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CC - CONSENT ITEM: (1) Approval of an Agreement with South Coast Fire Equipment for the Purchase of Three New Fire Engines for the Culver City Fire Department in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $3,888,628.09; (2) Authorization to the Chief Transportation Officer to Approve Amendment(s) to the Agreement in an Additional Amount Not-to-Exceed $194,500 to Cover Contingency Costs (5%); and (3) FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE REQUIREMENT: Approval of a Related Budget Amendment Appropriating $1,098,128.09 from the Equipment Replacement Fund Balance to CIP #PE004.
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Meeting Date: October 26, 2026
Contact Person/Dept: Kenneth Powell/Fire Department
Allison Cohen/Transportation Department
Phone Number: (310)253-6500
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Attachments: Yes [] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (10/22/2026)
Department Approval: Kenneth Powell, Fire Chief (09/29/2026), Nick Zornes, Chief Transportation Officer (09/29/2026)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) approve an agreement with South Coast Fire Equipment for the purchase of three new fire engines for the Culver City Fire Department in an amount not-to-exceed $3,888,628.09; (2) authorize the Chief Transportation Officer to approve amendment(s) to the agreement in an additional amount not-to-exceed $194,500 to cover contingency costs (5% of the base vehicle cost); and (3) approve a budget amendment appropriating $1,098,128.09 from the Equipment Replacement Fund (Fund 307) balance to Capital Improvement Project (CIP) #PE004 (budget amendment requires four-fifths vote).
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
In Fiscal Year 2025-2026, Fire Apparatus #3741, #3742, and #3743, 2019 Pierce Arrow XT fire engines that had reached the end of their front-line useful lives, were approved by City Council for replacement in the amount of $995,000 each. After developing specifications for the new engines, staff determined that Pierce Enforcer Fire Engines manufactured by Pierce Manufacturing locally supplied by South Coast Fire Equipment would best meet the requirements of the Department.
The total base cost proposal from South Coast Fire Equipment, the local dealer of Pierce Manufacturing, for each engine is $1,327,599.00, exclusive of taxes and fees. South Coast Fire Equipment is offering a prepayment discount of $160,120.00 per vehicle. With the prepayment discount, the total amount for three vehicles including taxes and fees would be $3,888,628.09. Staff recommend taking advantage of the prepayment discount by paying $3,110,902.47 and retaining a minor balance to be paid upon delivery. It is anticipated that the engines will be delivered in the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2028-2029.
Staff recommends that an agreement be approved with South Coast Fire Equipment in the amount of $3,888,628.09, including sales tax, delivery fees and performance bond charges, for the procurement and pre-payment of three Pierce Enforcer Fire Engines as suitable replacement vehicles, allowing the three existing 2019 Pierce Arrow XT fire engines to be placed into reserve status. Additionally, staff recommends that a contingency budget of $194,500 be established to cover unanticipated costs associated with modifications that may be necessitated during the vehicle’s build and assembly. Factoring in the prepayment discount and the requested contingency funds, the total not-to-exceed amount for the purchase of the three engines from South Coast Fire Equipment would be $4,083,128.09.
The recommended amount exceeds the funding requested as part of the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget. During the evaluation process, staff found that the cost of such specialized fire equipment had outpaced projected budget expenditures which were based on the average Producer Price Index of Components for Manufacturing over the life of the existing equipment. The increasing cost relative to overall inflation was found to be attributed to several factors including the specialized materials and labor required to assemble these apparatus, the increasingly stringent safety regulations governing the production and use of the vehicle and its equipment, and the addition of advanced features and technologies. As such, additional funding is needed to ensure that the City can procure equipment that will continue to meet the operational demands of the Department over the engines’ anticipated 18-year lifecycle.
Pursuant to Culver City Municipal Code Section 3.07.055.G, the purchase of equipment, goods and supplies is exempt from formal competitive bidding requirements when competitive bid procedures have already been utilized by the City or another public agency or non-profit entity whose main purpose is to help public agencies make purchases; provided, the equipment, goods or supplies are supplied to the City at the same or better price, as was obtained through the competitive bid procedures of that entity. Staff was able to secure competitive pricing from South Coast Fire Equipment through Sourcewell Contract #082025. Sourcewell is a service cooperative created by the Minnesota legislature as a local unit of government (Minn. Const. art. XII, sec. 3) that works to streamline the procurement process by developing requests for proposals and invitations for bids for national, competitive solicitations that meet or exceed local requirements. Sourcewell conducted a request for proposal for firefighting apparatus and fire service vehicles in July 2025 and awarded a contract to Pierce Manufacturing, an Oshkosh Corporation Business. South Coast Emergency Equipment is the local dealer of Pierce Manufacturing and is offering the City the same or better pricing.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 includes funding for three fire apparatus purchases in the amount of $2,985,000 in CIP #PE004 (City Vehicle - Equipment Replacement), which can be found in the Capital Improvements section of the budget in Fund 307 (Equipment Replacement Fund) on page 589 of the budget book. Staff is requesting a budget amendment appropriating $1,098,128.09, from the Equipment Replacement Fund to GL 30780000.732100.PE004 for the remaining balance and a contingency budget to cover unanticipated costs for a total of $4,083,128.09. Approval of the budget amendment requires a four-fifths vote.
If Council authorizes staff to move forward with the pre-payment of the apparatus, $3,111,902.47 would be expended during Fiscal Year 2026-2027 with the balance due at the time the engines are delivered.
ATTACHMENTS
None
recommended action
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Approve an agreement with South Coast Fire Equipment for the purchase and pre-payment of three new fire engines in an amount not-to-exceed $3,888,628.09; and
2. Authorize the Chief Transportation Officer to approve amendment(s) to the agreement in an additional amount not-to-exceed $194,500 to cover contingency costs (5%); and
3. Approve a budget amendment appropriating the amount of $1,098,128.09 from the Equipment Replacement Fund (Fund 307) to CIP #PE004 to fund the purchase (requires a four-fifths vote); and
4. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and
5. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.