Item 6-I

Council Meeting: November 9, 1999 Santa Monica, California

To: Mayor and City Council

From: City Staff

Subject: Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Negotiate and Execute a Six Month Contract Extension with Laidlaw Transit Services, Inc., to Provide Tide and WISE Paratransit Services.

This report recommends that City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a six month contract extension with Laidlaw Transit Services, Inc., to continue to provide Tide and WISE Paratransit services for the City according to the existing terms and conditions through June 30, 2000.

The City currently contracts with Laidlaw Transit Services, Inc., to provide both the Tide Shuttle and WISE Paratransit services. The original contract period was October 1, 1996 to December 31, 1999. The Transportation Department is currently conducting a Community Transportation Study, which will address the appropriate deployment of small transit vehicles in the Big Blue Bus service area, as well as alternative service deployment strategies for the WISE Paratransit service. The study will address how the WISE Paratransit service may be restructured to increase efficiency and possibly increase the level of service provided to the senior and disabled residents of the City. The Community Transportation Study is expected to be completed by March 2000.

As a result of the Community Transportation Study, the service delivery structure of the WISE Paratransit service may change. The Transportation Department is requesting that the existing contract with Laidlaw be extended to June 30, 2000, enabling the department to complete the study and redesign the WISE Paratransit system before preparing a Request For Proposal. The table below summarizes the current and proposed hourly rates for the WISE and Tide Shuttle services.

The proposed rates reflect inflationary adjustments for all cost items. If the City, County, or State of California pass a law that would require an increase in driver pay scale during this contract extension period, new rates would be negotiated based on the increase. Additionally, if the Contractor is required by the City to seek a new location for operations that resulted in increased rent, the Contractor could negotiate new rates with the City for the increased property rent.

Budget and Financial Impact

An additional allocation of existing Proposition A Local Return funds in the amount of $5,000 are requested for the contract extension period. The following budget action is necessary to implement this proposal:

Increase expenditure account 41602.55501AW (Tide services) by $5,000.

Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract extension with Laidlaw Transit Services, Inc., from January 1, 2000 to June 30, 2000, and appropriate an additional $5,000 to the approved amount of $257,000.00 for the Tide account.

John Catoe, Director of Transportation
Joe Stitcher, Deputy Director of Transportation
Stephanie Negriff, Manager of Transit Development
Paul Casey, Senior Transit Programs Analyst