CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 6/18/2024
DEPARTMENT: Management Services
SUBJECT:
OPTIONS FOR EXPANSION OF HOLIDAY LIGHTING DISPLAY ALONG EL
TORO ROAD CORRIDOR
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
1. Receive and file a presentation from staff describing expanded holiday lighting options.
2. Approve expanded holiday Option #2 to satisfy SP#52 of the City’s Strategic Business Plan.
3. Direct staff to return at a subsequent City Council meeting with a contract document to effectuate the recommended action.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City displays holiday and year-round lighting on El Toro Road from the I-5/El Toro Road interchange to Muirlands Boulevard. The lighting is installed and maintained by Brightlife Designs, Inc.(“Brightlife”) via a standard three-year contract for services. Detailed renderings of the City’s current lighting display are provided in Attachment 1.
Goal B of the City’s Strategic Business Plan includes a strategy to reinvigorate civic life in the post-COVID-19 environment, with Initiative #52 (“SP #52”) calling for an expansion of the current holiday lighting on the El Toro Road corridor. The initial three-year term of Brightlife’s contract is set to expire on September 29, 2024. Staff requested Brightlife provide expanded holiday lighting options to satisfy the objective of SP#52 (Attachment 2). In response, Brightlife provided four options for consideration. After careful review of each option, staff recommends the City Council select Option #2, which includes additional lit trees in the medians and large wreaths on The Arbors structures. The cost of Option #2 is $39,610.00, which is in-line with the project’s description in the Strategic Plan and the 2023-2025 Operating Budget.
Staff recommends the City Council approve staff’s recommendation of selecting Option #2 to satisfy the objective of SP#52 of the Strategic Plan. Staff also recommends the City Council direct staff to return at a subsequent City Council
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meeting with the necessary contract documents to effectuate the implementation of Option #2.
BACKGROUND:
The City displays holiday and year-round lighting on El Toro Road from the I-5/El Toro Road interchange to Muirlands Boulevard, year-round lighting at The Arbors, and on the Civic Center Campus’ signature tree located in the roundabout (Attachment 1). Lighting installation and maintenance services are currently provided by Brightlife.
Brightlife’s contract includes a comprehensive scope of work designed to capture all services needed for the City’s holiday and year-round lighting program. The following items are included in the initial three-year term of the contract:
▪Installation, maintenance, and removal of the holiday lighting on El Toro Boulevard between the I-5/El Toro Road interchange to Muirlands Boulevard
▪Installation and maintenance of the year-round lights at The Arbors ▪Installation and maintenance of the year-round system installed on the Civic Center Campus’ signature tree
Goal B of the City’s Strategic Business Plan (“Strategic Plan”) includes a strategy to reinvigorate civic life in the post-COVID-19 environment via special events and programs. Initiative #52 describes the expansion of the current holiday lighting on the El Toro Road corridor.
The initial three-year term of Brightlife’s contract is set to expire on September 29, 2024. In anticipation of the upcoming term expiration, staff engaged Brightlife in negotiations to exercise a one-year term extension that would include an expanded holiday lighting option. To guide these negotiations, staff requested Brightlife provide several expanded holiday options for staff and the City Council to consider. Brightlife responded with four options, each incorporating the inclusion of additional trees, wreaths at The Arbors, and décor accents (Attachment 2).
DISCUSSION:
As approved by City Council, SP#52 of the Strategic Plan describes the expansion of the current Holiday Lighting Program. Brightlife provided several holiday lighting expansion options for consideration as part of a potential contract 3 0
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extension (Attachment 2). The existing holiday lighting includes 41 trees on El Toro Road and retaining wall lighting (southwest and southeast corners) at the corner of El Toro Road and Rockfield Boulevard.
The following four expansion options were provided by Brightlife to staff for consideration (see Table 1 below):
Table 1: Lighting Options Summary
Option Description Costs
1 Includes current décor of 41 lit trees, wall lighting, and an additional 31 lit trees $28,810
2 Includes current décor of 41 lit trees, wall lighting, additional 31 lit trees, and large wreaths on the
Arbor Structures $39,610
3 Includes current décor of 41 lit trees, wall lighting, with the addition of large décor in the medians $29,985 4 Includes current décor of 41 lit trees, wall lighting, additional 31 lit trees and large décor in the
medians $43,260
While all four options provided by Brightlife would expand the City’s holiday lighting display, staff believe Option #2 is the best option for the expansion of the Seasonal Lighting Display. Option #2 includes an additional 31 lit trees in the medians along El Toro Road and large wreaths on The Arbors structures (see Graphics 1 and 2 below). The additional lit trees will give enhanced illumination coverage of the trees in medians and the large wreaths on The Arbors will be a wonderful holiday welcome to travelers entering the City from the I-5 freeway.
The large wreaths at The Arbors bring significant visual enhancement to the retail shops and restaurants located on both corners. The wreaths would be similar to the wreaths installed on the Civic Center campus (see Graphic 1 below) tying the upper and lower sides of City together with a common holiday theme. 3 0
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Graphic 1: Wreath Example Graphic 2: Tree Example
Staff recommends the City Council approve staff’s recommendation of selecting Option #2 to satisfy the objective of SP#52 of the Strategic Plan. Staff also recommends the City Council direct staff to return at a subsequent City Council meeting with the necessary contract documents to effectuate the implementation of Option #2.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action to direct staff to prepare an agreement based on staff recommendation to select Option #2.
Should the City Council approve staff recommendation, the Fiscal Year 2024-25 of the 2023-2025 Operating Budget includes sufficient funding to cover the costs of Option #2, should the City Council approve a contract that effectuates that option at a subsequent City Council meeting.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Current Holiday Lighting Display
2. Options for Holiday Lighting Display Expansion
Initiated By: Victoria Blethen, Recreation Manager
Submitted By: Sean McGovern, Deputy City Manager
Approved By: Debra Rose, City Manager