June 16, 2026
Public Works
DATE: June 16, 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, Operations & Maintenance
Subject:
Purchase Eight Fleet Vehicles for the Port, Parks, and
Abatement Operations from Dublin Chevrolet
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed expenditure of $700,000 will be charged to Port Operations and Parks and Abatement Operations’
existing, approved fleet budgets, as applicable (Account Strings: 4001-40161080-400571;
50336031-400705-2GI01; 01233631-400705-2GI01).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City’s ability to deliver operational services, parks maintenance activities, litter abatement services, illegal dumping response, and waterfront operational support
depends on a reliable fleet; however, several vehicles
assigned to Port, Parks, 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 City 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
June 16, 2026
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution to APPROVE the purchase of eight
(8) 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 $700,000, for use by Port, Parks, and
Abatement operations – Public Works Department
(Daniel Chavarria 510-620-5478/Darin Fitzpatrick 510-
231-3044).
DISCUSSION:
Following an evaluation of procurement options, City 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. Richmond Municipal Code Section
2.52.320 authorizes the City to acquire goods and services through cooperative purchasing agreements and contracts competitively awarded by other public agencies when such procurement is determined to be in the City's best interest and the originating agency's procurement process is substantially equivalent to the City's competitive requirements (Attachment 2). City staff independently reviewed the originating solicitation, contract scope, pricing methodology, and contract status and:
Confirmed that the Alameda County contract was competitively solicited in accordance with public procurement standards;
Verified that the vehicle types, specifications, and pricing structure are suitable for the City's intended use;
Determined that the contract remains in good standing and within its authorized term and dollar limits; and
Concluded that utilizing the existing contract is in the City's best interest and will result in substantial time and cost savings 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 outreach to authorized Chevrolet dealerships throughout Alameda County and the Bay Area to evaluate vehicle availability, pricing, and delivery timelines for the fleet vehicles required by Port, Parks, and Abatement operations.
June 16, 2026
Dealership responses consistently indicated limited inventory meeting the City's specifications, extended lead times for factory orders, and pricing subject to market fluctuations and availability. In contrast, California Automotive Retailing Group, Inc. DBA Dublin Chevrolet was able to provide immediate or near-term vehicle availability through a competitively solicited public agency master contract with transparent, verifiable pricing.
Based on this evaluation, staff determined that piggyback procurement under Alameda County Master Contract No. 901979 represents the most timely, cost-effective, and operationally responsible procurement method while remaining fully compliant with Richmond Municipal Code Section 2.52.320.
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.
Proposed Purchases
Approval is requested for the purchase of eight (8) replacement and operational support vehicles for the Public Works Department, consisting of one (1) vehicle for Port Operations and seven (7) vehicles for Parks and Abatement Operations.
Division Vehicle Description Qty. Operational Purpose Estimated Cost Port
Operations
2026 Chevrolet
Colorado
1 Supports inspections, maintenance
coordination, operational oversight,
and daily activities associated with
City-owned marine terminals and
waterfront infrastructure.
$36,382.90
Parks and
Abatement
Operations
2026 Chevrolet
Silverado 3500
Landscape Dump
Truck
7 Supports parks maintenance, litter
abatement, illegal dumping response,
vegetation management, hauling
operations, encampment remediation
support, and right-of-way
maintenance activities throughout the
City.
$630,672.84
Total 8 $667,055.74
Dealer-provided pricing is fully transparent and includes vehicle costs, upfit costs, sales tax, registration, licensing, and delivery fees. Dealer-confirmed pricing totals approximately $667,055.74, with no escalation clauses, speculative pricing assumptions, or future cost adjustments (Attachment 3).
The requested not-to-exceed amount of $700,000.00 includes a limited contingency to account for minor administrative variances, registration timing, and final delivery adjustments while remaining fiscally conservative. City staff have determined that the proposed pricing is fair, reasonable, and cost-effective given current market conditions and the immediate availability of vehicles.
June 16, 2026
Operational Impact
Replacing aging fleet units will restore reliability, improve operational readiness, and reduce the operational risk associated with vehicle failures during field operations, maintenance activities, and operational response work. New vehicles will reduce downtime, lower maintenance costs, and support continuity of essential operational services.
Fleet standardization and warranty coverage will also improve maintenance planning and reduce long-term operating costs.
Based on the operational need to replace aging fleet assets, the immediate availability of the proposed vehicles, and the cost-effective pricing available through a competitively solicited public agency contract, City staff recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution approving the purchase of eight (8) fleet vehicles from California Automotive Retailing Group, Inc., DBA Dublin Chevrolet, utilizing Alameda County Master Contract No. 901979, in an amount not to exceed $700,000, for use by Port Operations and Parks 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