Saturday, May 16, 2026 

SIERRA MADRE PROPOSES MAJOR OVERHAUL OF AGING CITY FLEET 

By Kevin McGuire 

The City of Sierra Madre is preparing to modernize its aging municipalvehicle fleet through a five-year partnership with Enterprise Fleet 
Management (EFM) marking a significant shift from decades of reactivevehicle replacement practices to a structured, long-term fleet management 
strategy. 

City officials say the proposal is driven by mounting maintenance costs,
operational inefficiencies, and growing safety concerns tied to an aging fleetthat now averages more than 12 years old.
Leandro (Leo) Reyes, an Account Executive for EFM, gave a presentationat the regular April 28th City Council meeting highlighting the benefits of apartnership. He was joined by Executive Dylan Goldsack.
According to Reyes, Enterprise Fleet Management has partnered withmany cities across California, including Pasadena, South Pasadena, SanFernando, and Oxnard. Most cities opt for an open-ended leasing model,
which, according to Reyes, enables a sustainable, proactive approach to fleetmanagement that lets you plan ahead. 

Fleet Shows Signs of Significant Deferred Replacement 

“Today, the city has 37 vehicles that it owns and operates. Something to pointout is that 20 of the said 37 [vehicles] are over 10 years old,” Reyes noted. The 
combined estimated book value of those 37 vehicles is $422,225. Accordingto the City’s analysis:

• 
The fleet’s average age is 12.1 years
• 
Vehicles average 50,031 miles
• 
The City holds vehicles for an average of 30.8 years
• 
The City acquires only 1.2 vehicles per year 
Officials said the current replacement process has historically occurred “vehicle-by-vehicle,” withpurchases made only after units have exceeded their useful life. 

Fleet Age Threshold Number of Vehicles Percentage of Fleet 
Vehicles older than 2012 15 40% 
Vehicles older than 2016 17 46% 
Vehicles older than 2018 
“ 
23 62% 

What that creates is a necessary risk in the form of not having the standardized safety features for thedrivers. “You’re currently averaging 1.2 acquisitions over the last five years, which, if you continue atthat pace, would take the city almost 30 years to replace every vehicle,” Reyes stated. 

Safety Concerns Drive Urgency 

City staff warned that many municipal vehicles lack modern crash-avoidance technology nowstandard in newer models. 
Features absent from much of the fleet include: 

• 
Forward Collision Warning with Autobrake
• 
Blind Spot Detection
• 
Rear Automatic Braking
• 
Lane Departure Warning
• 
Electronic Stability Control 
According to data cited from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss DataInstitute: 

• 
Forward collision systems can reduce front-to-rear crashes by up to 50%
• 
Injury crashes can decline by 56%
• 
Rear automatic braking can reduce backing crashes by up to 78%
Officials said the lack of these technologies increases liability risks for both City employees and thepublic. 
Proposed Fleet Management Program 

Under the proposed agreement, Enterprise Fleet Management would acquire vehicles on behalf of theCity through a “Master Equity Lease” structure. 

How the Program Would Work 

• 
Enterprise purchases vehicles and leases them back to the City
• 
Vehicles would be replaced on an approximate five-year cycle
• 
The City would pay primarily for depreciation rather than the full vehicle cost
• 
Resale equity from old vehicles would return to the City or offset replacement costs
• 
Preventive maintenance would shift to Enterprise-authorized service providers 
City staff said the approach is intended to stabilize long-term costs while reducing unexpected repairexpenses associated with older vehicles. 

Five-Year Replacement Schedule 

The proposal would replace 29 vehicles over five years. “What we’re looking to achieve here is a five-
year, new useful life cycle, compared to the 30-year life cycle being used today and implemented bythe city. At a very high level, what you’re looking at is Year One replacing 13 vehicles, beginning witheverything that’s 10 years and older,” Reyes said. 

Planned Vehicle Replacements 

The proposed implementation will occur in five phases: 

Phase Vehicles Timing 
Phase 1 13 Year 1 (upon City Council approval, FY 2027) 
Phase 2 8 Year 2 (subject to separate budget authorization, FY 2028) 
Phase 3 1 Year 3 (subject to separate budget authorization, FY 2029) 
Phase 4 2 Year 4 (subject to separate budget authorization, FY 2030) 
Phase 5 5 Year 5 (subject to separate budget authorization, FY 2031) 

PUSD 

(continued from page 1)

 “…Resolution 2852 should be 
reversed until a fully transparent, 
lawful and community-driven 
process can occur in the light of 
day.” 

Lowe’s sentiments were also 
echoed by others in the 
audience.

 The Ralph M. Brown Act, 
which was passed in 1953 to 
“ensure that public agencies’ 
deliberations and actions are 
open to the public applies to 
City councils, County boards of 
supervisors, School boards and 
other boards, commissions, or 
agencies with decision-making 
authority. 

A draft Equity Impact Analysis 
(EIA) Report is scheduled to be 
presented at the Board’s regular 
meeting on May 28. A Board 
vote on school consolidations is 
currently scheduled for June 28. 

If approved, the schoolconsolidations/mergers would 
occur at the start of the 2027-28 
school year. 


• 
Phase 1 vehicles were selected based on age, mileage, maintenance history, and operationalcriticality. The full 29-vehicle replacement program will standardize the fleet on an approximatefive-year replacement cycle, eliminating the current pattern of extended vehicle holding periodsaveraging more than 30 years. 
• 
Phase 2 vehicles will be incorporated into the FY 2027-28 budget process and returned to the 
City Council for authorization prior to ordering.
• 
Phase 3 vehicles will be incorporated into the FY 2028-29 budget process and returned to the 
City Council for authorization prior to ordering.
• 
Phase 4 vehicles will be incorporated into the FY 2029-30 budget process and returned to the 
City Council for authorization prior to ordering. 
• 
Phase 5 vehicles will be incorporated into the FY 2030-31 budget process and returned tothe City Council for authorization prior to ordering. Sustainability and Electric Vehicles: Theprogram advances the City’s sustainability objectives. 
Sustainability Goals Included

The modernization effort also includes a transition toward cleaner vehicles. 
Of the 29 vehicles proposed for replacement:

• 
Seven are expected to be electric or hybrid models 
City officials said the move supports climate action goals while improving fuel efficiency and loweringlong-term operating costs. However, the City acknowledged that funding for charging infrastructure 
has not yet been secured. 

Potential grant sources under consideration include:

• 
South Coast AQMD AB 2766 Discretionary Fund
• 
California Air Resources Board HVIP Program
• 
Other state and federal clean transportation grantsA separate capital improvement request for EV charging stations is expected during the FY 2026-27budget cycle. 
Fleet Mechanic Position to Shift to Sewer Operations

As preventive maintenance for light-duty vehicles transitions to Enterprise-authorized vendors,
Sierra Madre plans to reallocate its Fleet Mechanic position from the Fleet Internal Service Fund tothe Sewer Fund. 

City officials said the change reflects growing operational demands in sewer maintenance whilereducing the in-house workload for routine fleet servicing.
Under the proposal:

• 
Approximately 70% of the mechanic’s salary and benefits, or about $66,000 annually, wouldshift to the Sewer Fund 
• 
The remaining 30% would stay within the Fleet program
• 
The employee’s classification, compensation, and employment status would remain
unchangedThe Fleet Mechanic would continue maintaining heavy equipment and specialized vehicles. 

Police Vehicles May Follow Separate Rules

The Sierra Madre Police Department has also received federal grant funding through CongresswomanJudy Chu and the Department of Justice for future police vehicle acquisitions.
Some grant-funded police vehicles may be required to remain in service longer than the City’sproposed five-year replacement cycle.
Officials said those units may either remain outside the Enterprise program or operate under separatelease conditions depending on grant requirements. 

Financial Impact

The proposed lease agreement would be funded through the City’s Fleet Internal Services Fund.
Cost Comparison 

Program Estimated Cost 
Five-year Enterprise lease program $1,811,733 
First-year FY 2026/27 cost $258,542 
Estimated FY 2026/27 traditional replacement and maintenance cost Approximately 
$1.2 million 

City officials acknowledged the lease structure may ultimately cost more than direct vehicle purchases,
but argued it offers several advantages:

• 
Lower upfront capital expenses
• 
Predictable annual budgeting
• 
Reduced maintenance volatility
• 
More consistent replacement cycles
• 
Improved safety and reliability
City Council unanimously approved entering into a lease agreement with Enterprise FleetServices and authorized the city manager to execute the agreement. 

COMMUNITYPOLICEACADEMY
Join the Sierra Madre Police Department’sJoin t he Si er r a Ma dr e Pol ic e Dep a r t men t ’s 
Community Police Academy, held everyCom munit y Polic e Aca dem y,h e l d ever y 
Wednesday from June 17 through August 19,Wed n es day f r o m Ju n e 17t hr ou g h Au g us t 19,
from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. This engaging,fr o m 6:00P M to 9:00PM.T his en ga gin g,
behind-the-scenes program is designed tobeh i n d-the -sc enes pr o g r am i s d es i gne d t o 
strengthen the connection between ourst r e ngth e n th e con n ectio n be t wee n our 
department and the community we proudlydep a r t men t and t he c o mmu ni t y we p r oud l y 
serve, offering participants the opportunity tose r ve,o f ferin g pa r t i c i pan t s t he op por tu n i t y t o 
learn about our Neighborhood Watch program,l ear n a bo u t our Ne i g hbo r hood Watch pr o g r am ,
the process of becoming a police officer, patrolt he p r o cess of b eco mi ng a poli c e of f i c er,p at r ol 
operations, a guided station tour, basic firstope r at i on s,a g ui de d s t ati on t our,b as i c f i r s t 
Join the Sierra Madre Police Department s 
Community Police Academy, held every 
Wednesday from June 17 through August 19, 
from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. This engaging, 
behind the scenes program is designed to 
strengthen the connection between our 
department and the community we proudly 
serve, offering participants the opportunity to 
learn about our Neighborhood Watch program, 
the process of becoming a police officer, patrol 
operations, a guided station tour, basic first 
aid, traffic safety and E bike awareness, use of
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Shawn 
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Sporter@sierramadreca.gov 



sierramadreca.gov/safety-resilience/police 


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you ready to step behind the badge and seeyo u r ead y t o s t ep be hi nd t he b a dge a nd seeyou ready to step behind the badge and see