TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
Eric Brinkman, Senior Recreation Supervisor
Linda Robb, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of Approval of a Lease with WillScot for the Rental of One Modular Trailer to Replace an Existing Storage Trailer (Located next to the Red House in Polliwog Park) that houses the City’s Historical Collection, and Allocation of Public Art Funds in the Amount of $100,399.68 (No Budget Impact) (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
A) WAIVE FORMAL BIDDING DUE TO COOPERATIVE PURCHASING
B) APPROVE LEASE
C) ALLOCATE FUNDS
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
a) Waive formal bid requirements pursuant to Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Section 2.36.150 (cooperative purchasing), which allows the City to forego the formal bidding process for purchases of equipment obtained through a cooperative competitive bidding procedure;
b) Approve the lease for the replacement of the existing storage trailer for the historical collection; and
c) Allocate Public Art Funds in the amount of $100,399.68 for the trailer lease.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The cost of renting a trailer for storing historical collection items may be covered by the Public Arts Fund (PAF), which currently has a total balance of approximately $1.67 million, including $861,000 in allocated funds and $809,000 in unallocated funds. The use of PAF funds for this project aligns with the PAF objectives outlined in Section 10.90.050 of the Manhattan Beach Municipal Code. The total cost of a five-year contract with WillScot, including installation and unit removal, is $100,399.68.
BACKGROUND:
On November 20, 2018, the City Council approved funding from the PAF to support the storage of paper ephemera, including newspapers, photographs, and other historical documents, that were previously kept in the Beach Cottage (also known as the Red House) in Polliwog Park. Due to the inadequate storage conditions of the Beach Cottage and its limited capacity, an alternative storage solution was necessary to protect these sensitive materials. The Beach Cottage was not suitable for storing historical items, particularly paper-based materials, due to environmental challenges and space constraints. Therefore, City Council approved a lease for a storage trailer to be placed in Polliwog Park.
Since the installation of the current storage trailer in early 2019, the unit has sustained damage that now threatens the integrity of the stored materials. The trailer’s roof is failing, despite being temporarily repaired by Public Works in 2023, and the historical items stored inside are at risk. The current trailer vendor, Mobile Modular, is unresponsive to service requests. For these reasons, staff sought a new trailer provider.
DISCUSSION:
To ensure their long-term preservation of the City’s Historical Collection, the storage trailer shall provide a clean, secure, and climate-controlled environment. Additionally, a mobile trailer solution is preferred at this time to avoid triggering costly structural requirements associated with permanent, ground-set storage solutions.
A mobile storage trailer remains the most appropriate solution for this site due to its flexibility and minimal infrastructure requirements. Installing a static or permanent storage unit would trigger additional structural, zoning, and permitting requirements, which would significantly increase project costs and extend timelines. A mobile trailer avoids these complications while still providing a secure, climate-controlled environment necessary for the preservation of sensitive historical materials.
After multiple meetings over the past six months with the Manhattan Beach Historical Society Board and research conducted by both staff and the Board, WillScot has been identified as the preferred vendor due to its larger storage capacity and more responsive customer service. The total cost of a five-year contract with WillScot, including installation and unit removal, is $100,399.68.
The City of Manhattan Beach is a registered participant with OMNIA Partners Cooperative Purchasing. OMNIA Partners is a national cooperative purchasing organization that aggregates the purchasing power of public agencies, allowing participants to leverage competitively solicited contracts for goods and services. Contracts are competitively bid by lead public agencies and are in compliance with public purchasing requirements. WillScot has agreed to extend the contract prices, terms, and conditions under OMNIA Contract #R210503.
Staff recommends that the City Council waive formal bidding per Manhattan Beach Municipal Code (MBMC) Section 2.36.150 (cooperative purchasing); award WiIlScot a five-year lease utilizing the OMNIA Partners “piggyback” contract; and allocate Public Art Funds (PAF) for the rental of a new trailer to store historical materials.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
Staff met with the Manhattan Beach Historical Society President and Vice President on multiple occasions to determine the storage needs for preservation of historical documents and materials. Additionally, this item is included on the August 5, 2025 City Council meeting agenda, which was posted for the public in accordance with applicable law.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has determined that the proposed activity qualifies for an exemption pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), the commonsense exemption (formerly the “general rule”) that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question can have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA, as is the case with the purchase of core switch replacement and failover systems.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENT:
1. Storage Trailer Lease
2. Trailer Agreement