TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Philippe Eskandar, City Manager
BY: Philippe Eskandar, City Manager
DATE: June 11, 2025
SUBJECT: APPROVAL TO ACCEPT $25,000 GRANT FROM THE
AMERICAN WATER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION VIA THE
LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT FOUNDATION
STRATEGIC PLAN CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
Safe Community
Efficient, Responsive, and Effective City Services
Fiscally Responsible and Transparent City Government
BACKGROUND
Following the emergencies of January 2025 including the historic windstorm, Eaton and Palisades fires, a gap in local response capabilities was identified related to emergency management equipment. While the Police and Fire Departments maintain various pieces of equipment to support field command operations, the City does not own any such equipment for general emergency management or continuity of government operations. In response to this, the City Manager reached out to several partner agencies to identify possible opportunities for grant funding to support such an effort.
DISCUSSION
In speaking with the City’s External Affairs Representative, Brian Barreto at California American Water, an opportunity arose through their American Water Charitable Foundation and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. Staff worked with the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation who partnered with the City of San Marino to apply for funding with California American Water’s American Water Charitable Foundation for a $25,000 grant. Staff were notified Gretchen Shepherd Romey, Mayor
Tony Chou, Vice Mayor
Hunter Chang, Council Member
John Chou, Council Member
Calvin Lo, Council Member
in May that the grant application was successful and at this time, are ready to accept the funds.
The grant will be used to pay for costs associated with leasing an electric emergency management vehicle through the City’s Enterprise Fleet Leasing process. It is also anticipated that the City will receive an additional $7,500 in Federal electric vehicle lease incentives. Coupled with the grant, this will result in total cash savings to the City of $32,500 before any fuel and maintenance savings are accounted for.
The vehicle and its necessary outfitting are expected to have an approximate retail cost of between $75,000 and $110,000, before accounting for the $32,500 in grant funding and Federal incentives discussed above, as well as any manufacturer discounts extended to the City based on the purchasing power of Enterprise. However, given that the vehicle will be leased, the overall final cost of ownership of the vehicle is expected to be far less than the retail costs based on the estimated market/resale value at disposition and the equity the City will have in the vehicle.
FISCAL IMPACT & PROCUREMENT REVIEW
The City will recognize $25,000 in one-time revenue as a result of this grant.
Funds will be deposited into Account #281-36-3601-0000. A FY 2024-25 budget adjustment of $25,000 is needed to Account #281-36-3601-0000 to recognize the receipt of these funds.
Funds are restricted and will help fund an electric emergency management vehicle. A FY 2025-26 budget adjustment of $25,000 is needed to Account #281-36-4150-0000 to appropriate these funds.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney's office has reviewed and approved as to form.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommend that the City Council accept the grant funds and authorize the City Manager to sign necessary grant agreements, and approve the necessary budget adjustments to spend said funds. If the City Council concurs with staff’s recommendation, the appropriate motion would be:
“I move to accept $25,000 in grant funding from the American Water Charitable Foundation via the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, authorize the City Manager to sign necessary grant agreements, and approve the necessary budget adjustments to spend said funds.”
ATTACHMENTS
1. None