February 17, 2026
Public Works
DATE: February 17, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, Director of Public Works
Darin Fitzpatrick, Assistant Deputy Director of
Public Works, Maintenance and Operations
Subject:
Purchase of Twenty (20) Fleet Vehicles for Fire, Police, and Abatement Operations from Dublin Chevrolet
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed total not-to-exceed cost of $1,125,000 is included within the approved fiscal year 2025-2026
budget and will be funded through existing, approved
fleet appropriations, as applicable (Police Department
Account String: 50336031-400705-03B04, Fire
Department Account String: 50336031-400705-03A04,
Abatement Account String: 50336031-400705-03C04).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City’s ability to deliver emergency response, public safety, and environmental enforcement services depends
on a reliable fleet; however, several vehicles assigned to Fire, Police, and Abatement operations have exceeded
their service life and are experiencing increasing
maintenance costs, reliability issues, and operational
downtime. Extended manufacturer lead times and market
constraints limit the feasibility of traditional factory-order procurement, and staff has identified immediately
available vehicles through an existing competitively
solicited cooperative contract, allowing for timely, cost- effective, and legally compliant replacement of aging
units.
AGENDA
REPORT
February 17, 2026
RECOMMENDED ACTION: ADOPT a resolution to APPROVE the purchase of twenty (20) fleet vehicles from California Automotive Retailing Group, Inc. DBA Dublin Chevrolet, utilizing Alameda
County Master Contract No. 901979, in a not-to-exceed
amount of $1,125,000, for use by the Fire Department,
Police Department, and Abatement operations – Public
Works Department (Daniel Chavarria/Darin Fitzpatrick
510-231-3008).
DISCUSSION:
Following an evaluation of procurement options, staff determined that leveraging Alameda County Master Contract No. 901979 represents the most advantageous method for acquiring the required fleet vehicles (Attachment 1). The County of Alameda conducted a formal competitive solicitation for vehicle purchases and awarded the master contract to California Automotive Retailing Group, Inc. DBA Dublin Chevrolet.
The contract has since been amended and extended, remains active, and expressly allows use by other public agencies.
The City proposes to procure the vehicles through piggyback procurement, pursuant to Richmond Municipal Code Section 2.52.320. Staff independently reviewed the originating solicitation, contract scope, pricing methodology, and contract status and determined that (Attachment 2):
The Alameda County contract was competitively solicited in accordance with public procurement standards;
The vehicle types, specifications, and pricing structure are suitable for the City’s intended use;
The contract remains in good standing and within its authorized term and dollar limits; and
Utilizing the existing contract is in the City’s best interest and results in substantial time and cost savings when compared to conducting a separate competitive solicitation.
This approach avoids duplicative bidding, reduces administrative burden, and allows the City to respond immediately to critical fleet replacement needs.
MARKET OUTREACH AND DEALERSHIP ENGAGEMENT:
Prior to recommending use of Alameda County Master Contract No. 901979, staff conducted targeted outreach to authorized Chevrolet dealerships within Alameda County and surrounding Bay Area counties to assess vehicle availability, pricing, and delivery timelines for the specific fleet vehicles required by Fire, Police, and Abatement operations.
February 17, 2026
Dealerships were contacted during Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 and were asked to confirm the availability of new, current-model vehicles meeting City specifications, anticipated delivery timelines, and the ability to provide government or cooperative pricing comparable to public agency master contracts.
The results of this outreach were consistent across dealerships. Most reported limited or no inventory matching the City’s operational specifications, extended factory-order lead times frequently ranging from nine (9) to eighteen (18) months, and pricing structures subject to market adjustments, availability premiums, or non-guaranteed delivery schedules.
Based on this outreach, staff determined that California Automotive Retailing Group, Inc. DBA Dublin Chevrolet was uniquely positioned to meet the City’s needs by offering immediate or near-term vehicle availability, pricing established through a competitively solicited public agency master contract, and transparent, verifiable pricing with a fixed dealer margin.
Accordingly, City staff determined that piggyback procurement under Alameda County Master Contract No. 901979 represents the most responsible, timely, and cost-effective procurement method while remaining fully compliant with Richmond Municipal Code Section 2.52.320.
PRICING AND COST EFFECTIVENESS:
Pricing for the proposed purchases is fully transparent and cost-effective. Dealer- provided revised quotes clearly identify the net cost of each vehicle, with a fixed $475 gross profit per vehicle applied consistently. This modest markup represents the dealer’s total gross margin and allows staff to verify that vehicles are being acquired at or near dealer cost.
Dealer-confirmed totals include sales tax, registration, and licensing fees. There are no escalation clauses, speculative pricing assumptions, or future cost adjustments. Given current market conditions—where vehicle availability is constrained and lead times often exceed 12 months—this pricing structure reflects strong fiscal stewardship and minimizes financial risk to the City.
VEHICLE AVAILABILITY:
A key advantage of this procurement is that the proposed vehicles are already built and available, or available for delivery within a short timeframe. Immediate availability allows the City to replace failing units without delay, reduce maintenance expenditures on high- mileage vehicles, and avoid service disruptions associated with extended procurement timelines.
February 17, 2026
PROPOSED PURCHASES:
Approval is requested for the purchase of the following vehicles:
Fire Department – Eleven (11) Vehicles
Eleven (11) 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe’s
These vehicles will replace aging command staff units and support fire investigation and command operations, ensuring reliable emergency response capability and modern operational readiness
Police Department – Eight (8) Vehicles
Three (3) 2026 Chevrolet Colorados
Two (2) 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EVs
Two (2) 2026 Chevrolet Trax small SUVs
One (1) 2026 Chevrolet Suburban
These vehicles support parking enforcement, cadet operations, evidence and property transport, IT and communications support, records delivery, and general police operational needs.
Abatement – One (1) Vehicle
One (1) 2024 Chevrolet landscape dump truck (Silverado chassis with upfit) This vehicle supports illegal dumping response, environmental enforcement, encampment remediation, and right-of-way maintenance.
Total Vehicles: Twenty (20)
Cost Summary (Dealer-Confirmed Totals)
Fire Department (11 Tahoes): $673,897.82
Police Department (8 vehicles): $298,681.20
Abatement (1 landscape dump): $77,067.35
Total Vehicle Cost: $1,049,646.37
The requested not-to-exceed amount of $1,125,000.00 provides limited contingency to account for minor administrative variance, registration timing, and final delivery adjustments while remaining fiscally conservative (Attachment 3).
OPERATIONAL IMPACT:
Replacing aging fleet units will restore reliability, improve response readiness, and reduce the operational risk associated with vehicle failures during emergency response, investigative work, and field enforcement activities. New vehicles will reduce downtime,
February 17, 2026
lower maintenance costs, and support continuity of essential public safety and environmental services.
Fleet standardization and warranty coverage will also improve maintenance planning and reduce long-term operating costs.
City staff recommends the City Council adopt a resolution approving the purchase of twenty (20) fleet vehicles from California Automotive Retailing Group, Inc. dba Dublin Chevrolet, utilizing Alameda County Master Contract No. 901979, in a not-to-exceed amount of $1,125,000.00, for use by the Fire Department, Police Department, and Abatement operations (Attachment 4).
STEPS FOLLOWING APPROVAL:
If approved, staff will initiate a purchase order with Dublin Chevrolet and coordinate the scheduling, delivery, and commissioning of the replacement fleet units. Vehicles being retired will be prepared for disposition and sold at public auction, with proceeds returned to the City’s General Fund.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 - Alameda County Master Contract No. 901979 and Amendments Attachment 2 - Piggyback Approval Documentation – Alameda County Contract No. 901979
Attachment 3 - Vehicle Quotes
Attachment 4 - Resolution – Fleet Vehicle Purchase Approval