City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 FROM: GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT WARDS: ALL SUBJECT: MEASURE Z – TEMPORARY WAIVER OF FORMAL PROCUREMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH PURCHASING RESOLUTION 24101 TO EXPEDITE DIFFICULT PURCHASES OF POLICE DEPARTMENT VEHICLE AND MOTORCYCLE, AND AUTHORIZE THE PURCHASE OF NEW AND USED POLICE DEPARTMENT VEHICLES AND MOTORCYCLES FROM VARIOUS VENDORS IN A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,700,000 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2026 ISSUES:
Temporary waiver of formal procurement in accordance with Purchasing Resolution 24101 to expedite difficult purchases of Police Department vehicle and motorcycles and authorize the purchase of new and used Police Department vehicles and motorcycles from various vendors in an amount not to exceed $1,700,000 through June 30, 2026.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Temporarily waive formal procurement in accordance with Purchasing Resolution 24101 Section 602(p), to expedite difficult purchases of Police Department vehicles and motorcycles; Authorize the purchase of new and used Police Department vehicles and motorcycles from various vendors in an amount not to exceed $1,700,000 million through June 30, 2026; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute individual purchase orders with various vendors and all other necessary documents including making minor and non-substantive changes.
DISCUSSION:
In August 2023 and 2024, the City Council voted to waive formal procurement in accordance with the Purchasing Resolution and authorized the purchase of new and used Police Department vehicles and motorcycles, as summarized in the following table:
Fiscal Year
Spending Limit
Number of Units Purchased
FY2024/25
$1,842,332
36 FY2023/24
$1,700,000
37 The Police Department continues to face difficulty in the acquisition of new or used vehicles due to volatility in the automotive market. Orders of new model pursuit vehicles have unscheduled, brief ordering windows and used vehicles qualified for law enforcement use continue to be in low supply. The automotive market continues to experience supply chain disruptions and due to high demand, available law enforcement vehicles sell within hours of being listed. Available vehicles are quickly sold on a first-come, first-served basis and dealerships are unwilling to hold vehicles to accommodate the City’s procurement process.
Manufacturer allocations are limited, lead times remain unpredictable, and dealerships are not willing to hold a quoted price for the length of time required to complete the City’s standard competitive bidding and bid award processes. In a rare case where a dealership may be willing, the lock-in period is only a few days, which is not workable under the City’s normal procurement process timelines.
The temporary waiver and procurement authority requested in this report is intended to allow the General Services Department, Fleet Division (Fleet) and the Police Department to move quickly when favorable pricing and availability arise, with Purchasing’s oversight to ensure acquisitions are documented, justified, and compliant with funding requirements and City Policies. The request for a temporary formal procurement waiver is a tool to address market conditions that have made traditional City processes impractical under specific circumstances, such those affecting the acquisition of Police Department patrol, unmarked, and undercover vehicles, and motorcycles. The waiver would be in effect until the $1,700,000 in funds are exhausted or by June 30, 2026, whichever occurs earlier.
A waiver of formal procurement is in accordance with Purchasing Resolution 24101, Section 602(p) which states:
"Competitive Procurement through the Informal Procurement and Formal Procurement process shall not be required in any of the following circumstances: ... (p) When approved by the Manager, the City requires Goods not subject to the bidding requirements of Section 1109 of the City Charter, which are of such a nature that suitable technical or performance specifications describing them are not readily available and cannot be developed in a timely manner to meet the needs of the City, in which case the Manager shall be authorized to negotiate with any Person or Persons for the Procurement thereof upon the price, terms and conditions deemed by the Manger to be in the best interest of the City and in doing so may utilize Informal Procurement or Negotiated Procurement process." The Purchasing Manager concurs that the recommended actions are in accordance with Purchasing Resolution 24101, Section 602(p).
The Police Chief concurs with this report.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact of this action is $1,700,000. Funds are available in the Measure Z Fund, Police Field Operations, Vehicles Replacement- PD Account 8001201-450057.
Prepared by: Joshua Monzon, Administrative Analyst
Approved by: Lee Withers, General Services Director
Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Finance Director/Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Edward Enriquez, Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer/ City Treasurer
Approved as to form: Rebecca McKee-Reimbold, Interim City Attorney FY2025/26 Formal Procurement Waiver for Police Department Vehicle Purchases Page 2