bid File 12500815) on June 16, 2025. The Notice Inviting Bids was sent to two exchanges and specifications were distributed to 12 potential bidders. The Fleet Management Division and Purchasing Division contacted dealerships located within the City of Fresno limits to gain interest, however no City of Fresno dealerships submitted a bid. One bid was received and opened publicly on July 08, 2025. Swanson Fahrney Ford was determined to be the lowest responsive and responsible bidder with a total bid price of $1,874,388.20.
Following internal coordination and finalization of departmental needs, the total quantity of vehicles increased from 35 to 38 vehicles. The adjusted contract amount of $2,152,964 includes the revised vehicle count and local sales tax at 8.35%. The Purchasing Division has approved this contract and recommends Council to approve.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDING
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, the award of this contract does not qualify as a “project” as defined by CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is applicable to this award, and Swanson Fahrney Ford, of Selma, CA is a local business pursuant to FMC 4-108.
FISCAL IMPACT
The funding to cover the purchase cost of 38 Ford vehicles has been included in the FY2025 and FY2026 Adopted Budget under the operations of DPU, DPW, FFD, CPD, and Animal Center. Due to the timing of the City’s CARB ACF plan finalization, the standard vehicle procurement process could not be completed before the close of the fiscal year. Therefore, the funding for 29 of these Ford vehicles was not spent in FY2025 and if approved, the FY2025 funds will be re-appropriated to FY2026 to complete these acquisitions.
Of the 38 units, 17 vehicles will be lease financed and paid for over a five-year term. This includes five F-150 Lightnings, one F-350, and two F-450s for DPU, one F-150 Lightning and three F-150s for DPW, one F-150 for FFD, one F-150 for CPD, and three F-350s for Animal Center. The lease payment schedule is included in the annual budget request for appropriations. The remaining balance of vehicles will be an outright purchase. A list of funding sources with unit quantities is provided in Exhibit A.
Attachments:
Bid Evaluation 12500815
Exhibit A Funding Sources