October 20, 2026
Public Works
DATE: October 20, 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
Carlos Castro, Streets Superintendent
Subject: Contracts with Herc Rentals Inc., Cresco Equipment Rentals, United Rentals, and Sunbelt Rentals for On-Call Equipment Rental Services
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed contracts with Herc Rentals Inc., Cresco Equipment Rentals, United Rentals, and Sunbelt Rentals
will be funded through approved departmental operating
budgets based on equipment rental needs and available
appropriations. Each contract will have an initial threeyear term not to exceed $300,000, with two optional oneyear extensions of $100,000 each, for a maximum of $500,000 per vendor and $2,000,000 across all four
vendors over five years. Expenditures will be charged to the Public Works operating budget (Account String:
01234431 400645 01A05) and other applicable accounts.
Future expenditures are subject to City Council budget
appropriations.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City of Richmond requires access to a broad range
of rental equipment to support Public Works operations
and other City departments. Equipment rentals are
necessary to supplement City-owned equipment during
scheduled projects, equipment downtime, emergency
response activities, seasonal workloads, special projects, and circumstances requiring specialized equipment that
is not practical or cost-effective for the City to purchase and maintain.
AGENDA
REPORT
October 20, 2026
Following review of the proposals, City staff recommend awarding contracts to Herc Rentals Inc., Cresco
Equipment Rentals, United Rentals, and Sunbelt Rentals
to expand equipment availability, provide flexibility, and maintain competitive rental rates.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: APPROVE contracts with Herc Rentals Inc., Cresco Equipment Rentals, United Rentals, and Sunbelt Rentals
for on-call equipment rental services, each for an initial three-year term in an amount not-to-exceed $300,000
($100,000 annually), with the option to extend each
contract for two (2) additional one-year terms in an
amount not-to-exceed $100,000 annually, resulting in
maximum contract authority not-to-exceed $500,000 per
vendor and an aggregate maximum authority not-toexceed $2,000,000 for all four contracts over the potential five-year term; and AUTHORIZE the City
Manager or designee to execute the contracts, exercise
the option years, and execute amendments or related
documents necessary to administer the contracts,
provided such actions do not exceed the total contract
authority approved herein – Public Works Department. –
(Daniel Chavarria 510-620-5478/Darin Fitzpatrick 510-
231-3044).
DISCUSSION:
The City of Richmond operates and maintains a wide range of vehicles, construction equipment, landscape equipment, maintenance equipment, and specialized machinery necessary to support municipal operations.
Although the City owns and maintains a substantial equipment fleet, operational circumstances routinely require temporary access to equipment beyond the City's existing inventory. These circumstances include equipment breakdowns and extended repairs, emergency response and recovery activities, seasonal workloads, paving and street maintenance activities, vegetation management, facility maintenance, illegal dumping and abatement operations, special projects, and temporary requirements for specialized equipment.
Maintaining every potential type and size of equipment within the City's permanent fleet would not be operationally or financially practical. On-call equipment rental contracts allow the City to obtain equipment only when needed while avoiding the capital acquisition, storage, maintenance, depreciation, and replacement costs associated with maintaining infrequently used specialized equipment.
Competitive Solicitation
October 20, 2026
On July 31, 2026, the City issued an RFP for On-Call Equipment Rental Services through the City's electronic procurement system (Attachment 1).
The RFP established the following procurement schedule:
Procurement Milestone Date
RFP Released July 31, 2026
Deadline for Questions August 11, 2026, at 3:00 p.m.
Proposals Due August 25, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
The City's solicitation summary identifies 74 vendors as having been notified of the procurement opportunity (Attachment 2).
The RFP provided that the City could award contracts to one or multiple vendors and that no minimum quantity of work would be guaranteed. This procurement structure was specifically intended to provide the City with flexibility to establish a pool of qualified equipment rental companies capable of meeting varying operational needs.
The RFP sought qualified vendors capable of providing a broad range of equipment, vehicles, attachments, accessories, transportation, and related rental services on an asneeded basis. Equipment categories included earthmoving equipment, aerial lifts, material handling equipment, compaction equipment, trucks and trailers, utility vehicles, power generation and compressors, concrete and asphalt equipment, traffic control equipment, landscape and forestry equipment, pumps, and specialty equipment.
Recommended Vendors
Following review of the proposals, staff determined that contracts with Herc Rentals Inc., Cresco Equipment Rentals, United Rentals, and Sunbelt Rentals will provide the City with a complementary combination of competitive pricing, equipment availability, inventory depth, delivery and service capabilities, and operational flexibility (Attachments 3 through 7).
The proposals demonstrate that pricing and equipment availability vary considerably between vendors and equipment categories. Individual vendors may offer more favorable rates or greater availability for certain equipment while another vendor may provide a better option for a different equipment category, size, attachment, or rental duration.
The purpose of awarding four contracts is not to divide rental expenditures equally among the vendors. Rather, the contracts establish a competitively procured pool of qualified equipment rental providers from which the City can obtain equipment based on its actual needs.
For individual rental requirements, staff may consider equipment availability; daily, weekly, or monthly rental rates; equipment size and configuration; delivery and pickup
October 20, 2026
costs; required attachments; location and delivery timeframe; emergency response requirements; and overall cost and operational suitability.
This approach provides the City with increased competition at the individual rental level while also reducing dependence on any single rental provider.
Contract Term and Authority
Each contract will have an initial three-year term with two optional one-year extensions.
City staff recommend contract authority of $100,000 annually for each vendor, resulting in an initial three-year not-to-exceed amount of $300,000 per vendor (Attachments 8 through 11).
If the City exercises optional one-year extensions, each extension will provide additional contract authority not-to-exceed (NTE) $100,000 per vendor. The maximum potential contract authority is therefore:
Vendor Annual
NTE
Initial 3-Year
NTE
Two Optional
Years
Maximum 5-Year
NTE
Herc Rentals Inc. $100,000 $300,000 $200,000 $500,000
Cresco Equipment
Rentals $100,000 $300,000 $200,000 $500,000
United Rentals $100,000 $300,000 $200,000 $500,000
Sunbelt Rentals $100,000 $300,000 $200,000 $500,000
TOTAL $400,000 $1,200,000 $800,000 $2,000,000
These amounts represent maximum contract authority and do not constitute a commitment to expend the full amount with any vendor. The four contracts establish a competitively procured pool of qualified equipment rental providers and are not intended to divide or guarantee expenditures equally among the vendors.
No minimum amount of work or expenditure is guaranteed to any vendor. Actual rentals will be based on the City's operational requirements, equipment availability, pricing, delivery requirements, equipment configuration, and other applicable considerations and will remain subject to available budget appropriations. City staff recommend adopt a resolution to approve contracts with Herc Rentals Inc., Cresco Equipment Rentals, United Rentals, and Sunbelt Rentals to provide the City with a flexible, competitively procured pool of equipment rental providers capable of supporting routine, specialized, and emergency operational needs (Attachment 12).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Request for Proposals – On-Call Equipment Rental Services Attachment 2 – Solicitation Summary
Attachment 3 – Herc Rentals Inc. Proposal
October 20, 2026
Attachment 4 – Cresco Equipment Rentals Proposal
Attachment 5 – United Rentals Proposal
Attachment 6 – Sunbelt Rentals Proposal and Pricing
Attachment 7 – Bid Ranking Sheets
Attachment 8 – Herc Rentals Inc. Contract
Attachment 9 – Sunbelt Rentals Contract
Attachment 10 – United Rentals Contract
Attachment 11 – Cresco Equipment Rentals Contract
Attachment 12 – Resolution