Item Number: 15
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: October 20, 2026
Submitted By:
Noah Caracciolo, Acting Assistant Director of Utility Services
Subject:
Purchase of Seven (7) Pad-Mounted Electrical Switches
Recommendation:
The Honorable City Council:
(1) Approve the purchase of seven S&C PME pad-mounted electrical switches from Walters Wholesale Electric in an amount not to exceed $285,033.75, including sales tax and delivery; and
(2) Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to approve the purchase order and related documents.
Fiscal Impact:
This purchase will have a total fiscal impact of $285,033.75. The cost will be charged to the two capital improvement projects shown below.
Project / Account Equipment Qty Amount
Circuit 40&50 Extensions PME-11 4 $151,600.00
4202076-55080-30083 PME-10 1 $38,500.00
PME-9 1 $36,000.00
Sales Tax $19,783.75
Subtotal $245,883.75
Foxborough Sys. Upgrade PME-9 1 $36,000.00
4202076-55080-30082 Sales Tax $3,150.00
Subtotal $39,150.00
Project Total $285,033.75
Strategic Plan:
This item reflects Goal E: This purchase supports the City’s Invest in Infrastructure goal by improving electrical-system reliability, strengthening protection and redundancy, supporting future development, and reducing the potential duration and impact of customer outages.
Background:
Victorville Municipal Utility Services (VMUS) operates an underground electrical distribution system and uses S&C PME pad-mounted switchgear as standardized equipment throughout the system. They are the only open-air, manually operated switches currently used within the system. The distribution system has been specifically designed to accommodate their footprint and configuration. Purchasing an alternative product would therefore require compatibility modifications and could compromise standardization, operational consistency, and maintenance efficiency. These groundlevel secured switches allow utility personnel to control and isolate sections of the electrical system for maintenance and outage response. The fused configurations also protect equipment and help limit the effect of equipment failure for other customers.
Discussion:
The proposed purchase includes seven switches: four PME-11s, one PME-10, and two PME-9s. Six will be used for the Circuit 40 and 50 Extensions project at the Southern California Logistics Airport, and one PME-9 will be used for the Foxborough System Upgrade project.
The Circuit 40 and 50 Extensions project will add electrical cables and switches to parts of the system that do not currently have a backup power source. These improvements will help reduce outages, provide more flexibility in operating the system, and support future customers and system growth. The project is currently in the design phase and is expected to go out for bid later this year.
The Foxborough System Upgrade will add a fused PME-9 switch and connect an existing customer transformer to a protected switch position. This will help prevent a single equipment failure from causing an outage throughout the Foxborough system and will provide connection points for future expansion. Infrastructure work on the project is already underway.
Pursuant to VMC 2.28.100(b)2 this purchase is being done through the sole-source process (Attachment B) with Walters Wholesale Electric. Staff obtained quotes from the only three authorized vendors of the required product to ensure competitive pricing.
Walters Wholesale Electric submitted the lowest quote, with an equipment subtotal of $262,100.00. Sales tax of $22,933.75 results in a total purchase amount of $285,033.75.
Shipping and handling are included. Therefore, Staff recommends that the City Council approve the purchase of the seven (7) PME switches.
Staff remain available for any questions you may have
Prepared By:
Melissa Wycoff, Management Specialist
Noah Caracciolo, Acting Assistant Director of Utility Services Attachments: A. Walters Quote S130929117
B. Sole Source – PME Switches