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CC - CONSENT ITEM: (1) Waiver of Competitive Bidding Procedures Pursuant to Culver City Municipal Code Section 3.07.075.F.3; and (2) Approval of a Five-Year General Services Agreement with Southwest Lift & Equipment, Inc. for Transportation Vehicle Lifts Maintenance and Repair Services in an Aggregate Amount Not-To-Exceed $250,000 ($50,000 Per Fiscal Year).
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Meeting Date: March 17, 2025
Contact Person/Dept: Dalynna Moser/Transportation Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-6541
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (03/12/2025); Southwest Lift & Equipment, Inc. (02/13/2025)
Department Approval: Diana Chang, Chief Transportation Officer (02/24/2025)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council: (1) waive competitive bidding procedures pursuant to Culver City Municipal Code Section (CCMC) 3.07.075.F.3; and (2) approve a general services agreement with Southwest Lift & Equipment, Inc. for Transportation vehicle lifts maintenance and repair services in an aggregate amount not-to-exceed $250,000 ($50,000 Per Fiscal Year).
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
On January 1, 2019, the City entered into an agreement with Southwest Lift & Equipment, Inc. services for on-call inspection, training and repair services for the Transportation Department’s vehicle lifts in an amount not to exceed $9,000 annually which was increased to $50,000 annually on July 1, 2021. The agreement expired on June 30, 2024. The City entered into a new agreement with Southwest Lift & Equipment for maintenance and repair of transportation vehicle lifts on July 1, 2024 which is set to expire June 30, 2025. Pursuant to CCMC Section 3.07.045, in the event the same vendor has been utilized for a period of five consecutive years, competitive bidding procedures shall apply. CCMC Section 3.07.075.F.3, provides that the Council may waive, by a majority vote, bidding requirements if it is deemed to be in the City’s best interest and authorize a negotiated contract. CCMC Section 3.07.055 subsection I exempts general services from competitive bidding. However, to avoid any potential transparency concerns, and out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that the Council affirmatively waive the bidding requirements for these services.
The Transportation Department’s Fleet Services Division utilizes 17 vehicle lifts for equipment maintenance purposes. Over the past three years, the City has replaced each of the lifts, which are used to service and maintain the City’s fleet. Due to the variety of vehicles and lift features needed to service City fleet vehicles, four different lift manufacturers were used:
• Stertil-Koni (13 Lifts)
• BendPak (2 Lifts)
• Mohawk (1 Lift)
• Total Automotive (1 Lift)
Each lift requires annual maintenance performed by a third party service provider to ensure they last for the intended life cycle. Southwest Lift & Equipment, Inc. is the exclusive authorized service provider for Stertil-Koni lifts in the Southwest region of the United States. The other manufacturers do not have exclusive service providers; however, Southwest is authorized to complete the required service for these lifts.
With 13 of 17 lifts requiring service directly from Southwest, the Transportation Department recommends utilizing them for all 17 lifts. Utilizing the same provider will allow staff to schedule the annual service for each lift more efficiently while significantly shortening the purchasing process.
Per Culver City Municipal Code Section 3.07.055.A, services that are proprietary items of original equipment manufacturers and/or their authorized exclusive distributors are exempt from City bidding requirements.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 includes sufficient funding in Account 20370210.600100 (Transportation Operations Facilities - R&M Building) to cover the contract costs for the remainder of the fiscal year in the Transportation Services section of the budge book on page 463. Future years of the agreement will be incorporated into future fiscal year budgets.
ATTACHMENTS
None
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Waive competitive bidding procedures pursuant to Culver City Municipal Code Section 3.07.075.F.3; and
2. Approve a five-year agreement with Southwest Lift & Equipment, Inc. for vehicle lifts maintenance and repair services in an aggregate amount not-to-exceed $250,000 ($50,000 per fiscal year);
3. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and
4. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.