DATE: June 3, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Public Works Department
TITLE: APPROVE A PURCHASE ORDER WITH QMERIT FOR CHARGEPOINT ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGERS AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS AT THE CITY OPERATIONS CENTER
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council approve a purchase order with QMERIT in the amount of $263,564, for the purchase of EV chargers and for the hardware, software, and warranty of the electric vehicle charging stations at the City Operations Center; accept and appropriate the awarded voucher from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program in the amount of $201,650; and authorize the Financial Services Director, or designee, to execute the purchase order upon receipt of all supporting documents.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The City Operations Center, located at 4927 Oceanside Boulevard, will require an electric vehicle charging station to accommodate the growing demand generated by the City’s expanding electric vehicle fleet. As the home of Fleet Division operations, the facility functions as a central hub where multiple City departments can charge vehicles and access essential maintenance services.
Due to long equipment lead times, the City must procure and stage the necessary charging infrastructure in advance. Purchasing and storing the equipment now will ensure its availability for installation once a contractor has been selected through the Request for Bid (RFB) process and construction begins.
The required equipment includes five (5) dual port level 2 EV chargers, one (1) dual port level 3 EV charger, one (1) 800-amp freestanding switchgear panel with all associated breakers, as well as the necessary software, warranty and activation fees. These elements will support the future construction of an electric vehicle charging station at the City Operations Center.
The City has been awarded a voucher of $201,650 through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, which will be applied toward the procurement of this equipment. Leveraging these grant funds will substantially offset capital costs while advancing the City’s transition to an electrified fleet in an environmentally responsible and fiscally efficient manner.
All equipment is being procured through Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contracts to ensure compliance with City competitive bidding requirements while securing the most cost-effective pricing available.
Staff will advertise construction bid for construction of charging stations and installation of equipment, in early September 2026. The construction is expected to start in December 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT
The purchase order for QMERIT, in the amount of $263,564, will be charged to the accounts as shown in the table below. The EECBG voucher will be deposited into EV Chargers Equip-EECBG account 836206825274.4382 and 836206825274.5704. redeemed after the installation of the purchased equipment and final approval by the Department of Energy. Funds collected for EV Charging currently in the Enterprise Fleet account 620644831.5400.0013 will be transferred to the EV Charging Station project account 907202725501.5704. $50,000 will be moved 1831.6900.0501 to 907202725501.6800.0831. The cost listed below is solely for equipment, the full cost of the project is unknown until bids are received after the RFP is complete.
|
QMerit Equipment Cost |
Amount |
Account Description |
Available Balance |
|
|
(5) Level 2 Chargers (1) Level 3 Charger |
$189,641 |
Revenue: 822206825274.4382 Expense: 836206825274.5704 EV Chargers Equip- EECBG Voucher |
$201,650 |
|
|
5-year Software term $27,845 |
5,569 (Annually) |
620608831.5355.0009 Fleet Maintenance account |
$6,000 |
|
|
800A Switchgear |
46,078 |
907202725501.5704 EV Charging Stations |
$84,415 |
|
|
TOTAL |
$263,564 (total includes the 5-year software term) |
|
|
|
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
Does not apply.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
Purchases must be made according to the procedures set forth in Chapter 28A of the City Code. The referenced documents have been reviewed by the City Attorney and approved as to form.
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Prepared by: Casey Van Der Linden, Fleet Manager
Reviewed by: Hamid Bahadori, Public Works Director
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. QMERIT EV Charger estimate
2. QMERIT Switchgear estimate