DATE: October 1, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: City Manager's Office
TITLE: ACCEPT $100,000 IN GRANT FUNDS FROM PRESERVE CALAVERA AND ALLOCATE THE FUNDS FOR G’OSIDE EV SHUTTLE OPERATIONS THROUGH DECEMBER 2025
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council accept $100,000 in grant funds from Preserve Calavera through its Oceanside Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Fund (OGHGERF) and allocate the funds to operate the g’Oside Electric Vehicle shuttle program between the time existing operating funds are depleted and December 31, 2025; and authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute all related grant documents.
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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 per year from the General Fund unassigned fund balance, $100,000 per year from Visit Oceanside and $500,000 from the SANDAG Flexible Fleets grant program.
In August 2023, the City Council approved an MOU accepting the grant funds from SANDAG. Both the PSA with Circuit and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SANDAG expired on June 30, 2025; however, there were still approximately $180,000 in unused funds budgeted for the g’Oside program.
In June 2025, the City Council approved an amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Circuit and an amendment to the MOU with SANDAG to extend the time period to December 31, 2025, to continue operating the g’Oside program using the unused funding.
The g’Oside shuttle’s boundaries are the 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 76,000 passengers on over 40,000 trips. The shuttle maintains an average user rating of 4.96 out of 5 and is estimated to have saved over 7,000 gallons of gasoline. 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.
Staff has been actively pursuing funding to continue the g’Oside program after the existing funding is used. An application was submitted in July for the OGHGERF grant and in August the City was notified via the attached letter that the program had been selected to receive $100,000 to continue operating through the calendar year. Other opportunities are being explored to continue the program in 2026 and beyond. Visit Oceanside and the Oceanside Cultural District are expected to each make a $50,000 contribution, and staff will be returning to City Council before year’s end with continued g’Oside program contract/funding options for consideration.
FISCAL IMPACT
|
Description |
Amount |
Account |
|
OGHGERF |
$100,000 |
Revenue: 836186825272.4376 - EV Shuttle Srvc-Calavera |
|
OGHGERF |
$100,000 |
Expense: 836186825272.5305 - EV Shuttle Srvc-Calavera |
Per the attached grant award letter, unused funds must be returned to the grantor at the conclusion of the year.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The referenced documents have been 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. OGHGERF Award Letter- GoSide Shuttle Aug 2025