Oxnard Public Works seeks committee recommendation for $1.25M in FY2026–27 blanket purchase orders

Luis Ortega, a staff member in the Oxnard City Public Works Department, asked the Oxnard City Public Works and Transportation Committee to recommend that the City Council approve blanket purchase orders for fiscal year 2026–27 covering four vendors with a combined not-to-exceed total of $1.25 million.

Ortega told the committee the department requests authorization for purchase orders from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, "consistent with the city's purchasing requirements for the following vendors." He listed the vendors and proposed not-to-exceed amounts: Applied Industrial Technologies ($300,000) for industrial supplies and equipment such as pumps and motors; Grainger Incorporated ($400,000) for safety-related and industrial maintenance supplies; Home Depot USA Incorporated ($300,000) for hardware and construction products; and Ventura County Auto Supply ($250,000) for garage tools and fleet maintenance supplies.

He explained the purpose of blanket purchase orders, saying, "A blanket purchase order, also known as a BPO, is an agreement established with a vendor to fulfill repetitive needs for goods. BPOs take advantage of quantity discounts and they save the city administrative time and reduce paperwork." Ortega said the BPOs are intended to expedite repairs to infrastructure and vehicles by keeping maintenance shops stocked.

Ortega said the department will use cooperative purchasing where available: Applied Industrial Technologies, Grainger and Home Depot would be procured through the Omni Partners cooperative, and Ventura County Auto Supply would use the Sourcewell cooperative. "These BPOs will provide flexibility for routine purchases and increase efficiency when carrying out day-to-day operations and maintenance activities," he said.

On funding, Ortega said the purchases will be paid from available funds in each division's operating budget and that "sufficient appropriations are included in the proposed fiscal year 2026–27 operating budgets for these various purchases through June 30th, 2027." He concluded by offering to take questions from committee members; the transcript records no committee vote or formal action in this exchange.

Next steps: the committee may consider the recommendation and, if it concurs, forward the authorization to the City Council for approval.