APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
________________________
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. ______________ C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY COUNCILM
EMBERS REBECCA KAPLAN, KEVIN JENKINS
AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT NIKKI FORTUNATO BAS
RESOLUT
ION APPROPRIATING A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED
EIGHT HUNDRED FORTY THOUS AND FOUR HUNDRED NINETY
DOLLARS ($840,490) FROM MEAS URE BB FUNDS TO IMPROVE
ABANDONED AUTO TOWING AND CLEAR THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF
WAY OF THE BLIGHT AND HAZARD OF ABANDONED VEHICLES
AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR OR DESIGNEE TO:
(1) NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH AUTURA FOR
SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE THE REMOVAL OF ABANDONED VEHICLES
AND INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY AND TRACKING OF VEHICLE
TOWING FOR THE CITY OF OAKLAND INCLUDING THE PURCHASE
OF TOW MANAGEMENT SOFT WARE AND ASSOCIATED
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WITH AN INITIAL TWO YEAR TERM, AT
A COST NOT TO EXCEED TW O HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS
($200,000) PER YEAR;
(2) ALLOCATE AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED TWO HUNDRED FIFTY
THOUSAND DOLLARS ($250,000) TO COVER EXTRA PERSONNEL
COSTS TO REMOVE THE BACKLOG OF ABANDONED VEHICLES;
(3) ALLOCATE AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED ONE HUNDRED
NINETY THOUSAND FOUR HUND RED NINETY DOLLARS ($190,490)
TO UNFREEZE A PARKING AND MOBILITY MANAGEMENT
DIVISION PROGRAM ANALYST FOR THE 2024-2025 YEAR;
(4) NEGOTIATE AND ENTER INTO ADDITIONAL CONTRACTS FOR
TOWING SERVICES WITH NO NET COST TO THE CITY; AND
(5) WAIVE THE MULTI-STEP COMPETITIVE PROPOSAL
SOLICITATION PROCESS AND LOCAL/SMALL LO CAL BUSINESS
ENTERPRISE (L/SLBE) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
2 WHEREAS, the presence of abandoned vehicles on the streets and other public spaces in the City of Oakland creates blight and worsens crime; and
WHEREAS, it is important to be able to promp tly and efficiently track and remove abandoned vehicles, and ensure accountability in this process; and
WHEREAS, this proposal will help en able more rapid deployment of vehicle towing to remove abandoned vehicles from the streets; and
WHEREAS, the presence of excess abandoned vehicl es impedes the effective flow of traffic, including for vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, and people using wheelchairs and strollers; and
WHEREAS, Systems providing for more rapid and transparent tow truck dispatch and response will increase the speed and efficiency of tracking, removing, a nd recovering vehicles.
This will reduce the excess time that City of Oa kland personnel need to spend on towing-related matters, and will allow them to more effectively do their jobs, and remove vehicles more quickly; and
WHEREAS, the Autura system is built for govern ment agencies to simplify operations and tow response times by streamlining dispatch operations with requests processed through the Autura software and improve personnel safety by reducing the time personnel are waiting on the side of the road. There are currently no other comparable solutions on the market; and
WHEREAS, this Resolution, therefore, is for approval for a single-source procurement with Autura for their software system, which will modernize and streamline tow-operations within the City and provide a better experience for residents; and
WHEREAS, adopting and deploying this tool will in crease the City’s ability to focus on essential duties by effectively remo ving vehicles and clearing street s, sidewalks, and other areas from blockages and blight efficiently; and
WHEREAS, the City currently contracts towing services for motor vehicles that are abandoned, illegally parked, disabled, damage d by collision, subject to impound, and other scenarios. The current process is antiquated, relying on manual methods utilizing disparate systems, which creates additional steps and requires direct coordination between multiple personnel; and
WHEREAS, the Oakland Department of Transp ortation (OakDOT) handles abandoned automobile tracking and removal and towing but does not currently have a comprehensive data management system to enable efficiency and accountability of such systems and to allow personnel on the streets to have transparency and reliability of tow dispatch and tow timing; and
WHEREAS, there is also a need to mobilize a surge of personnel to help remove and clear the backlog of abandoned vehicles, and thus, we propose to authorize an allocation to fund personnel hours to provide for expanded vehicle re moval operations and be able to effectively serve hard-hit areas; and
3 WHEREAS, when abandoned vehicles sit out for long periods of time, they become further blighted and broken, worsening safety impacts, and making them harder to remove, and risks them being used for crime. When abandoned auto personnel work solely based on complaints, it reduces efficiency and effectiveness and causes vehicles to be out for longer, and thus, focused sweeps of heavily-impacted areas are needed in order to improve effectiveness, equity, cost recovery, and reduce blight and hazards; and
WHEREAS, having additional tow yards (impounds lots) would also improve the ability to efficiently address the backlog of vehicles; and
WHEREAS, obtaining access for tow yard usage (impound lots) on CalTrans property, which would otherwise remain vacant or improperly used, could help reduce blight and reduce fire danger while also allowing effective use of publicly owned space and providing for more timely and effective vehicle tow services; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to OMC section 2.41.050, the City Administrator has full and complete authority to lease real property up to a value of $100,000 over the lease term and the Council supports and encourages City Administration to work with CalTrans and asks and encourages CalTrans to work with the City to identify for use as City tow yards CalTrans property that is otherwise underutilized, abandoned or blighted space; WHEREAS, Measure BB, passed in 2014 by the voters of Alameda County, increased the local transportation sales tax and extended it. Within Measure BB, the City of Oakland (and other cities) receive a formula allocation of funding for maintaining and upkeeping our Local Streets and Roads, which in Oakland is held in Fund 2218; and WHEREAS, In the January 2024 Quarterly Revenue and Expenditure Report, the City of Oakland’s Finance Department identified the available ending fund balance of Measure BB, the Local Streets and Road, Fund 2218 as $7,100,000; and
WHEREAS, this effort will serve the maintenance and improvement of local streets and roads, and the public right of way, and is an eligible expenditure for Measure BB Local Streets and Roads funds; and
WHEREAS, OMC section 2.04.042(D) provides that the City Council may waive the multi-step solicitation process upon finding and determination by the City Council that it is in the best interests of the City to do so; and
WHEREAS, the Local/Small Local Business Enterpri se (L/SLBE) Program, Ordinance No.13647 C.M.S., requires a minimum fifty-percen t (50%) participation for all professional service contracts valued at or over fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) when there are at least three certified businesses listed in the industry, trade, or profession that constitutes a major category of work; and if at least three L/SLBEs are not certified, then the requirement is either waived, or the 50% requirement may be set at a percentage from 50 % to 0%, but not less than 20% if at least one L/SLBE is certified and available; and
4 WHEREAS, the Council may, in its discretion, waive the requirements of the L/SLBE Program; and
WHEREAS, authorizing OakDOT to enter contract s for towing services would further improve the conditions of our public rights of way and reduce impediments and blight from our streets; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council hereby appropr iates a total of $840,490 (less than 10% of the available Measure BB Fund 2218 fund balance) for these efforts to improve abandoned auto towing and clear the public right of way of the blight and hazard of abandoned vehicles to enable the safe travel of vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED: That the City Administrator is hereby allocated and authorized to utilize the funds as follows: 1) Two H undred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) per year for a contract with Autura for a tow management system for an initial two-year term, 2) One Hundred Ninety Thousand Four Hundred Ninety Dolla rs ($190,490) to unfreeze a Full-Time Employee (FTE) Parking and Mobility Division Program Analyst for the 2024-2025 year; 3) Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000) in one-time funds to cover overtime personnel costs for Parking Control Tecnician-1 (PCT) and PCT-2 personnel, including protective safety equipment for personnel, to help clear the backlog of abandoned vehicles; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED: That the City Council authorizes the City Administrator or designee to negotiate and execute an agreement with Autura for systems to improve efficiency and tracking of vehicle towing for OakDOT, including tow management software and associated professional services, with an initial two-year term, with a maximum compensation not to exceed Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) per year; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED: That the City Administrator shall have the authority during the term of this contract to add additional City personnel and departments as further authorized users of this system; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED: That the City Administrator is authorized to negotiate and enter into contracts for towing services in excess of the City Administrator’s purchase authority and may do so without return to Council provided that the contracts have no net cost to the City; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED: That for the reasons stated above and in the report accompanying this Resolution, the City Council hereby fi nds and determines that it is in the best interests of the City to waive the multi-step solicitation processes pursuant to Oakland Municipal Code section 2.04.042.D, and, to the extent necessary and for good cause shown, the City’s Local/Small Local Business Enterprise program requirements, and so waives these requirements; and be it
5 FURTHER RESOLVED: That the City Administrator or their designee is authorized to complete all required negotiations, execute the ag reements described herein, and take any other action consistent with this Resolution and its basic purpose.
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - FIFE, GALLO, JENKINS, KALB, KAPLAN, RAMACHANDRAN, REID, AND
PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS
NOES –
ABSENT –
ABSTENTION –
ATTEST:
ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland, California
3337210v.1/SW