Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Enter into a Purchase Agreement in an Amount Not to Exceed $32,133 for the Replacement of One Park Maintenance Mower and to Amend Equipment Replacement Fund Expense Budget by $12,238. (Recreation and Parks 5120)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: John A. Russo, City Manager
Re: Authorize the City Manager to Enter into a Purchase Agreement in an Amount Not to Exceed $32,133 for the Replacement of One Park Maintenance Mower and to Amend Equipment Replacement Fund Expense Budget by $12,238
BACKGROUND
The Recreation and Park Department is responsible for replacing its vehicles and equipment according to the City's Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Policy. The replacement policy is based on the City of Alameda's Fleet Replacement Criteria, which considers the useful life of vehicles and equipment in terms of age, mileage (or hours), and usage. Vehicles and equipment scheduled for replacement are also reviewed and analyzed for safety history and operating performance to determine if it is appropriate to replace a vehicle or piece of equipment at a later date. In addition, vehicles and equipment are reviewed to determine if the minimum use guidelines have been met. After a careful review, one Park Maintenance mower has been identified for replacement for more efficient operations.
DISCUSSION
The existing mower slated for replacement is a Toro 580D that was purchased in 1997. This mower is a large, bulky, diesel machine that is built for mowing very large grass areas. It is the primary grass cutting equipment for Alameda parks but has become unreliable with repairs becoming costly and numerous. In addition, it is outdated machine that is expensive to repair and fuel.
The proposed replacement mower, a Hustler Super 104, is smaller, more powerful, more maneuverable, easily adjustable and uses standard unleaded gas. The ease of height adjustment is critical during drought conditions so that passive grass areas can be kept at a taller height for water retention while the athletic fields are kept at a shorter cut height for playability. The Hustler Super 104 grass cutting height can be adjusted immediately, whereas other larger mowers can take up to 30 minutes to change the mow height. The Hustler Super 104 is also lighter-weight, which makes it easier for park maintenance staff to maneuver it onto a trailer, which creates less potential for work-related injuries and which makes it less likely to sink into and damage wet grass. The result is a more versatile mower for use in parks throughout Alameda.
The replaced mower will be taken out of the fleet inventory and sold at auction. The revenues raised from such sale will be returned to the Equipment Replacement Fund (Fund 701), in accordance with Resolution No. 13951.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The total cost for the vehicle to be purchased with this recommendation is $29,212 with a 10% contingency of $2,921 included for a total of $32,133.
A portion of the required funding, in the amount of $19,895, is allocated in the FY14-15 Equipment Replacement Fund budget (Fund 701). The remaining $12,238 is available for Park Maintenance vehicles in the Equipment Replacement Fund (Fund 701). Increase in appropriations of the Equipment Replacement Fund expense account is required in the amount of $12,238 to acquire the mower. Under the direction of the City Manager, vehicle replacement purchases that cost more than $25,000 are presented to the City Council for approval.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is authorized pursuant to Alameda Municipal Code Section 2-62.4 and 2-62.6 (City Manager may award informal contracts for goods less than $75,000).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3).
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation to authorize the City Manager to enter into a purchase agreement in an amount not to exceed $32,133 for the replacement of one park maintenance mower and to amend equipment replacement fund expense budget by $12,238.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Estimate for Hustler Super 104 Mower