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CC - CONSENT ITEM: (1) Acceptance of a Grant in an Amount of $76,710 from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Program of the United States Department of Energy; and (2) Approval of a Purchase Order with Rexel USA in the amount of $76,663.44 to Retrofit 196 City-Owned Streetlights.
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Meeting Date: March 10, 2025
Contact Person/Dept.: Joe Susca, Public Works
Phone Number: (310) 253-5636
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (03/06/2025)
Department Approval: Yanni Demitri, Public Works Director/City Engineer (02/24/2025) _____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) accept an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant from the United States Department of Energy in an amount up to $76,710; and (2) approve a purchase order with Rexel USA in an amount of $76,663.44 to retrofit 196 City-owned streetlights to reduce their use of electricity.
BACKGROUND
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) received $550M in funds from the Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to create or expand their key agency programs. One of those programs is the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) administered by the DOE. Through the EECBG program, DOE offered eligible local governments the option to select either an equipment rebate or a technical assistance voucher in lieu of a traditional formula grant, which streamlined the process and reduced the amount of paperwork involved to receive the grant funds.
DISCUSSION
The City’s EECBG entitlement grant amounts to $76,710 and staff submitted an application to the program administrators with a proposal to retrofit 196 high-pressure sodium streetlights with light emitting diode (LED) fixtures to reduce their consumption of electricity. The DOE responded that the project is eligible to receive an equipment rebate and instructed staff to proceed to procure the necessary retrofit light fixture kits and to install them.
Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) Section 3.07.065.B. exempts purchases from bidding requirements when the purchase is for a component for equipment or a system of equipment previously acquired by the City, and is necessary to repair, maintain or improve the City’s utilization of the equipment. This procurement falls within this exemption. To determine the optimal retrofit kit for the City’s existing high-pressure sodium streetlight system, staff considered various retrofit kits. Based on this review, staff recommends Crystal Lighting as the manufacturer of choice due to the quality, durability, and long useful life of its products.
Staff solicited competitive price quotes from the following distributors of Crystal Lighting-manufactured fixtures with the following results:
Staff recommends that Rexel USA be selected to purchase the retrofit kits from as they offer the lowest overall price. Once the streetlight retrofit kits are received, the City’s in-house crew will provide the labor necessary to install them atop the City’s existing streetlight poles.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 includes sufficient funding to cover the costs of the proposed purchase in the amount of $76,663.44 in CIP Project PZ 684 (Street Light Upgrades) in the Capital Grants Fund (Fund 423) which can be found in the Capital Improvements section of the budget book on page 481. The EECBG program requires the City to pay for the purchase up front and submit for reimbursement after the kits are installed and the project is completed. It should be noted that this grant is a federal funding source, and if federal funding is frozen or rescinded for any reason, these costs will have to be covered another funding source. There is additional funding in PZ 684 from Fund 420 that could be used if that were to occur.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
MOTION(S)
1. Accept a grant in an amount up to $76,710 from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Program of the United States Department of Energy; and
2. Approve a Purchase Order with Rexel USA in the amount of $76,663.44 to retrofit 196 City-Owned Streetlights to make them more energy efficient; and
3. Authorize the Purchasing Officer to execute the purchase order on behalf of the City.