CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: February 11, 2026 CONSENT CALENDAR
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE PURCHASE OF SANITARY SEWER AND STORM
DRAIN MAINTENANCE VEHICLES FOR USE BY VEOLIA WATER, FOR A TOTAL NOT-TO-EXCEED AMOUNT OF $1,513,418.19
FROM: Scott C. Stiles, City Manager
BY: Engineering Services
SUMMARY:
This action authorizes the expenditure of $1,513,418.19 for the purchase of two fully equipped sewer maintenance vehicles, a GapVax Jet-Vac truck for $829,145.49 and a RapidView IBAK CCTV truck for $684,272.70, to serve as like-for-like replacements for Units 4007-15 and 4010-16 respectively, which have reached the end of their 10-year operational life cycles. These specialized units are essential for maintaining municipal infrastructure.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Approve the issuance of a purchase order to Plumber’s Depot, Inc. for the purchase of one new 2026 MC1311-3S4S GapVax Jet-Vac truck in an amount not to exceed $829,145.49, after discounts and trade in value, inclusive of the purchase price, sales tax and fees; and
2. Approve the issuance of a purchase order to Municipal Maintenance Equipment Inc. for the purchase of one new RapidView CCTV Truck in an amount not to exceed $684,272.70, inclusive of sales taxes and fees; and
3. Appropriate $1,513,418.19 From the Wastewater fund; and
4. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all necessary documents.
BUSINESS PRINCIPAL DISCLOSURE:
Plumbers Depot, Inc. and Municipal Maintenance Equipment, Inc. are California registered corporations. Public Integrity Disclosures are included in Attachment A.
City Council Staff Report
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5 BACKGROUND:
The City owns the Palm Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) located at 4375 East Mesquite Avenue. The facility is operated and maintained by Veolia Water West Operating Services, Inc. (Veolia) pursuant to a Contract Agreement A6804 dated November 4, 2015. Veolia’s operations also include the Collections System, consisting of operating and maintaining the City’s wastewater collection system. The City collects and transports sewage from various types of structures via a network of approximately 262 miles of sewer pipeline ranging in size from 4 inches to 42 inches in diameter, 5,690 manholes, and six sewer lift stations to its wastewater treatment plant. In addition, Veolia is responsible for maintaining all storm water infrastructure under the City’s responsibility.
Section 5.6(d) of the Agreement with Veolia, “New Rolling Stock,” stipulates that the City shall acquire and lease to Veolia for $1 per year all new rolling stock for their exclusive use. While the agreement originally identified equipment on Schedule S, the vehicles are replaced on a rotating 10-year schedule as part of ongoing operations. Because the equipment currently slated for replacement was acquired after 2015, it does not appear on the original Schedule S; however, it is included in the comprehensive list of in-service vehicles in Attachment B. The following provides additional details on how these maintenance vehicles will be used and their importance in the maintenance fleet:
Combination Hydro-Cleaning & Vacuuming: Utilize combination Jet-Vac truck to perform cleaning operations on both sanitary and storm infrastructure:
Sanitary Sewer: Scours mains to remove roots, debris, and Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG). This ensures flow capacity and prevents Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs), mitigating the risk of state fines. Storm Drains: Vacuums trash, sediment, and debris from catch basins to prevent downstream clogging and ensure the storm system functions during rain events.
Emergency Response: 24/7 response to sewer backups and line breaks to protect public health and the environment utilizing vacuum capabilities to capture and recover overflowed wastewater.
CCTV Inspection & Condition Assessment: Following cleaning operations, a remote-controlled robotic camera system is deployed to visually inspect the interior of sewer mains. This technology allows for the precise identification of structural defects (such as cracks, fractures, or collapsed pipes) and maintenance issues without the need for excavation. This inspection capability is critical for:
Asset Management: Documenting the condition of the City’s infrastructure to prioritize repairs and Capital Improvement Projects (CIP).
City Council Staff Report
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5 Quality Control: Verifying that hydro-cleaning was effective and that lines are free of obstructions.
Regulatory Compliance: Maintaining video records as required by the Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP).
STAFF ANALYSIS:
Veolia is requesting the replacement of the existing Sewer Jet-Vac truck Unit 4007-15 (procured in 2015) and CCTV truck and equipment Unit 4010-16 (procured in 2016). Both vehicles have reached their 10-year life cycles and have reached the end of their operational viability. The replacement of this equipment is critical to ensure the City maintains necessary operations. In addition, as these units age, the frequency of mechanical failures increases. Replacing them now is a proactive measure to avoid the significant financial burden of escalating maintenance costs and ensuring uninterrupted sewer collections and storm drain maintenance operations.
In accordance with City of Palm Springs Municipal Code Section 7.03.09, “Special Procurement Methods,” Section 5, “Cooperative Purchasing Programs”, the City Council may authorize the acquisition of supplies or services through a joint powers or other cooperative purchasing program with a public entity or association of public agencies or officials. However, this is provided that the contractor selected has been selected through a competitive process and the department finds that the competitive process is similar to that contained in Title 7 or adequate to protect the public interest, and that due to economies of scale, the nature of the product, or market conditions, the price of the supplies or services is likely to be less through the cooperative purchase than through the City’s independent purchasing pursuant to Title 7. To ensure competitive pricing and compliance, the City requested quotes from vendors currently approved under Sourcewell Contract No. 120721-RVL.
The City of Palm Springs is a public agency that conducts competitive solicitations and awards contracts to qualified vendors, allowing participating agencies to benefit from volume pricing and streamlined procurement processes. This cooperative purchasing arrangement provides competitive pricing and efficient procurement to support the operational needs of the Engineering department for WWTP operations through Sourcewell’s Contract No. 120721-RVL for the purchase of the Jet-Vac and the CCTV truck. The detailed quoted cost of the equipment is included in Attachment C and summarized in Table 1 below.
Cost Category RapidView CCTV Truck GapVax 2026 Jet/Vac
Retail Subtotal / Base Price $634,554.60 $822,388.42
Sourcewell Discount ($25,391.64) (4% Discount) ($81,313.87) (Includes trade-in) Trade-In Credit N/A ($65,000.00)
(Included in discount above)
Freight / Delivery $13,164.00 $12,000.00 (@$4.00 per mile) City Council Staff Report
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5 Cost Category RapidView CCTV Truck GapVax 2026 Jet/Vac Additional Fees $4,000.00 (Factory Inspection)
$10.50 (CA Tire Fee) N/A
Estimated Subtotal $626,326.96 $753,074.56
Sales Tax (Estimated) $57,935.24 (9.25%) $76,070.93
Cost $684,272.70 $829,145.49
Total Cost $1,513,418.19
Table 1
Existing Units 4007-15 will be traded in for credit as noted above and 4010-16 will be declared surplus as outlined in the Palm Springs Municipal Code Section 7.08.02 “Disposition of Surplus Property” and sent to public auction.
The Contract agreement with Veolia is included in Attachment D; this document serves as the basis for Veolia’s management of the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) operations and justifies their role in facilitating the replacement of these vehicles.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
The requested City Council action is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING:
Infrastructure and Facilities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City achieved a total reduction of $106,705.51 off the retail base price through negotiated Sourcewell contract discounts and the $65,000 trade-in value of Unit 4007-15.
Sufficient funds are available in the Wastewater fund to appropriate and cover these purchases.
City Council Staff Report
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5 City Council Staff Report
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5 REVIEWED BY:
City Engineer: Joel Montalvo
Assistant City Manager: Flinn Fagg
Finance Director: Kristopher J. Mooney
City Manager: Scott Stiles
ATTACHMENTS:
A. Public Integrity Disclosures
B. List of in-service equipment.
C. Vendor Quotes
D. Veolia-City Contract Agreement