COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Brett Fulgoni, Director of Public Works
DATE: May 5, 2026
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution Approving a Memorandum of Understanding with the County of Santa Barbara for Orcutt and Tanglewood Transit Stop Furniture Improvements and Authorization to Purchase Bus Stop Furniture from Tolar Manufacturing Company
Description:
The City Council will consider adopting a Resolution approving a Memorandum of Understanding with the County of Santa Barbara for bus stop improvements in Orcutt and Tanglewood, and authorize the purchase of furniture from Tolar Manufacturing Company.
Environmental Notice: The activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to State Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) no environmental review is required.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Adopt a Resolution approving a Memorandum of Understanding with the County of Santa Barbara for transit stop improvements in Orcutt and Tanglewood; and
2. Authorize the City Manager, or designee , to execute the Memorandum of Understanding; and
3. Authorize staff to purchase bus stop furniture from Tolar Manufacturing Company.
BACKGROUND:
The County of Santa Barbara (County) and the City of Santa Maria (City) have developed a partnership to improve transit stops served by Santa Maria Regional Transit (SMRT) within the unincorporated communities of Orcutt and Tanglew ood. Under this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the County will perform ADA-compliant concrete flatwork and site preparation. However, because the County is not a transit operator, it does not have access to the same consortium contracts that the City h as access too.
Therefore, in order to ensure bus amenity uniformity, the County will transfer $100,230 to the City for the Transit Division to procure and install these amenities through its existing consortium contract California Association for Coordinat ed Transportation (CalACT)/Morongo Basin Transit Authority (MBTA) for the procurement of Tolar Manufacturing bus stop amenities which are the adopted City Standards (see Attachment C).
2 DISCUSSION:
SMRT currently operates five routes (5, 6, 8, 12X and 30) serving Orcutt and Tanglewood.
While these stops are within the County’s right -of-way, they are served by SMRT. To enhance the passenger experience, the project includes:
County Responsibilities: Construction of ADA-compliant concrete boarding pads, bench footings, and landscaping modifications.
City Responsibilities: Procurement and installation of 13 benches and 5 shelters. Procurement Rationale: As a municipal transit operator, the City has access to the CalACT /MBTA joint procurement contract, which provides competitive, pre- vetted pricing for Tolar Manufacturing products and consistency with other bus stops already equipped with Tolar stop amenities. The County is ineligible for this contract and is therefore providing funding to the City to leverage this cost- saving mechanism.
Alternative(s)
Reject the MOU: This however could then require SMRT, as the operator, to invests City transit funds to address ADA improvement in County areas. The MOU remains the most fiscally responsible and efficient method by leveraging the County’s participation and the City’s specialized procurement access.
Fiscal Considerations
The cost for installation of these bus stop amenities is accounted for in the Transit Division’s Bus Stop Improvement cost center (with a budget of $500,000 for FY 2026/27) and is performed the City’s Transit Operations & Maintenance contractor, RATPDev, under our Bus Stop Maintenance agreement either by performing the work themselves or by outsourcing the work and passing through the costs.
Furniture Cost: $90,285 for the units themselves.
Additional Costs: The remaining funds cover procurement fees (2.5%), sales tax (7.75%), freight, and installation hardware.
Maintenance: Following installation, the City will be responsible for ongoing cleaning, graffiti removal, and routine repairs of the furniture
Impact on the Community
Entering into this MOU with County of Santa Barbara benefits SMRT riders from the unincorporated communities of Orcutt and Tanglewood by upgrading their tran sit stops to ADA standards, ensuring safe and accessible boarding for seniors and individuals with mobility challenges, which lies outside the City of Santa Maria’s sphere to unilaterally perform. By installing new shelters and seating, the project provide s some weather protection and comfort, which promotes public health and encourages increased ridership across the SMRT system. Furthermore, this partnership fosters agency -agnostic equity, ensuring that high -quality transit amenities are distributed to reg ional riders, regardless 3 of whether they reside in the City or unincorporated County areas while preserving bus stop amenity uniformity.
ATTACHMENT(S)
A. Resolution
B. Tolar Furniture Quote
C. Furniture Specifications
D. Indemnification and Insurance for Construction and Contracts E. List of SB County Selected Bus Stops
F. MOU