For City Council Meeting April 28, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Tanya Williams, City Manager
AUTHOR: Mark P. Kling, Chief of Police
Title
Request City Council to Approve (1) the Purchase of Ten (10) Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Vehicles from Fairview Ford in the Amount of $528,041, (2) The Purchase of Equipment, Modifications, and Installation from 10-8 Retrofit In the Amount of $320,852.10, and (3) Authorize the City Manager or Their Designee to Execute all Documents.
(ACTION)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council
1) Approve the purchase of ten (10) Ford Explorer Police Interceptor from Fairview Ford San Bernardino in the amount of $528,041;
2) Approve the purchase of equipment, modifications, and installation from 10-8 Retrofit Incorporated in the amount of $320,852.10; and
3) Authorize the City Manager or her designee to execute all documents.
BACKGROUND
The Police Department maintains a fleet of vehicles assigned to a variety of functions, including Patrol, Administration, Detectives, Traffic, Backgrounds, and Training. With the recent increase in sworn staffing levels, the Department currently requires an additional ten (10) vehicles to adequately support these positions and sustain patrol operations.
A comprehensive review of the Department’s fleet, including vehicles assigned to day shift, graveyard shift, and unassigned reserve units, identified a significant number of vehicles that are either in continuous rotation or held as limited-use backups due to reliability concerns. Many of these vehicles are aging patrol units that have been reassigned across shifts in an effort to maintain minimum staffing levels in the field. These vehicles are well beyond their intended service life, with most exceeding 100,000 miles and experiencing ongoing reliability issues.
The vehicles previously utilized by these units have been deemed beyond their useful service life due to excessive mileage and increasing mechanical failures, resulting in frequent downtime for maintenance and repairs. This has reduced fleet availability, limited operational efficiency, and placed additional strain on remaining serviceable units.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
The condition of the Police Department’s patrol fleet has reached a critical point where replacement is no longer a matter of long-term planning, but an operational necessity. Patrol vehicles serve as essential tools for officers in the field, functioning as mobile workspaces, response units, and safety platforms during critical incidents. When these vehicles are unreliable or unavailable, the Department’s ability to provide timely and effective service to the community is directly impacted.
Over time, the Department has taken reasonable steps to extend the life of its fleet, including redistributing vehicles across assignments, rotating vehicles between shifts, and prioritizing repairs. These efforts have now reached their practical limit. A significant portion of the fleet exceeds 100,000 miles and is experiencing frequent mechanical failures, resulting in extended downtime and reduced availability of patrol units.
This has created a cascading operational impact. Vehicles assigned to specialized units and administrative functions are being reassigned to patrol to address immediate needs, disrupting other services to the community. Remaining patrol vehicles are placed into continuous rotation across shifts, accelerating wear and further shortening their service life. What was once manageable has evolved into a broader fleet reliability issue that directly affects daily operations.
At the same time, continued investment in aging vehicles is no longer cost-effective. Maintenance costs continue to rise while reliability declines, diverting resources that could otherwise be used for replacement. Older vehicles also lack modern safety features, increasing risk during emergency responses and routine patrol operations. Ensuring officers are equipped with dependable, purpose-built vehicles is a fundamental component of officer safety and risk management.
To address these challenges, staff recommends the procurement of ten (10) Ford Explorer Police Interceptor vehicles to support patrol operations and specialized assignments, including the Street Crime Attachment Team (SCAT). Timely replacement will improve fleet reliability, reduce long-term maintenance costs, and restore operational stability. Delaying this purchase will further reduce fleet availability, increase repair expenditures, and strain the Department’s ability to maintain consistent patrol coverage.
Staff coordinated with the City’s Procurement Division to identify Fairview Ford Sales, Inc. as an authorized vendor in accordance with Section 2.48.430 of the Rialto Municipal Code governing cooperative purchasing. Fairview Ford was competitively awarded San Bernardino County ITB No. VHS125-CFMAI-5954 for Fiscal Year 2026 vehicle pricing, allowing the City to utilize a “piggyback” purchasing method that ensures competitive pricing while maintaining full compliance with procurement requirements. Supporting documentation validating the cooperative purchasing authority included. Attachment 1
Following this determination, staff engaged Fairview Ford to secure vehicle availability, resulting in the reservation of ten (10) Ford Explorer Police Interceptor vehicles at a total cost of $528,041, inclusive of government pricing, taxes, and delivery. Each vehicle will be fully outfitted with emergency lighting, communications equipment, and interior modifications necessary for patrol operations. The vendor quote (No. F71156) is provided as Attachment 2.
Each patrol vehicle is modified to include emergency lighting, a retrofitted center console to accommodate the mobile digital center, and more. The per-vehicle cost of the aftermarket equipment and installation from 10-8 Retrofit is $32,085.21, for a total cost of $320,852.10 to outfit ten (10) vehicles. Estimate number 221933 from 10-8 Retrofit is included as Attachment 3.
The Department utilizes 10-8 Retrofit, Inc., based in Ontario, for the modification and outfitting of police vehicles under an On-Call Professional Services Agreement executed on December 2, 2024. This agreement establishes 10-8 Retrofit, Inc. as a qualified provider of standardized parts, design, and vehicle modification services, ensuring consistency in vehicle configuration, equipment placement, and overall fleet uniformity included as Attachment 4.
Consistent with the Agreement, the City selected 10-8 Retrofit, Inc. through a sole source procurement process in accordance with Chapter 2.48 of the Rialto Municipal Code, based on the vendor’s specialized expertise, familiarity with the Department’s fleet standards, and ability to deliver uniform, high-quality installations. Continued use of this vendor supports operational efficiency, officer safety, and consistency across patrol vehicles. The Sole Source Justification for 10-8 Retrofit, Inc. is included as Attachment 5.
The proposed purchase represents a necessary and strategic investment to stabilize the patrol fleet, enhance officer safety, and ensure the Department can continue to meet the service expectations of the community in a reliable and cost-effective manner.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The proposed action does not meet the definition of a project as defined by California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include (5) Organization or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The City of Rialto’s General Plan has outlined guiding principles and goals relating to public safety. This action is consistent with the City of Rialto’s General Plan Guiding Principle 1, “Rialto is a Family First Community.”
Our neighborhoods will be a safe place to call home.
Approval of this action is also consistent with the City of Rialto General Plan Goal and Policy below:
Goal 5-8: Provide effective and comprehensive policing services that meet the safety needs of Rialto.
Policy 5-8.4: Initiate proactive crime suppression and prevention strategies throughout the community.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney's Office has reviewed the staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
Operating Budget Impact
There is no impact on the Operating Budget.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
Funding in the amount of $528,041 is available in FY2025/2026 Police Rolling Stock Account No. 33006150 53050 for the purchase of ten (10) vehicles from Fairview Ford Sales, Inc.
Funding in the amount of $320,852.10 is available in FY2025/2026 Police Rolling Stock Account No. 33006150 53050 for the purchase of equipment, modifications, and installation from 10-8 Retrofit, Inc., of Ontario.
Per Rialto Municipal Code Section 2.48.510, vendor disclosure forms are attached.
Licensing
This action does not require a business license.
ATTACHMENTS
1. San Bernardino County Cooperative Purchasing Award
2. Fairview Ford Quote
3. 10-8 Retrofit Quote
4. 10-8 Retrofit On-Call Professional Services Agreement
5. 10-8 Retrofit Sole Source
6. Letter of Intent to Purchase Fairview Ford