CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: March 11, 2026 CONSENT CALENDAR
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT NO. 5 IN THE AMOUNT OF $280,000 TO CONTRACT SERVICES AGREEMENT NO. A8865 WITH ST. FRANCIS
ELECTRIC, LLC, FOR ON-CALL TRAFFIC SIGNAL MAINTENANCE
SERVICES FOR THE REMAINDER OF FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026
FROM: Scott C. Stiles, City Manager
BY: Engineering Services Department
SUMMARY:
This action requests City Council approval of Amendment No. 5 to the contract services agreement with St. Francis Electric, LLC (SFE), a California limited liability company, to increase the maximum annual contract amount by $280,000 to a maximum annual amount of $860,000 for traffic signal and electrical system maintenance services at the City's various traffic signals for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2025-2026.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Approve Amendment No. 5 to Contract Services Agreement No. 8865 with St.
Francis Electric, LLC, increasing the maximum annual contract amount by $280,000 for Traffic Signal Maintenance Services for Fiscal Year 2025-2026;
2. Appropriate $280,000 from the Measure A Traffic Safety Project balance; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents.
BUSINESS PRINCIPAL DISCLOSURE:
The Public Integrity Disclosure Form for SFE is included as Attachment A.
BACKGROUND:
On May 27, 2021, City Council approved Contract Services Agreement No. A8865 with SFE to provide On-Call Traffic Signal Maintenance Services throughout the City. Through this agreement, St. Francis Electric provides 24 hours/7 days per week on-call routine preventive maintenance, emergency repairs, and non-emergency maintenance of all the City’s various traffic signals and equipment.
City Council Staff Report
March 11, 2026 -- Page 2
St. Francis Electric – Amendment #5 to A8865
On-call traffic signal maintenance services are established utilizing a fixed cost for routine preventative maintenance of traffic signals at a per-location cost, as well as labor and equipment rates and mark-up for unscheduled work, extra work, and all other emergency repairs reimbursed on a time/materials cost basis.
However, the vast majority of traffic signal maintenance services performed for the City occur as emergency work. The emergency work consists of responding to reports of malfunctioning signals, lights out, and traffic accidents. Emergency services are reimbursed based on the agreed Schedule of Fees for labor and equipment included in the agreement.
Additionally, Staff has been working to bring all signalized intersections back on-line and communicating with our Traffic Management Center (TMC). Intersections that are already part of a Highway Safety Improvement Projects (HSIP) or the Coachella Valley Synchronization Project (CV-Sync) are not included in the communication improvements.
The annual cost for traffic signal maintenance services fluctuates depending upon the nature and type of signal malfunction or repairs and traffic accidents affecting the City’s traffic signal equipment. Historically, the City has established an annual budget of $380,000 for traffic signal maintenance services. In the past, those funds were sufficient to cover routine monthly preventive maintenance and a moderate level of emergency response services typically related to one or two accidents affecting the City’s traffic signals.
STAFF ANALYSIS:
During the last three consecutive fiscal years, Staff has asked to increase the SFE agreement four (4) times due to spikes in the number of traffic collisions resulting in damages to traffic signal equipment. The SFE agreement was amended on:
May 25, 2023 – Increase of $130,000 for Fiscal Year 22-23 February 8, 2024 – Increase of $200,000 for Fiscal Year 23-24 July 25, 2024 – Increase of $200,000 for Fiscal Years 24-25 and 25-26 March 17, 2025 – Increase of $275,000 for Fiscal Year 24-25 When a traffic collision results in injury or property damage, the Police Department prepares a traffic collision report, which is used as supporting documentation for property damage claims. Once traffic signal repairs are completed and all related invoices are collected, a reimbursement claim is submitted to the responsible party’s insurance carrier.
The repair process can take as little as one week if materials are readily available, or up to six months if specialized parts must be ordered. After submission to the City’s claims adjuster, it can take an additional six months to more than one year for the City to recover some or all of the repair costs.
City Council Staff Report
March 11, 2026 -- Page 3
St. Francis Electric – Amendment #5 to A8865
Over the past seven months, the City has experienced thirteen (13) incidents involving traffic signal pole knockdowns and equipment damage caused by vehicular collisions, contractor activity, and weather-related events. Additional incidents are anticipated during the remaining five months of the fiscal year. Figure 1 shows several recent examples of traffic signal equipment damage.
Figure 1 – Traffic equipment knockdowns
In addition to traffic collision related repairs, response calls have also remained a significant cost this fiscal year as well. The table below shows the general breakdown between maintenance, traffic collision, and response calls between July 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026.
Cost Breakdown by Category
Maintenance: $24,082.50
Response: $325,831.76
Knockdowns/Collisions: $137,026.18
Subtotal – Expenses (7/1/25 to 1/31/26): $486,940.44
Budgeted Funds
FY 25/26 Budget: $580,000.00
Less Expenses to Date: -$486,940.44
Total Remaining Budget: $93,059.56
Unforeseen response calls and knockdowns/collisions have totaled $462,857.94 just seven months into the current fiscal year. In comparison, the entire Fiscal Year 24/25 incurred a total cost of $836,925.53 for similar incidents. The remaining fiscal year budget to cover invoices from February 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026, is $93,059.56.
City Council Staff Report
March 11, 2026 -- Page 4
St. Francis Electric – Amendment #5 to A8865
The average monthly SFE invoice has been $69,562.85, ranging from a low of $42,047.70 to a high of $104,633.69. Based on current expenditures, additional funding will be necessary to cover costs through the end of the fiscal year.
Staff recommends approval of Amendment No. 5 to the SFE contract services agreement to fund the remaining months of the fiscal year. A copy of the proposed amendment is included as Attachment B.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
Section 21084 of the California Public Resources Code requires Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). The Guidelines are required to include a list of classes of projects which have been determined not to have a significant effect on the environment and which are exempt from the provisions of CEQA. In response to that mandate, the Secretary for Resources identified classes of projects that do not have a significant effect on the environment and are declared to be categorically exempt from the requirement for the preparation of environmental documents. In accordance with Section 15301 “Existing Facilities,” Class 1 projects consist of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing; therefore, the traffic signal maintenance services to be provided to the City are considered categorically exempt from CEQA.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING:
This item aligns with the following City Council Strategic Plan Broad Goal: Infrastructure and Facilities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Sufficient funds are available from Measure A Traffic Safety Projects to cover the appropriation of the $280,000.
REVIEWED BY:
Department Director: Joel Montalvo
Assistant City Manager: Flinn Fagg
City Manager: Scott Stiles
ATTACHMENTS:
A. Public Integrity Disclosure Form
B. Amendment No. 5