REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: BRIAN BARR, Director
General Services Department
BY: CLIFF TRAUGH, Business Manager
General Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the award of a purchase contract to Hometown Trolley of Crandon, Wisconsin for the purchase of three Villager Trolley buses in the amount of $865,664 for the General Services Department
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council approve the award of a purchase contract to Hometown Trolley of Crandon, Wisconsin for the purchase of three Villager Trolley buses in the amount of $865,664 for the General Services Department.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The General Services Department seeks to purchase three Hometown Trolley Villager Trolley buses to connect City of Fresno residents to South Stadium, Brewery District, Cultural Arts District, Tower District, Fresno City College, and Campus Pointe next to Fresno State. Service will be free and operate Thursday through Saturday from 2:30 P.M. to 12:30 A.M with 60-minute headways. Staff will return to Council at a later date to seek approval on contract between an external service operator and the General Services Department. The trolleys will be assigned to the General Services Department Fleet Management Division. Typically, transit vehicles have been assigned to the Department of Transportation, however upon assignment they become federal assets subject to requirements of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The FTA restricts the use of vehicles in a limited capacity and prohibits the use of vehicles for charter service by third parties. Moreover, if vehicles are utilized in this capacity they cannot be operated and maintained in an FTA-funded facility. The Trolleys will be purchased as additions to the Municipal fleet through a competitively solicited piggyback contract with the state of North Dakota.
BACKGROUND
The General Services Department, Fleet Management Division is responsible for maintaining 2,400 active vehicles and equipment for the City of Fresno. This includes vehicle acquisition, whole life maintenance, fueling, and end of life disposal. Fleet management serves the city departments by providing reliable like new transportation to support their needs and service responsibilities. This is done by scheduling and performing preventative maintenance, identifying, and making repairs when needed, and replacing equipment in a timely manner.
The General Services Department seeks to implement the Administration’s goal to establish trolley service to the residents of Fresno beginning in the spring of 2023. Therefore, the Fleet Management Division is seeking approval to purchase three classic style trolley buses. This service will take people from South Stadium and the Brewery District, north through the Cultural Arts District, Tower District, Fresno City College, ending at Campus Pointe next to Fresno State. The draft proposed route is attached to this report for reference. Service will be free and operate Thursday through Saturday from 2:30 P.M. to 12:30 A.M. with 60-minute headways. The goal of this service will be to expose young adults to the downtown experience and connect residents to the cultural and arts districts throughout the city. The trolleys will also be available for special events.
The trolleys will be assigned to the General Services Department Fleet Management Division. Typically, transit vehicles have been assigned to the Department of Transportation, however upon assignment they become federal assets subject to requirements of the FTA. The FTA restricts the use of vehicles in a limited capacity (i.e., limited service) and prohibits the use of vehicles for charter service by third parties. Moreover, if vehicles are utilized in this capacity they cannot be operated and maintained in an FTA-funded facility (i.e., Fresno Area Express). In addition to this procurement not being federally compliant, a major service change analysis would be required including a Title XI equity analysis.
The new trolleys will be an Americans with Disability Act (ADA) compliant 32-foot Villager Model which features seating for 28 passengers in a unique “old time” trolley design. Underneath the appealing classic body will be the modern 2023 Ford F-550 chassis featuring a 7.3L engine. This combination of classic design and new technology has been successful around the country, and Hometown Trolley has already provided similar units to several other cities in California including Laguna Beach, Ojai, Santa Maria, and San Luis Obispo. The trolleys will be upfitted with a security camera system and free public Wi-Fi equipment.
The units will be powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and will exceed all emissions requirements for equipment of this type including the US 2010 emissions standard. An electric propulsion system was considered for this application; however, the daily route mileage well exceeded the range of an electric trolley. The daily route mileage is estimated at 130 miles per day, whereas the range of an electric trolley is 100 miles in ideal operating conditions. As the operating environment in Fresno requires significant battery power for the HVAC system in the summer and winter, actual range is more reasonably anticipated to be 70-80 miles.
The equipment will be purchased through a competitively solicited piggyback contract with the state of North Dakota. The total purchase price is $288,554 per unit, this price includes sales tax at 8.35% and delivery. The Purchasing Division has approved this contract and recommends Council to approve. The City Attorney has reviewed and approved to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
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 not applicable. The City is not issuing a request for quote for this piggyback purchase agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT
No general funds will be used to purchase these items. The three Hometown Trolley Villager 32’ Trolleys will be lease financed and paid for over a five-year term. The funding to cover the first lease payment has been included in the FY2023 adopted budget under the operations of the General Services Department.
Attachments:
Draft Proposed Trolley Route
Attachment A
Attachment B
Attachment C
Attachment D
Attachment E
Contract
User Summary
Stock Photo of Trolley