SR 08-22-2023 5A
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: August 22, 2023
Agenda Item: 5.A
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Anuj Gupta, Interim Director of Transportation, Department of Transportation,
Transit Operations
Subject: Award Bid to Uniform Accessories Warehouse for Big Blue Bus Motor Coach
Operator Uniforms
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section
15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
2. Award Bid #4443 to Uniform Accessories Warehouse for the provision of Motor
Coach Operator (MCO) uniforms for the Department of Transportation.
3. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Uniform
Accessories Warehouse, in an amount not to exceed $841,700, over a five -year
period with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Summary
Big Blue Bus (BBB), a division of the Santa Monica Department of Transportation
(DOT), employs Motor Coach Operators (MCOs) tasked with operating its bus service
across the greater Los Angeles area. As part of the Memorandum of Understanding
between the City and the MCOs’ bargaining unit SMART-TD, the City is directed to
provide uniforms and related supplies and services to each MCO on an annual basis.
After conducting a formal solicitation and reviewing the bids received, staff recommends
that Bid #4443 be awarded to Uniform Accessories Warehouse for the provision of
uniforms and related services for a total amount not to exceed $841,700 over a five -
year period.
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Discussion
To ensure MCOs dress uniformly to present a professional image to the public, the City
and the MCOs’ bargaining unit SMART-TD agreed to a voucher system for the
purchase of new uniforms which include but are not limited to shirts, pants, sweaters,
shoes, jackets, and belts. Vendors will also generally provide alteration services at the
time of the initial purchase, as well as the embroidery and installation of City patches
and emblems reflecting safe driving awards. Using this voucher system provides MCOs
discretion in the type and quantity of items purchased based on their own individual
requirements and uniform needs. These vouchers can be used in-store, or during
scheduled vendor site visits to the BBB facility. While DOT is among many transit
agencies actively addressing a national shortage in MCOs, the department continues to
yield positive results in response to its recruitment efforts and continues to add newly
trained MCOs to its ranks. As a result, DOT anticipates that approximately 323 MCOs
will require uniform vouchers annually, taking into consideration natural attrition. The not
to exceed amount of $841,700 considers both the annual uniform voucher amount and
the total budgeted MCO full-time equivalents (FTE). The winning bid provided by the
recommended best bidder was an estimated total cost based on itemized uniform
quantities provided in the procurement process.
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Vendor Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Bidder Uniform Accessories Warehouse
Evaluation Criteria
Price; the quality of the uniform material and alteration services
offered; the ability, capacity, and skill of the bidder to provide
excellent customer experience for MCOs selecting uniforms.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.180
Submittals Received
Sinatra Uniforms,
Inc $934,972.50
Uniform
Accessories
Warehouse
$657,892.50
Becnel Uniforms $899,445.25
Bid Data
Date
Posted Posted On
Advertise In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
6/26/2023 City's Online
Bidding Site
Santa Monica Daily
Press
23 7/11/2023
Best Bidder Justification
Bids were evaluated based on the criteria in SMMC 2.24.180 including price, customer
experience, and capacity to provide quality MCO uniforms. Staff recommends Uniform
Accessories Warehouse as the best bidder based on their ability to provide a high level
of customer service and customer experience during the provision of MCO uniform
services. Uniform Accessories Warehouse maintains a modern and dynamic facility that
produces uniforms onsite versus outsourcing the work and is able to provide MCOs with
a high level of customer service while sampling uniforms. Over the last 7 years Uniform
Accessories Warehouse has provided Santa Monica Police Department with excellent
service in providing police uniforms. Uniform Accessories Warehouse is also the lowest-
cost bidder. It is for these reasons that Staff recommends Uniform Accessories
Warehouse as the best bidder and the lowest cost bidder.
Environmental Review
The award agreement is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section
15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines. The award agreement is covered by the
commonsense exemption, which states that CEQA does not apply, “where it can be
seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a
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significant effect on the environment.” The agreement will provide the City with MCO
uniforms and related services. Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that the proposed
agreement would not result in adverse physical impacts on the environment, and as
such, is categorically exempt from CEQA.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the Big Blue Bus Fund to award a contract
with Uniform Accessories Warehouse for MCO uniforms and related services. Future
year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Contract Request
Vendor Account # FY2023-24
Request Amount
Future
Years
Amount
Total Contract
Amount
Uniform Accessories
Warehouse
60600013.523380 $92,340 $749,360 $841,700
Prepared By: Peter Seller, Senior Administrative Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Uniform Warehouse Oaks Form 7.20.23
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CITY OF SANTA MONICA OAKS INITIATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City compiles and maintains
certain information. That information includes the name of any person or persons who is seeking a “public
benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes
the name of every person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten
percent interest in the entity.
Public benefits include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12- month period;
3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12- month
period;
4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any 12-month period;
5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land use plan, where the
decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12- month period; or
7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12- month period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
None
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
None
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
None
Prepared by: Title:
Signature: Date:
Email: Phone:
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # Permit #
5.A.a
Packet Pg. 19 Attachment: Uniform Warehouse Oaks Form 7.20.23 (5705 : Award Contract to Big Blue Bus Motor Coach Operator Uniform Vendor)