January 13, 2026
Agenda Item No. 9
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
David A. Webb, Public Works Director - 949-644-3311, [email protected] PREPARED BY:
Kevin Pekar, Parks & Trees Superintendent - 949-644-3069 [email protected]
TITLE:
Amendment to Landscape Services Agreement for Medians and Roadsides with Brightview Landscape Services, Inc. (Contract No. 8651-1) ABSTRACT:
The City of Newport Beach (City) utilizes contract services to perform landscape maintenance of City medians and roadsides. As part of the agreement, Brightview Landscape Services, Inc. (Brightview) performs an extensive number of on-call services, such as emergency storm response, irrigation part replacement, plant replacement, landscape enhancements and City street-tree planting. If approved, the amendment will allow up to $2 million in additional on-call services throughout the agreement term which expires November 30, 2027.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
a) Determine this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; and b) Approve Amendment No. Two to the Maintenance and Repair Services Agreement with Brightview Landscape Services, Inc. for Landscape Maintenance of Medians and Roadsides to increase the on-call portion of the contract by $2 million for a new on-call not-to-exceed amount of $6,380,068 and a total not-to-exceed amount of $21,249,760 and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to sign the amendment.
DISCUSSION:
This agreement encompasses landscape maintenance for over 265 acres of medians and roadside landscape throughout the City. The landscape on medians and roadsides along major arterials, such as Coast Highway, is constantly in public view, as tens of thousands of residents, visitors and commuters travel these streets per day. Other examples of the sites maintained include landscaped slopes in Newport Coast, the landscape and hardscape areas in the Newport Pier and Balboa Pier parking lots, street end landscaping along the beach and bay, the landscape areas around the Newport Coast Community Center and the Oasis Senior Center, the Balboa Village area, and several Utilities Department sites, including Big Canyon Reservoir. Landscape maintenance activities include lawn mowing and care, trimming of groundcover and shrubs; irrigation monitoring, repairs and adjustments; small tree maintenance; refuse policing; weed control; and other related duties.
The current seven-year agreement with Brightview was entered into on December 1, 2020, at a total not-to-exceed (NTE) amount of $16,350,000. The on-call portion of the contract was initially set at an NTE of $2,100,068, or approximately $300,000 per year. Typical on-call services include emergency storm response, traffic accident repairs, irrigation part replacements, unforeseen plant replacements, seasonal color change-outs, landscape enhancements, City street-tree plantings, clean-ups, and repairs and plantings due to vandalism. Brightview’s on-call services have been utilized throughout the years of the agreement more than anticipated. For example, unprecedented rainfall over several years created rapid weed growth over non-contract streets and sidewalks necessitating extra on-call weed abatement services. Replacement of plant materials and the cost of irrigation parts for repairs have increased due to inflation and supply chain issues. Brightview has also assisted immensely with the City’s street tree planting initiative. Staff has relied on the contractor to install up to 20 trees a month, which at times includes restoring parkway irrigation and landscaping.
Several landscape projects on the horizon will require Brightview’s assistance (e.g. irrigation and landscape enhancements along East Coast Highway, from Seaward to Evening Canyon). These improvement and rehabilitation needs are expected to stay consistent throughout the remainder of the contract term.
The table below shows some of the typical on-call expenditures Brightview has made to date and the approximate annual cost associated with each. The table is not inclusive of all types of on-call work performed.
Typical Expenditures
Average Annual Cost
Irrigation Repair Parts
$200,000
Traffic Accident Repairs
$50,000
Plant Replacements, Seasonal Color, Debris & Weed Abatement $270,000
Tree Replacements (Street Trees)
$130,000
Landscape Enhancements (smaller non-CIP type work)
$190,000
To maintain high quality and attractive median and roadside areas, staff requests an increase to the on-call portion of the agreement by $2 million for a new on-call NTE amount of $6,380,068 and total overall NTE of $21,249,760 for the seven-year term of the contract.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The adopted budget includes sufficient funding for the remaining fiscal year. It will be expensed to the following Public Works Department accounts.
Account Name
Org Number
Account Number
Contract Services -Parks
0108031
811017
Public Landscape Enhancements
0108031
911008
Contract Services - Trees
0108032
811017
Maintenance and Repair Damage
0108031
851014
Maintenance Irrigation Repair
0108031
851038
Additional funding for future years will be programmed during the annual budget process.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
NOTICING:
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
ATTACHMENT:
Attachment A – Amendment No. Two to the Maintenance and Repair Services Agreement Approval of Amendment Two to Maintenance and Repair Services Agreement for Landscape Maintenance of Medians and Roadsides with Brightview Landscape Services, Inc. (Contract No. 8651-1) January 13, 2026
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