Staff Report
City Council
Item No. {{section.number}}.D
Meeting Date: June 26, 2024
From: John A. Corella, Director of Public Works
Title: Contract Award for Homeless Encampment Clean Up Services and Other Support Services
RECOMMENDATION:
Commencing fiscal year 2024-25, to approve a three year As-Needed Service Contract to Signature Cleanup for Homeless Encampment Clean Up Services and Support Services in the not to exceed amounts of $200,000 for Homeless Encampment Cleanup Services, $120,000 for Environmental Support Services and $20,000 for Public Arts Maintenance, respectively, with an option to extend an additional two-years in one-year increments; and, authorize the City Manager to execute the contract.
BACKGROUND:
The Cathedral City Police Department implemented a Homeless Liaison Officer Program in November 2015. The Homeless Liaison Program (Program) was designed to humanely handle issues related to homelessness and develop solutions around servicing our homeless populations, particularly those who struggle with mental health, drug, and alcohol dependency. The program is intended to provide the homeless, residents and businesses with a public safety point-of-contact for education, outreach, and enforcement of municipal and criminal codes. The goal being to improve the quality of life for all residents who call Cathedral City home.
When the city receives a call for service, Police personnel are typically dispatched to clear the homeless encampment of people and identify encampment items that are considered personal belongings. These personal belongings are then placed in the city’s Public Works Yard storage area. These stored items are kept until the Police personnel notify Public Works personnel the personal belongings can either be released or disposed.
Once Public Works is notified by the Officer that the site is clear of people, city staff notifies our As-Needed Homeless Encampment Cleanup Services Contractor (Contractor) to go to the specified encampment site. The city’s Contractor picks up the remaining materials on site and disposes of items according to code. The cleanup typically consists of picking up and disposing the encampment’s remaining trash, shopping carts, biohazardous materials and other waste material in order to leave the area safe and clean.
The city publicly solicits for the As-Needed Homeless Encampment Cleanup Services at regular intervals. In December 2021, the City Council awarded a two-year Agreement for As-Needed Homeless Encampment Cleanup Services. This contracted cleanup portion of the Program has proven to be very efficient and successful. Since the Agreement was executed, a total of 2,124 homeless encampments were cleaned up, averaging around 13 cleanups every week.
In addition to the homeless encampment cleanups, there were various support services required to be provided by the Contractor at the city’s request. These services ranged from supporting city staff at neighborhood cleanup events, support services for city festivals and events (e.g., cleanup and providing rolling stock equipment the city may not have) and maintenance of the city’s public art sculptures. Over the past two and one-half years, the Contractor provided the following as-needed support services:
Dream Homes Community Clean Up Program: Aided with debris removal to 102 properties in the Dream Homes Neighborhood since 2021.
Residential Community Assistance Program (Program identifies single family properties requiring outside assistance cleaning up their properties to comply with the City Municipal Code). In partnership with city code compliance staff, aided 40 properties with debris removal and cleanup.
Environmental Garden Program at Cathedral City elementary/middle schools and 55+ Senior Communities: Provided the labor to repair a total of 10 active garden program plots.
Special Events Assistance: Provided transport and setup services for the City’s Snow Fest event and built beds for the LGBT Days event. Public Art Pieces Maintenance: Pressure and/or hand washed, perform small restorations, remove bird droppings, and polish the city’s public art sculptures on city property and/or right of way.
DISCUSSION:
Request for Proposals (RFP)
The Homeless Encampment Clean Up Services and Support Services RFP was advertised and circulated in the Desert Sun newspaper on May 9th and May 16th, 2024. The RFP was also posted on the City’s website from May 6, 2024, until May 30, 2024.
Within the RFP, firms specializing in this type of work were asked to provide their qualifications to be able to perform the work on an on-call basis. Proposers were advised the selected firm will have to work closely with the city’s Police and Public Works Departments to perform the services required. Additionally, cost proposals that included hourly rates and/or unit costs for various services were required to be provided in a separate, sealed envelope. All proposals were to be submitted to the city by May 30, 2024.
Four (4) firms responded to the RFP and are listed below:
Signature Cleanup Coachella Valley, CA
OFRS, Inc. Signal Hill, CA
BIO TO-GO LLC Thousand Oaks, CA
United Pumping Service, Inc. City of Industry, CA
Proposals were reviewed, evaluated, and scored by a city staff using Federal and State evaluation protocols. Based on the evaluations, Signature Cleanup was determined to be the most qualified, responsive, and knowledgeable firm demonstrating an understanding of the tasks required and Cathedral City. Overall, Signature Cleanup’s proposal provided staff with the assurance that, if selected, the performance of any typical or extraordinary task ordered by the city would be completed at the time prescribed.
Staff then reviewed the cost proposal from Signature Cleanup. The cost proposal was evaluated and the hourly rates and/or unit costs for the various services increased from the 2021 Agreement. The increase from the previous Agreement is as follows:
An 11% overall increase of hourly rates, vehicle fee/equipment fee/fuel, and mobilization.
These increases were evaluated by staff and are in line with the expectations for these types of services. as averaged on an annual basis. Averaged on an annual basis, the increases seen in the industry these past two and one-half years are within the amount allocated for these contracted services.
Commencing fiscal year 2024-25, staff is requesting the City Council approve a three year As-Needed Service Contract to Signature Cleanup for Homeless Encampment Clean Up Services and Support Services in the not to exceed amounts of $200,000 for Homeless Encampment Cleanup Services, $120,000 for Environmental Support Services, and $20,000 for Public Arts Maintenance, respectively, with an option to extend an additional two-years in one-year increments; and, authorize the City Manager to execute the contract.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funding for these services is budgeted from the following funds:
Homeless Activities Encampment Cleanup Services:
oPublic Works General Fund 100
▪Maintenance & Operations: 100-400-410-411-8300-8301
▪Homeless Activities: M08911-OPS-OPS-M&O
FY 2024-25 budget: $200,000
Environmental Support Services:
oSolid Waste Fund 246
▪Maintenance & Operations: 246-900-910-911-8300-8301
FY 2024-25 budget: $120,000
Public Arts Maintenance Fund
▪Maintenance Costs: 100-500-510-513-8300-8301
FY 2024-25 budget: $20,000
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
Goal B – Community Investment
Objective: Cathedral City roads, gateways, public spaces, and other infrastructure are well planned, designed, constructed and maintained.
Goal F: Embracing, Inclusive City
Develop a public awareness campaign to inform the community of the city’s efforts and expenditures on homelessness and how residents can participate in solutions.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Signature Cleanup – Services Agreement
2. Signature Cleanup – Work Proposal
3. Signature Cleanup – Cost Proposal
4. Homeless Encampment Proposal Ratings & Rankings