10 October 6, 2026
Honorable Mayor and City Council
City of Long Beach
California
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation to adopt a Resolution authorizing the City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any amendments, with Sawatch, Inc. dba Sawatch Labs, of Portland, ME, for conducting a feasibility study on transitioning the City of Long Beach’s refuse fleet to electric vehicles, on the same terms and conditions afforded to Sourcewell (Contract No. 030625-WEX), except as modified by mutual agreement of the City and Sawatch Inc. dba Sawatch Labs, in a total contract amount not to exceed $20,000, with the option to renew as long as the Sourcewell contract is in effect, at the discretion of the City Manager. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
City Council approval is requested to enter into a contract with Sawatch, Inc. dba Sawatch Labs (Sawatch), to conduct a feasibility study to evaluate the City of Long Beach’s (City’s) potential transition of its refuse fleet to electric vehicles (EV), including operational, financial, and infrastructure considerations necessary to support future implementation.
Sawatch will evaluate the operational, financial, and infrastructure requirements associated with transitioning the City’s refuse fleet to EV. Using telematics-based analysis of actual fleet operations, Sawatch will model route performance, charging needs, and lifecycle costs to determine whether the City’s current refuse truck capacity, when transitioned to electric, can meet daily service demands. The study will provide data-driven recommendations on fleet rightsizing, charging infrastructure, and phased implementation options to support informed decision-making for future fleet modernization. The California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation requires public agencies to transition medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including refuse trucks, to zero-emission vehicles over time. Beginning January 1, 2024, 50 percent of new procurements in regulated weight classes must be zero-emission, and 100 percent of new procurements must be zero-emission starting in 2030.
The regulation also requires public agencies to evaluate operational feasibility, charging infrastructure needs, and long-term cost impacts to support planning and compliance. This feasibility study will help the City assess route performance, charging requirements, and implementation challenges so future refuse-fleet decisions align with CARB’s mandates and ensure operational continuity.
There are no Long Beach-based businesses that can provide this service. The Fleet Services Bureau of the Department of Financial Management researched procurement options for EV feasibility studies and found that other agencies had completed an open, fair, transparent, and Financial Management
411 W. Ocean Boulevard, 6th Floor, Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 570-6425
Honorable Mayor and City Council
October 6, 2026
competitive procurement process. The City reviewed the cooperative agreement options and determined that the contract between Sourcewell and WEX Bank, through their distributor, Sawatch, provided the best value to the City.
Sawatch was selected based on its competitive pricing, best overall quality, and selection of offerings to meet the needs of cooperative members and other governmental authorities. All Sourcewell contracts are competitively bid and offer the best available pricing. Sourcewell is a State of Minnesota local government agency and service cooperative created under the laws of the State of Minnesota (Minnesota Statutes Section 123A.21) that offers cooperative procurement solutions to its members.
City Charter Section 1802 provides an alternative procurement method by permitting the City to purchase or otherwise obtain services, supplies, materials, equipment, and labor with other governmental agencies. This alternative procurement method can save time and reduce costs through economies of scale by purchasing under existing contracts from other government agencies on a voluntary and selective basis, when authorized by a Resolution adopted by the City Council.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Millicent Usoro on September 9, 2026, Procurement Analyst Tommy Ryan on August 31, 2026, and Acting Budget Development Officer Jaime Tamura on September 17, 2026.
SUSTAINABILITY
Transitioning the refuse fleet to EV supports the City’s sustainability goals by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, improving air quality in residential neighborhoods, and lowering long-term reliance on fossil fuels. The feasibility study will help determine how EV adoption can advance these environmental objectives while maintaining reliable daily operations.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action to adopt a Resolution and award a contract concurrently is requested on October 6, 2026 to ensure the contract is in place expeditiously.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total contract amount will not exceed $20,000 and is budgeted in the Fleet Services Fund Group in the Financial Management Department. The cost will be billed to the Fleet Services Fund Group in the Financial Management Department and offset through the Fleet Services Bureau Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) charges to user departments across multiple funds and departments. This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with the City Council priorities. There is no local job impact associated with this recommendation.
Honorable Mayor and City Council
October 6, 2026
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully submitted,
Kevin Riper
Director
Financial Management