Santa Ana Changes Parts Vendor

The Santa Ana City Council has approved a contract with Warren Distributing to supply parts to the city's vehicle fleet, replacing a former parts vendor that became embroiled in a corruption probe.

The city will pay Warren Distributing $450,000 a year for three years with two one-year renewal options. The city's Finance and Management Services Fleet Maintenance Division maintains more than 650 vehicles including sedans, small trucks and heavy equipment.

"This was a new RFP on our existing parts consignment model that we have been using for the past three years," said Rick Longobart, the facilities, fleet, and central stores manager. "We don't anticipate and changes in cost nor increase, but maybe improvements to the operation and efficiency."

In late 2011, the city agreed to a parts contract with Orange County Auto Parts (OCAP) that was later the subject of a corruption probe by the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Orange County Auto Parts had been awarded a $1.35 million no-bid contract, after former Mayor Miguel Pulido swapped a parking lot for a house owned by Rupen James Akoubian, the OCAP president, reports Voice of OC.

The city's May 15 request for proposals drew 36 potential vendors. Three proposals were eventually submitted, according to city records.

Read the full contract here.