DATE:
April 15, 2025
TO:
Mayor and Council Members
FROM:
Rachel Molina, City Manager
BY:
Cassandra Sanchez, Director of Public Works/City Engineer Brian Blackwell, Streets/Traffic Operations Manager
SUBJECT:
Consideration of the In-House Striping Program and the Purchase of Striping Equipment
RECOMMENDED ACTION
It is recommended that the City Council:
Approve the implementation of an in-house roadway striping program; Authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Victorville Chevrolet for the purchase of one (1) 2024 Chevrolet 3500 flatbed truck in an amount not to exceed $65,000; and Authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Dispensing Technology Corporation for the purchase of one (1) Graco RoadLazer RoadPak Striping System in an amount not to exceed $89,985.
BACKGROUND
The City of Hesperia currently maintains over 500 miles of roadway, of which approximately 150 miles require striping and legend maintenance. Roadway striping is essential for ensuring the safe and efficient flow of traffic.
The City has traditionally relied on contractors for striping maintenance. The FY 2024-25 Budget allocated $169,000 toward this effort, which is expected to cover approximately 53 miles of roadway. Minor maintenance is performed using in-house equipment, including a truck outfitted for street legends and a walk-behind parking lot striper. However, this equipment is only suitable for small-scale jobs.
ISSUES/ANALYSIS
While the City budgets and contracts for striping maintenance, working with contractors has proven difficult for the following reasons:
Most contractors are based outside the Tri-City area.
Contractors request that the City batch maintenance work orders to justify mobilizing striping crews.
This means that road striping has not always been maintained in a timely manner due to these delays and does not meet the City’s goal of refreshing roadway striping.
Faced with persistent reliability concerns and an increasing demand for roadway striping maintenance, the City initiated efforts to transition striping services to an in-house operation. With the investment in a new striping vehicle, current staffing levels in Public Works can accommodate the necessary striping maintenance.
Striping Equipment:
To effectively and safely conduct striping maintenance on the City’s roadway network, the City would need to outfit a new one-ton flatbed truck with a Graco RoadLazer RoadPak System, a striping machine. The Graco RoadLazer RoadPak System is designed for a crew of two: a driver and an operator. Once the paint system is installed onto the truck, it will be outfitted with safety features, such as a high-definition camera system and in-cab controls, allowing for precise striping with enhanced visibility and minimal exposure to traffic.
For the flatbed one-ton truck, the staff requested three quotes, to which two dealerships responded. It was determined that Victorville Chevrolet was the lowest-responsible bidder.
As for the striping unit, staff recommends using a sole source exemption for Dispensing Technology Corporation, which is the distributor of the Graco RoadLazer RoadPak System. This unit is compatible with the current furnishings, materials, and equipment utilized by Public Works.
The following table details the FY 2024-25 costs of the new striping unit:
This equipment enables long-line striping, allowing for the maintenance of arterials within the city while addressing all engineering and resident requests. This also allows staff to prioritize needs along roadways better, as striping is damaged over time by wear and tear or storm cleanup.
Implementation Plan:
Should the City Council approve the purchase of the necessary equipment and the in-house striping program, the City has developed a four-year implantation plan. By Year 4, the City anticipates having the capabilities to maintain all striping south of Bear Valley Road. The City will continue to rely on a cooperative agreement with Victorville for striping on Bear Valley Road.
Year 1 & Year 2: Focus on increasing the amount of roadway striped as staff becomes more efficient with the equipment.
Year 3 & Year 4: The focus will shift to maintaining the majority of all the City’s roadway striping.
In-House Program versus Contract:
The weighted average of contracted per-foot stripping changes annually, depending on the City's needs. For example, for the FY 2023-24 striping contract, the contractor charged a weighted average of $0.33 per lineal foot of striping due to the focus on maintaining two-lane turn pockets. For 2024-25, the staff anticipates a weighted average of $0.22 per lineal foot, with an emphasis on double yellow line work. It is sufficient to say that the per lineal foot cost varies each year depending on the need.
For analysis purposes, it was assumed that Year 1 would cost $0.22 per lineal foot and then have an annual escalator of 10%. Further, it is believed that the City would pay $0.12 per lineal foot for painting materials. This assumes $0.10 per lineal foot to paint a line that is 15 mil thick and six inches wide. Additionally, the in-house cost assumes $0.02 for glass beads. Lastly, the same annual 10% escalator is applied to the future years.
To demonstrate the cost savings, the following table assumes the annual stripping of 292,000 lineal feet or approximately 18 miles. This is done to show the anticipated yearly cost difference based on the same amount of fee striped. As indicated in the Implementation Plan, the City fully anticipates increasing the miles striped in FY 2026-27 and FY 2027-28.
It should be noted that by FY 2027-28 and FY 2028-29, the City should expect material costs to grow to $285,000, as opposed to the FY 2024-25 Budget of $200,000. This growth is attributed to the materials required to maintain approximately 150 miles of roadway with striping. As a comparison, if the City contracted for the exact 150 miles, it could expect to pay $523,000 at $0.22 per lineal foot or $784,000 at $0.33 per lineal foot, a savings of approximately $238,000 to $499,000.
In addition to operational efficiencies and improved responsiveness, transitioning striping services in-house presents a projected cost savings opportunity. The in-house striping can be completed with the current staffing levels. Based on projected striping quantities, this approach is expected to yield long-term savings while providing greater flexibility, enhanced safety, and higher-quality results.
Should the City Council approve the in-house striping program and the purchase of the necessary equipment, the staff recommends reallocating the FY 2024-25 budgeted funds previously designated for contracted street striping services to support the startup and implementation of the in-house program.
CITY GOAL SUPPORTED BY THIS ITEM
Public Safety - Ensure public safety resources adequately protect our community.
Financial Health - Maintain a balanced budget and adequate reserves.
FISCAL IMPACT
For the FY 2024-25 Budget, there is $169,000 allocated for roadway striping maintenance in the Streets Maintenance Fund, which has not yet been utilized. If approved, these funds would be used to purchase the following:
One (1) 2024 Chevrolet 3500 flatbed truck – not to exceed $65,000 One (1) Graco RoadLazer RoadPak Striping System – not to exceed $89,985 This combined cost is $154,985 and would be fully covered by the existing striping maintenance budget allocation. The remaining balance from the FY 2024-25 Budget for striping will be retained for as-needed striping while the equipment is being delivered to the City.
For FY 2025-26, the City recommends allocating approximately $80,000 to $100,000 to Public Works – Traffic to purchase striping materials, including paint and beads, to fund Bear Valley Road maintenance shared with Victorville and to allow for specialty striping that includes thermoplastic. This allocation would yield an operational budget savings of $100,000, as the FY 2024-25 budget for all striping-related activities is $200,000.
ALTERNATIVES
Please provide an alternative direction to staff.
ATTACHMENTS
Graco Roadlazer Roadpack information and Quote.
Bid Comparison for a One-Ton Flatbed Truck.
City of Hesperia STAFF REPORT City of Hesperia STAFF REPORT City of Hesperia
STAFF REPORT
City of Hesperia
STAFF REPORT
Staff Report to the Mayor and Council Members for the Purchase of Traffic Striping Equipment April 15, 2025