1 RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA, DISPENSING WITH COMPETITIVE BIDDING; APPROVING A CONTRACT AWARD THROUGH A PIGGYBACK; AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY
MANAGER OR A DESIGNEE TO ENTER INTO AGREEMENT WITH BP PULSE TO
PURCHASE AN ENERGY SYSTEM TO POWER FIVE BATTERY-ELECTRIC BUSES WHEREAS, the City of Glendale has provided Beeline fixed-route bus service since 1984; and
WHEREAS, the City needs to replace five Beeline buses that have reached the end of their useful life with battery-electric buses and an energy system to power said battery-electric buses; and
WHEREAS, on January 25, 2022, the City Council approved Carl Moyer ($225,000) and Low Carbon Transit Operations Program ($197,883) grant funding and $27,117 in Measure R Local Return match funding for a total of $450,000 to purchase three chargers with installation; and
WHEREAS, as with the price increase in battery-electric buses, the price for chargers and their installation have increased as well; and WHEREAS, agencies that were early battery-electric bus adopters with are encountering issues keeping their buses charged for operation; and WHEREAS, transit agencies have mitigated these challenges by turning to a Charging as a Service (CaaS) model, which requires the vendor to be responsible for the chargers, the installation, and maintenance; and
WHEREAS, the charging solicitation for battery-electric buses requires specialized experience with battery-electric bus chargers and their installation that Glendale transit staff does not have; and
WHEREAS, while there are many vendors providing chargers, not all the chargers are performing adequately and have caused service disruptions due to breakdowns and delayed repairs; and
WHEREAS, On March 16, 2020, the Anaheim Transportation Network (ATN) issued a Request for Proposals, which followed Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requirements, for an energy system that included chargers, installation, and operating and maintenance services, which resulted in an award to BP Pulse Fleet North America, Inc. (formerly AMPLY); and
WHEREAS, the ability to add operating and maintenance charger services ensures 2 that the charges will always be operational since BP Pulse is required to provide fully charged buses at the beginning of each service day for five years; and WHEREAS, the original ATN solicitation allowed for charging installation and maintenance services by BP Pulse to be made available to any transit agency within the State of California and was recently used by LADOT Transit; and WHEREAS, to address the City’s charging needs, BP Pulse has proposed five 50KW chargers that meet BP Pulse’s requirements to provide CaaS; and WHEREAS, the cost of the 50KW chargers, installation and CaaS is less than a quote obtained from New Flyer (the battery-electric bus manufacturer) for chargers and installation alone and did not include CaaS; and
WHEREAS, the use of ATN’s procurement and contract through which chargers have already been installed, and has charging as a service, allows Glendale to hire a proven vendor and most importantly, move quickly as the battery-electric buses are scheduled to arrive at the end of the year, which would not afford sufficient time to conduct a procurement and have the chargers installed and ready to charge when the five battery-electric buses arrive; and
WHEREAS, the original ATN solicitation allows for similar charging installation and maintenance services by BP Pulse to be made available to any transit agency within the State of California and was recently used by LADOT Transit; and WHEREAS, based on the ATN procurement, the cost to install the chargers for five (5) battery-electric buses, including operating and maintenance services, is $820,272; and WHEREAS, Glendale City Charter, Article VI, Sec. 9 provides an exemption to competitive bidding when the Council determines it is in the best interest of the City to dispense with competitive bidding; and
WHEREAS, given the need to charge the five battery-electric buses to continue providing transit services to the public, it appears that adequate justification exists, and it is in the City’s best interest― upon recommendation of the Director of Public Works― to dispense with competitive bidding and the Council approve a contract with BP Pulse for an Energy System to power five battery-electric transit buses.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE:
1. The foregoing facts are deemed to be true and correct, and are a basis for dispensing with competitive bidding, approving a contract award by piggybacking on a competitive request for proposal procurement process and authorizing the execution of an agreement.
3 2. The Council hereby:
A. Dispenses with competitive bidding;
B. Accepts and approves the quote submitted by BP Pulse that to provide an Energy System to power five battery-electric Beeline buses; and
C. Authorizes the City Manager or a designee to enter into an agreement with BP Pulse for an Energy System to power five battery- electric buses for an amount of $820,272.
Adopted this day of , 2024.
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
) SS
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES )
I, Suzie Abajian, Ph.D., City Clerk of the City of Glendale, certify that the foregoing Resolution No. was adopted by the Council of the City of Glendale, California, at a regular meeting held on the day of , 2024, by the following vote:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
4 City Clerk