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Home My WebLink About01/16/2001, C5 - VEHICLE REPLACEMENT FOR BUILDING AND SAFETY PROGRAMcouncil "; Z , j agenoa aEpout "C5 CITY O F SAN LUIS O B I S P O FROM: Michael D. McCluskey, Public Works Director PREPARED BY: David Elliott, Administrative Analyst j SUBJECT: Vehicle Replacement for Building and Safety Program RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) Approve replacement and surplusing of one additional vehicle in the City fleet 2) Approve the "Notice Inviting Bids for Four Light Utility Vehicles, Specification No. 90112" 3) Authorize Public Works to advertise for bids 4) Approve transferring $25,600 from the completed projects account in the equipment replacement fund to the CIP project account for replacement of Building and Safety program vehicles DISCUSSION Replacement of three mid -size sedans used by Building and Safety Program with three pickup trucks was originally scheduled in 1999 -00. (See pages E -15 and E -38 of the 1999 -01 Financial Plan and pages 392 -394 of Appendix B to the Financial Plan.) Replacement was postponed until the Council could adopt revised fleet management policies in April 2000. It was postponed again until the Chief Building Official could a) justify substituting the pickup trucks with utility vehicles and b) recommend a suitable model of utility vehicle. After investigating what utility vehicles were available, the Chief Building Official recommended buying Toyota RAV4 two - wheel -drive models, because they are the only ones that will get at least 20 miles per gallon of fuel and satisfy ultra -low emission standards. (See the attached memo dated December 8, 2000.) The former City Administrative Officer concurred. The only options specified are automatic transmissions and air conditioning. Because the specified models are available from several dealers, this is not a sole source procurement. The element of price competition is preserved by soliciting bids from the six Toyota dealers within roughly 100 miles of San Luis Obispo. Four 1991 Chevrolet Luminas — City vehicle numbers 9155, 9158, 9159, and 9160 — are now assigned to Building and Safety Program. Three — 9155, 9158, and 9159 — were approved for replacement in 1999 -00. However, instead of being surplused, 9159 was supposed to replace vehicle number 9164, another 1991 Lumina assigned to the City Hall vehicle pool. Thus, the three vehicles to be replaced and surplused were 9155, 9158 and 9164. Vehicles 9159 and 9160 were to remain in the fleet, the former in the City Hall vehicle pool and the latter in the Building and Safety Program. C5 -1 Council Agenda Report — Vehicle Replacement for Building and Safety Program Paee 2 The three vehicles originally approved to be replaced and surplused still need replacing. In addition, vehicle 9159 has now deteriorated to the point where it is not reliable enough for continued City service. Of the two vehicles scheduled to remain in the fleet, 9160 is still in fairly good condition and should be suitable for City service for at least another two years. The Chief Building Official recommends, and the Fleet Maintenance Supervisor concurs, that a) one additional replacement be authorized b) all four Building and Safety vehicles be replaced with utility vehicles and c) vehicle 9160 be transferred from Building and Safety to the City Hall vehicle pool to replace 9164. If approved, the four vehicles being replaced will be 9155, 9158, 9159, and 9164. FISCAL IMPACT Three vehicles have previously been approved for replacement and surplusing. This report recommends that one additional vehicle be authorized for replacement and surplusing, an action that will require additional budget. Estimated Cost of Four Light Utility Vehicles @ $19,900 each $79,600 Amount Budgeted for Three Pickup Trucks @ $18,000 each 54,000 Additional Budget Needed $25,600 Public Works recommends transferring $25,600 from the completed projects account in the equipment replacement fund to the CIP project account for replacement of Building and Safety program vehicles. The current balance in the completed projects account is $45,052. ATTACHMENTS Memorandum dated December 8, 2000 Available in the Council Reading File: Notice Inviting Bids 90112 UVs for Building and Safety C5 -2 MEMORANDUM n ; i� k '0 `i'l i�_ ; Date: December 8, 2000 p = 13 2 00 TO: John Dunn, CAO CC: Ken Hampian, ACAO �.-- Mike McCluskey, Public Works Director"° FROM: Tom Baasch, Chief Building Official SUBJECT:. Vehicle Replacement for Building & Safety As you may recall, we had a meeting approximately 3 months ago to discuss my request to replace our existing sedans, which are at the end of there service life, with utility type vehicles. Specifically, we were seeking a vehicle such as the 2- door, 2 -wheel drive Ford Explorer. The meeting resulted in direction to examine the field of vehicles available in the marketplace and narrow the choice based on the following: 1. A smaller SUV may be more acceptable from the perspective of the public. 2. The vehicle should be as fuel efficient as possible and still meet the needs of an inspector. 3. The vehicle drive train should be ultra -low emission. 4. The vehicle should have a proven reliability rating that will enable years of trouble -free operation. In addition, staff established the following: 1. Since Building Inspectors get in or out of their vehicle approximately 50 times during the day, ease of entrance and exit is a significant issue. Access to the driver's seat should limit stooping, and the door size should provide generous access width. C5 -3 2. The vehicle should have the ground clearance and durability necessary to access and transit construction sites. 3. The wheelbase and overall length should be minimal (less than a sedan or a extended cab pickup) to provide optimum maneuverability. 4. An interior cargo area must be provided for storing and easily accessing the library of code books, technical references, inspection equipment, and paper supplies used by inspectors during their field activities. 5. A standard console should be located between the front seats to provide a writing surface and pockets for sorting completed and uncompleted inspection requests. 6. A rear seat should be included to allow the ability to carry more than one additional passenger when conducting joint inspections with other staff or when traveling around a construction site with job superintendents and construction managers. We analyzed Kia, Suzuki Vitara, Honda CRV, Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Chevy S -10 Blazer, Ford Explorer, Isuzu Rodeo, Honda Passport, Nissan Pathfinder, Nissan Xterra, and Jeep Cherokee. The analysis consisted of test drives, review of manufacturer's literature, automobile magazine test reports, and on -line comparison of features on the internet. Clearly the most ideal vehicle choice for the Building Division is the 2001 Toyota RAV4, 2 -wheel drive. The RAV4 • is the most comfortable for entry/exit, • provides the minimum interior features required, • is small and maneuverable, • has an EPA mileage rating of 30 mpg, • is equipped with an engine that meets future California emission standards (ultra -low emission vehicle), • has an excellent reliability rating, based on findings by Consumer Reports magazine, and • is solidly built and is expected to hold up well over the 10 -12 year retention required by the fleet management program. C5-4 Initial pricing for a RAW equipped to our minimum specifications is $18,300 before taxes and fees. There should be some additional savings once we actually solicit competitive bids. This cost will be within the replacement budget established for the Building Division vehicles. Our analysis of the competing vehicles found the following: • The Kia, Suzuki Vitara, and Honda CRV lack durability. • The Suzuki Vitara, Chevy S -10 Blazer, Ford Explorer, Isuzu Rodeo, Honda Passport, Nissan Pathfinder, Nissan Xterra, and Jeep Cherokee are do not achieve a fuel mileage rating over 20 mpg. • The Kia, Suzuki Vitara, Honda CRV, Chevy S -10 Blazer, Nissan Pathfinder, Nissan Xterra, and Jeep Cherokee are unsatisfactory for access to the driver's set or for accommodation of tall drivers. • The Kia, Suzuki Vitara, Chevy S -10 Blazer, Isuzu Rodeo, Honda Passport, Nissan Pathfinder, Nissan Xterra, and Jeep Cherokee do not appear to satisfy ultra -low emission standards. • Reliability of Kia, Suzuki Vitara, Chevy S -10 Blazer, Ford Explorer, Isuzu Rodeo, Honda Passport, Nissan Pathfinder, and Jeep Cherokee is average. The Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, and Nissan Xterra are too new to be rated. • The Honda Passport, Nissan Pathfinder, and Nissan Xterra are too upscale or sporty to be suitable for government vehicles. CONCLUSION The Building & Safety Division requests authorization to acquire four 2 -wheel drive 2001 Toyota RAW utility vehicles (standard steel wheels, automatic transmission, standard 4 cylinder engine, air conditioning, white color, cloth fabric seats, standard radio, power locks /windows) to replace 1991 Lumina sedans used for field operations, at an approximate cost of $18,300 plus taxes and fees for each vehicle. Analysis of inspector's daily activities, equipment needs, established replacement criteria, and availability in the market place concludes that the ideal vehicle choice is the 2001 Toyota RAV4. C5 -5