TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Libby Bretthauer, Finance Director
Joe DeFrancesco, Interim Public Works Director
Richard Olson, Water Superintendent
Mario Hernandez, Purchasing Supervisor
Kameron Allen, Purchasing Assistant
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Purchase of One Budgeted Ditch Witch - HX40G Vacuum Excavator from The Charles Machine Works, Inc. in the Amount of $87,175.89 (Budgeted) (Finance Director Bretthauer).
A) WAIVE FORMAL BIDDING DUE TO COOPERATIVE PURCHASING
B) AUTHORIZE PURCHASE
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council waive formal bidding per Manhattan Beach Municipal Code (MBMC) Section 2.36.150 (cooperative purchasing) and approve the purchase of one budgeted Ditch Witch - HX40G Vacuum Excavator from The Charles Machine Works, Inc. in the amount of $87,175.89.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Fleet Management Fund adopted budget includes sufficient funds for the purchase and outfitting of this equipment.
BACKGROUND:
The Public Works Water Section purchased a 2015 E.H. Wachs vacuum excavation trailer to support a variety of essential operations, including locating and repairing small water leaks, potholing to expose underground utilities, cleaning valve chambers to maintain access to water system valves, excavating within water meter boxes, cleaning City-owned underground vaults, and pressure washing job sites following water leak repairs. The unit also allows debris to be safely vacuumed and contained, preventing material from entering the City’s storm drain system.
The equipment was placed into service on July 15, 2016, making it approximately 9.5 years old, and is now experiencing frequent breakdowns and increasing parts failures. Usage was particularly intensive during the City’s AMI meter exchange project, contributing to accelerated wear. In recent operations, the unit has experienced unexpected shutdowns during use, resulting in delays and reduced efficiency in completing assigned tasks.
Additionally, the current trailer is limited by a 250-gallon spoils tank, a 95-gallon water tank, and a 2-inch hose. These capacity constraints require frequent stops to empty debris and refill water, prolonging job completion times-particularly during water leak repairs.
DISCUSSION:
This request is for the replacement of one vacuum excavation trailer for the Public Works Department. The proposed HX40G Ditch Witch vacuum excavation trailer features a 500-gallon debris tank, a 200-gallon water tank, and a 4-inch hose. These upgrades will significantly improve operational efficiency by reducing downtime, increasing productivity, and enabling the Water Section to handle larger and more complex tasks than the existing equipment allows. The increased capacity and performance of the new equipment will allow water leaks to be repaired more quickly and help ensure customer water service is restored in a timely manner. The selection of this replacement equipment has been reviewed and approved by the City’s Utilities Manager.
Sourcewell, formerly known as the National Joint Powers Alliance, is a national municipal contracting agency that establishes and provides nationally leveraged, competitively solicited purchasing contracts that member agencies, such as the City of Manhattan Beach, can utilize.
Staff recommends that the City Council waive formal bidding per Manhattan Beach Municipal Code (MBMC) 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 processed through another government agency. The Charles Machine Works, Inc. is the authorized dealer of the Ditch Witch - HX40G Vacuum Excavator and is responsible for the sales and services in Southern California. This vendor has agreed to extend the contract prices, terms, and conditions under Sourcewell Contract #110421-CMW.
If this purchase is approved, the new Ditch Witch - HX40G Vacuum Excavator will arrive upon the issuance of a Purchase Order to The Charles Machine Works, Inc.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
After analysis, staff determined that public outreach was not required for this purchase.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENT:
1. Quote - The Charles Machine Works, Inc.