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Home My WebLink AboutItem 6d. Authorize the transfer of Capital and Operating funding for the purchase of an autonomous field striper Item 6d Department: Public Works Cost Center: 5002 For Agenda of: 1/13/2026 Placement: Consent Estimated Time: N/A FROM: Aaron Floyd, Public Works & Utilities Director Prepared By: Greg Cruce, Deputy Director – Maintenance Operations SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE TRANSFER OF CAPITAL AND OPERATING FUNDING FOR THE PURCHASE OF AN AUTONOMOUS FIELD STRIPER RECOMMENDATION Adopt a draft resolution entitled “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, Authorizing the Transfer of Unused Fleet Capital Funding and Supplemental Salary Savings to the Parks Major Maintenance Capital Account for the Purchase of an Autonomous Sports Field Striper” for the Damon Garcia Sports Complex: (Attachment A) 1. Approve the transfer of $38,000 in available fleet replacement funding from the Fleet Replacement Project (2000520-02.12), originally allocated for the replacement of fleet asset #0849, to the Parks Major Maintenance Capital Account (2001010); and 2. Approve the transfer of $3,640 in Parks Maintenance salary savings to the Parks Major Maintenance Capital Account (2001010). POLICY CONTEXT This action supports the City’s 2025–2027 Major City Goal of Cultural Vitality, Economic Resilience, and Fiscal Sustainability, specifically Strategy 5: Balance operational needs and infrastructure investments with consideration of the long -term fiscal sustainability of the City organization. The proposed purchase reduces long-term operational budget needs by decreasing reliance on supplemental staffing and lowering ongoing labor and material costs, while maintaining service levels within the Parks Maintenance Program. Although the purchase of the autonomous sports field striper is below the City Council purchase threshold of $199,999, Council authorization is required because this item involves: 1. Reallocation between capital accounts – transferring $38,000 from the Fleet Replacement – Public Works Project to the Parks Major Maintenance Capital Account; and Page 29 of 525 Item 6d 2. Transfer between operating and capital funds – transferring $3,640 in salary savings from the supplemental staffing account to the Parks Major Maintenance Capital Account. Both types of transfers fall under section 540 City’s Financial Management Policy, which requires Council approval to ensure transparency, proper appropriation, and fiscal oversight. The purchase itself will comply with City purchasing procedures, as outlined in section 3.24.060 (C) of the Municipal Code, which allows a sole-source purchase when the item can be obtained from only one vendor. Section 202 of the City’s Financial Management Policy identifies this as a “General Goods” Tier 2 purchase, which requires approval by the Department Head and Fiscal Officer. DISCUSSION Background The Parks Maintenance Program, managed by the Public Works and Utilities Department, maintains 28 park sites and 113 landscaped areas across the City, including the Damon Garcia Sports Complex (DGSC). DGSC is a 23.5-acre facility with 11 acres of turf and up to 12 sports fields, depending on the time of year. The sports complex opens after 4:00 pm on weekdays and at 7:00 am on weekends, allowing play from August through May for soccer, rugby, flag football, and lacrosse. These events draw athletes and families from the community and beyond. The City closes the sports complex in June and July each year for a comprehensive turf renovation, which is necessary to support the level of use. DGSC has two full-time Parks Maintenance Specialists assigned to the facility, along with one Parks Maintenance Aide who spends about 60% of their time there assisting the Specialists. Duties include turf maintenance, such as annual renovations, fertilizin g, mowing, edging, irrigation maintenance and repair, and field striping. They also care for the non-turfed areas of the facility, including surrounding fields, parking lots, and buildings. Each year, following the annual turf renovation and before the facility opens, staff use field GPS equipment to precisely mark field lines, which are then manually striped. This is a weekly task totaling approximately 633 hours annually, not including time spent on machine prep or cleaning. Weekly striping is essential for optimal play and to prevent the lines from disappearing when mowed, which would require additional GPS layout. To improve efficiency at the facility and within the Parks Maintenance Program, staff have been exploring and testing autonomous equipme nt. DGSC offers an ideal location for this technology because the facility is closed to the public during business hours for maintenance. Currently, there are no suitable autonomous mowers that comply with California emissions regulations, but staff continue to monitor the market for such advancements. However, staff have identified and tested two different autonomous field Page 30 of 525 Item 6d stripers for use at DGSC and found that a Tiny Mobile Robot model effectively meets the facility's needs. This unit has also been successfully tested by the San Luis Coastal School District, eliminating the need to manually stripe all fields and thereby increasing operational efficiency. Incorporating this equipment into DGSC operations will save nearly 450 staff hours each year, enabling staff to increase maintenance at other parks, including the recently completed North Broad Street Park and the upcoming Righetti Ranch Community Park. Public Engagement This item is a consent item for the January 13, 2026 City Council meeting and will follow all required postings and notifications. The public will have an opportunity to comment on this item at or before the meeting. CONCURRENCE The Finance and Parks and Recreation Department have been advised on the purchase and concur. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) does not apply to this action, as it involves the purchase of equipment and the reallocation of existing funds, and will not result in physical changes to the environment. FISCAL IMPACT Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: 2025-26 Funding Identified: Yes Fiscal Analysis: Funding Sources Total Budget Available Current Funding Request Remaining Balance Annual Ongoing Cost CIP Project Account 2000520-02.12 (Fleet Repl Fund – LRM) $ 38,000 -$38,000 $0 $0 Salary Savings (101.5002.51004) $98,682 -$3,640 $95,042 CIP Project Account 2001010- 29 (General Fund) $0 $3,640 $3,640 CIP Project Account 2001010- 29 (Fleet Repl – LRM) $0 $38,000 $38,000 Page 31 of 525 Item 6d Total $136,682 $0 $136,682 $0 A cost-saving analysis (Attachment B) shows that implementing an autonomous field striper at DGSC is expected to save nearly 450 staff hours annually and reduce paint usage for field striping from 1,344 gallons to 672 gallons. The combined labor and material savings are estimated at $36,206 annually. The staff time saved by using the autonomous striper will be redistributed across the City’s 28 parks. The total cost of the striper — including the unit, configuration, training, and a one -year subscription — is $41,640 (Attachment C). The annual subscription is for technical support, and staff do not expect to need this subscription beyond the first year of operation. Based on the projected savings, the City is expected to recoup the capital expense within approximately 14 months of operation. Previously, the Parks Maintenance Program relied on a retired annuitant to conduct landscape inspections at the City’s 113 landscaped sites. Due to CalPERS regulation changes, the employee resigned in June 2025, and the responsibilities were redistributed among existing staff. The vehicle assigned to the former employee had been included in the 2025–27 Capital Improvement Plan for replacement, with $38,000 allocated in Year One (Task 02.12, Fleet Replacement – Public Works Project, 2000520-02.12). This vehicle is no longer needed. To fund the purchase of the Tiny Mobile Robot striper, $38,000 in available fleet replacement funds and $3,640 in supplemental salary savings from the vacant position are proposed for transfer to the Parks Major Maintenance Capital Account (2001010). The supplemental staffing account within the Parks Maintenance budget currently has a balance of $98,682, of which $27,883 (28%) is available following the annuitant’s resignation and will not be allocated to other staffing needs. ALTERNATIVES Council could decide not to approve the transfer of funding to purchase an autonomous sports field striper. Should Council pursue this alternative, the Parks Maintenance Program would continue to manually stripe the sports fields at Damon Garcia Sports Complex, which would not improve efficiencies. Council could direct staff to identify a different funding source. Should Council pursue this alternative, staff will look for direction on a recommended funding source and follow all applicable policies to transfer the funding to the Parks Major Maintenance Capital Account. Council could direct staff to delay the purchase and include it in the 2027-29 Financial Plan. Should Council pursue this alternative, staff will include the necessary funding to purchase the autonomous field striper in the City’s next Financial Plan. Page 32 of 525 Item 6d ATTACHMENTS A - Draft Resolution authorizing the reallocation of capital and operating funds to purchase an autonomous sports field striper for the Damon Garcia Sports Complex B - Cost Savings Calculator C - Tiny Mobile Robot Quote Page 33 of 525 Page 34 of 525 R ______ RESOLUTION NO. _____ (2026 SERIES) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF UNUSED FLEET CAPITAL FUNDING AND SUPPLEMENTAL SALARY SAVINGS TO THE PARKS MAJOR MAINTENANCE CAPITAL ACCOUNT FOR THE PURCHASE OF AN AUTONOMOUS SPORTS FIELD STRIPER WHEREAS, the Public Works and Utilities Department, through the Parks Maintenance Program, is responsible for maintaining the Damon Garcia Sports Complex, which contains up to 12 athletic fields and host s year-round community sports activities; and WHEREAS, annual athletic field striping at Damon Garcia Sports Complex requires approximately 633 hours of staff labor per year, and represents a significant ongoing operational commitment; and WHEREAS, City staff have evaluated autonomous field striping technology and determined that using this equipment at Damon Garcia Sports Complex would save nearly 450 hours of labor each year; and WHEREAS, the total cost of the autonomous field striper, including co nfiguration, training, and a one-year subscription for technical support, is $41,640; and WHEREAS, $38,000 was previously allocated in the 2025–27 Capital Improvement Plan (Task 02.12, Fleet Replacement – Public Works Project, 2000520- 02.12) for the replacement of fleet asset #0849, which is no longer needed; and WHEREAS, $3,640 in supplemental salary savings from the vacant Parks Maintenance position is available for reallocation. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo that: SECTION 1. The City Council authorizes the reallocation of $38,000 in fleet replacement funds and $3,640 in supplemental salary savings to the Parks Major Maintenance Capital Account (2001010) for the purchase of a Tiny Mobile Robot autonomous field striper. Upon motion of Council Member ___________, seconded by Council Member ___________, and on the following roll call vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: Page 35 of 525 Resolution No. _____ (2026 Series) Page 2 R ______ The foregoing resolution was adopted this 13th day of January 2026. ___________________________ Mayor Erica A. Stewart ATTEST: ______________________ Teresa Purrington City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: ______________________ J. Christine Dietrick City Attorney IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, on ______________________. ___________________________ Teresa Purrington City Clerk Page 36 of 525 Manual 190 $11,205 $10,080 Total Annual Costs $21,285 633 $37,331 $20,160 $57,491 Cost Savings Analysis Total Fields:9 Hours Painting: Labor Costs: Paint Costs: *Estimating $15 per Gallon Annual Savings with TinyMobileRobots $36,206 Click here to schedule a Demo! Tiny RobotsMobile Estimated Annual Spending: *Estimating $33.7 per Hour Page 37 of 525 Page 38 of 525 Page 39 of 525 Page 40 of 525 Page 41 of 525 Page 42 of 525