DATE: June 4, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: City Manager's Office
TITLE: AMENDMENTS TO AGREEMENTS WITH CIRCUIT AND SANDAG TO EXTEND OPERATIONS OF THE G’OSIDE EV SHUTTLE
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council approve an amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Circuit and an amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SANDAG to extend the time period to December 31, 2025, to continue operating the g’Oside electric vehicle (EV) shuttle program.
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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. 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 MOU with SANDAG expire on June 30, 2025; however, there are still approximately $180,000 in unused funds budgeted for the g’Oside program. Extending the timeframes of the PSA and the MOU to December 31, 2025 would allow for the g’Oside to continue operating through summer and beyond until all the funding is used.
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 is actively pursuing funding to continue the g’Oside EV shuttle program after the existing funding is used. An application was submitted in March 2025 for a Community Change grant through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); however, that funding has been put on hold at the federal level. Additionally, SANDAG is expected to release another round of Flexible Fleets grants sometime before the end of 2025. Other opportunities will be explored and Visit Oceanside is also expected to make a $50,000 contribution.
FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact. These contract extensions will allow for use of funds that have already been budgeted. Remaining funds will be carried forward to fiscal year 2025-2026.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The referenced documents have been reviewed by the City Attorney 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. Circuit Amendment
3. SANDAG MOU Amendment