DATE: December 3, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: City Manager's Office
TITLE: MEMORANDUMS OF AGREEMENT WITH, AND ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDS FROM, VISIT OCEANSIDE, THE OCEANSIDE CULTURAL DISTRICT AND THE DOWNTOWN OCEANSIDE PROPERTY BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AND AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT WITH CIRCUIT TO CONTINUE G’OSIDE EV SHUTTLE OPERATIONS AND APPROPRIATION OF MATCHING FUNDS FROM THE GENERAL FUND UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE
RECOMMENDATION
title
Staff recommends that the City Council approve Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) with Visit Oceanside, the Oceanside Cultural District and the Downtown Oceanside Property Business Improvement District (PBID) and accept $50,000 from each organization totaling $150,000 to support the g’Oside electric vehicle (EV) shuttle program serving Downtown Oceanside, appropriate these funds and authorize the City Manager to execute the agreements. Staff also recommends that the City Council appropriate $150,000 in matching funds from the General Fund unassigned fund balance and approve a second amendment to the Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with Circuit to continue operating the g’Oside electric vehicle (EV) shuttle program for one year beginning January 1, 2026 with a modified scope of work at a cost of $300,000.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
In May 2023, the City Council approved a two-year Professional Services Agreement with Circuit, in the amount of $573,000 per year, to operate an EV shuttle program, which came to be known as the g’Oside, serving Downtown Oceanside and some of its surrounding neighborhoods. Funding for the program included $223,000 from the General Fund unassigned fund balance, $100,000 per year for two years from Visit Oceanside and $500,000 over two years from the SANDAG Flexible Fleets grant program. This funding was projected to be depleted in November 2025.
In October 2025, the City Council accepted $100,000 in grant funds from Preserve Calavera through its Oceanside Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Fund (OGHGERF) to serve as gap funding to continue g’Oside EV shuttle operations until December 31, 2025.
Staff has been actively pursuing funding to continue the g’Oside program. Unfortunately, the SANDAG Flexible Fleets grant criteria were modified to exclude existing programs; however, that criteria may change and staff will continue to monitor SANDAG funding sources. Fortunately, Visit Oceanside, the Oceanside Cultural District and the PBID recognize the importance of continuing the g’Oside program and have committed funds to extend operations through 2026. Staff will continue to pursue other funding sources to continue operations in future years.
The g’Oside shuttle’s boundaries will remain as follows: Oceanside Harbor to the north, Vista Way to the south and include everything west of Interstate 5 including the Eastside Neighborhood and the Country Club Senior Center. To date, the g’Oside shuttle has transported over 87,000 passengers, saved over 8,000 gallons of gas and done so with an average user rating of 4.96 stars out of five. Overwhelmingly, the program has been met with positive feedback from residents, visitors and businesses and has become an important component to the vibrancy and accessibility of Downtown Oceanside. Since June 2023, the g’Oside schedule has been as follows:
May - November (“High Season”)
Mon - Wed Noon to 10 p.m.
Thurs - Sun 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
December - April (“Low Season”)
Mon - Tues No service
Wed - Sun 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The attached PSA amendment includes a detailed scope of work, with the following modifications to the existing program to accommodate the smaller budget:
• Operating schedule: Wednesday through Sunday, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. year-round. This schedule was developed using ridership data collected over the last two years of operation, optimizing the service to accommodate the most riders while following a consistent schedule.
• To maximize operations with the reduced budget, Circuit is proposing to retain monthly fare revenue, which will remain the same at $3 per rider capping at $6 for more than two riders.
FISCAL IMPACT
Staff recommends that the City Council appropriate $150,000 in matching funds from the General Fund unassigned fund which has a current balance of $6.2 million. The contributions from Visit Oceanside, PBID and Cultural District are contingent on matching funds from the General Fund.
|
Description |
PSA Amount |
Account Number |
Request to Appropriate |
Funding Source |
Available Balance |
|
Amendment 2 w/Circuit |
$300,000 |
EV Shuttle Service 310344101.5355 |
$150,000 |
GF Unassigned Fund Bal 101 .3100.0001 |
$6.2 Million |
|
|
|
Visit Oceanside 835186823276.4401 835186823276.5355 |
$50,000 $50,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
PBID 835186801276.4401 835186801276.5355 |
$50,000 $50,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Cultural District 835186802276.4401 835186802276.5355 |
$50,000 $50,000 |
|
|
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The referenced agreements have been reviewed and approved as to form.
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Prepared by: Michelle Geller, Economic Development Manager
Reviewed by: Michael Gossman, Assistant City Manager
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Staff Report
2. Amendment 2 - Circuit
3. gOside Scope of Work
4. MOA - Cultural District
5. MOA - PBID
6. MOA - Visit Oceanside