Title
RESOLUTION NO. 2274: AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN INTERLOCAL COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AGREEMENT FOR RENEWABLE DIESEL FUEL
COUNCIL STRATEGIC INITIATIVE ADDRESSED:
Continue effective financial management
CITY ATTORNEY REVIEW: Required
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
Renewable Diesel Fuel, commonly referred to as R99, is an alternative fuel that burns cleaner, reduces emissions, improves the function of the emissions components on newer diesel engines and is competitively priced. R99 is approved for use in diesel engines by all the major engine manufacturers.
We used this fuel for a short time between October 2016 & May 2017, purchasing it from a piggy-back agreement with Clark Public Utility District. During this time we experienced a reduction in emissions component failures and a measurable difference in cleaning cycles of the emissions components. River Cities Transit buses were running 3 times as long between “regen” cycles as comparable King County Metro Transit buses running on traditional ultra-low sulfur diesel. This resulted in reduced downtime and decreased maintenance costs.
In 2017 the R99 fuel supply to our Portland distributor became unavailable. Currently there is fuel supply available.
Staff desires to enter into an Interlocal Cooperative Purchasing Agreement and cooperative bid process with Clark Public Utilities, Clark County Public Transportation Benefit Area (C-Tran), Clark County, City of Vancouver and Cowlitz County Public Works in order to leverage the combined buying power of the regional municipalities to bring R99 back to our area at a competitive price. This contract will likely provide the best pricing on R99 but it is not binding and does not obligate the City to purchase fuel. We will be free to purchase all or a portion of our fuel from other sources as we see fit.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Motion to adopt Resolution No. 2274 authorizing the City Manager to sign the Interlocal Cooperative Purchasing Agreement.