Agenda Item: 7
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
CONSENT CALENDAR
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: October 28, 2025
SUBJECT: CONTRACT FOR THE PURCHASE AND DELIVERY OF NEW
DIAL-A-RIDE AND GO! SANTA CLARITA VEHICLES
DEPARTMENT: Economic Development
PRESENTER: Adrian Aguilar
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Approve the “piggyback” purchase of five Compressed Natural Gas cutaway vehicles, seven zero-emission vans, tools, training, and spare parts from Model 1 Bus Sales using the California Association for Coordinated Transportation/Morongo Basin Transit Authority joint procurement contract number 20-01 in the amount of $2,327,900.
2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all contracts and associated documents, and modify the awardees in the event of project withdrawal or abandonment, subject to City Attorney approval.
BACKGROUND
City of Santa Clarita (City) Transit has a fleet replacement program that meets the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) seven-year life cycle for Dial-A-Ride vehicles. Nine of the City’s Dial-A-Ride and Go! Santa Clarita vehicles have reached the end of their useful life and are scheduled to be replaced. An additional three zero-emission vans are being purchased to support the expansion of the Go! Santa Clarita service approved by the City Council as part of the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget.
The use of "piggyback" purchasing allows the City to place orders against a competitively awarded public agency contract. The City intends to purchase five new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles and seven zero-emission battery electric vans through the California Association for Coordinated Transportation/Morongo Basin Transit Authority vehicle purchasing cooperative, which allows the City, as a member, to take advantage of an existing process.
Purchasing buses through this method expedites the purchasing process and ensures competitive
pricing. Under this cooperative agreement, product specifications were identified and prices were negotiated based on the total projected participation of the cooperative members, rather than just the vehicles scheduled to be purchased by the City.
As an added measure, staff conducted a price analysis to ensure the proposed pricing is within industry standards and is the most advantageous to the City. The use of purchasing cooperatives is common within the transit industry and is a practice accepted by the FTA.
Staff recommends awarding a contract with Model 1 Bus Sales for the purchase of five Compressed Natural Gas cutaway vehicles, seven zero-emission vans, tools, training, and spare parts. If approved by the City Council, the City will be able to reduce the average age of its Dial- A-Ride fleet and take advantage of recent developments in vehicle and engine technology.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact on the General Fund as a result of this procurement. The City has programmed Federal 5307 Transit Grant Funds to cover 80 percent of the total contractual cost of the buses in the amount of $1,046,614. The remaining 20 percent will be funded using Municipal Operator Service Improvement Program (MOSIP) in the amount of $261,653 and Measure M Transit Capital funds in the amount of $1,019,633. Adequate funds to implement the recommended action are contained within the City of Santa Clarita's adopted Fiscal Year 2025- 26 budget, expenditure account 7003702-520103 (Transit Capital/Automotive Equipment).
ATTACHMENTS
Combined Model 1 Contract (available in the City Clerk's Reading File)