The Riverside Transit Agency Board of Directors on Sept. 25 authorized staff to award agreement S25053 to Premier Property Preservation LLC for janitorial services with a one‑year base term and four one‑year options, in an amount not to exceed $630,915.84 for the base year.

A staff member presented the procurement process to the board, noting the agency solicited proposals via PlanetBids on May 9 and received 14 proposals by the June 13 deadline. "As a result of the technical review, the seven highest technically ranked vendors were invited for an interview," the staff member said, describing subsequent responsibility checks and best and final offers that narrowed the field to five vendors whose pricing was shown in the agenda packet.

Staff reported that Premier Property Preservation was the most technically responsive and responsible proposer and offered the best value based on the evaluation committee's scoring. The services covered by the contract include daily cleaning, periodic deep cleaning, restocking of supplies, and support for special events and emergencies at agency buildings, maintenance facilities and transit centers in Riverside, Hemet, Corona, Perris and Eastvale.

Board members engaged in discussion about whether procurement policy could be modified to favor local companies. A board member from Lake Elsinore said the committee had discussed helping California companies gain an advantage; in response staff said the agency's current procurement policy does not allow geographic preference because the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) prohibits it for FTA‑funded procurements: "Currently our procurement policy does not allow for geographic preference, and that is mainly driven because, the FTA prohibits it," the staff member said. The staff member added that the agency would explore whether geographic preference could be added for non‑FTA funded procurements.

Several board members suggested alternative ways to support local businesses, including awarding additional evaluation points for local or unionized contractors where legally permissible.

Funding for the contract was included in the agency's FY 26 operating budget, staff said, and funding beyond the current fiscal year will be incorporated into future budget requests. The Board Budget and Finance Committee unanimously recommended the award at its Sept. 3 meeting. The board voted to approve the award; the motion passed unanimously.

Staff also provided procurement clarifications: the RFP evaluation included independent scoring by purchasing and maintenance staff, interviews of the top technical firms, responsibility checks, and requests for best and final offers. One vendor did not participate in interviews and was eliminated; another was deemed not responsible after reviews.