Public Works
DATE: January 7, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, PE, Director of Public Works
Tawfic Halaby, PE, Deputy Director of Public Works
Wade Finlinson, Project Manager
Jose Moreno, Parks Supervisor
Subject: Resolution to Award a Contract to Forster & Kroeger Landscape Maintenance, Inc. for Vegetation Management
Services at Point Molate
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed expenditure of $360,000 for the duration of the three-year contract and $240,000 for the entire
duration of the two optional one-year extensions will be funded from the approved fiscal years 2024/25 – 2026/27 and 2027/28 – 2028/2029 Public Works Parks and
Landscape Division budget (Account String: 01233631-
400537).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
Not applicable
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Parks and Landscaping Division requests City
Council approval of a contract with Forster & Kroeger
Landscape Maintenance, Inc. to provide vegetation
management services on parcels in Point Molate.
AGENDA
REPORT
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution to award a three-year contract with
Forster & Kroeger Landscape Maintenance, Inc.
beginning on January 1, 2025, and ending on December
31, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $360,000, with two optional one-year extensions for a total amount of
$240,000 for both extension years – Public Works
Department (Wade Finlinson 510-621-1301/Tawfic
Halaby 510-620-5482/Daniel Chavarria 510-620-5478).
DISCUSSION:
Background
The City owns and manages multiple open space parcels in Point Molate, which require ongoing vegetation management. Due to limited staffing resources, the City has traditionally relied on contractors to provide these services. On May 18, 2021, the City Council authorized a Standard Contract with Forster & Kroeger Landscape Maintenance, Inc., for an initial term of one year, with two optional one-year extensions.
The City exercised both extension options, and the final extension concluded on June 30, 2024.
Subsequently, on July 2, 2024, the City Council approved a six-month contract with Forster & Kroeger to continue vegetation management services, with the contract set to expire on December 31, 2024. At the time services were provided on both the open space parcels (A) and areas planned for development (B). The B Property was subject to litigation and over the last year was owned by Point Molate Futures, LLC, but pursuant to a Federal Judgment, was still maintained by City. While B Property will be conveyed to East Bay Regional Park District (“District”) in January, the City has agreed to continue maintenance for one year, not exceeding $100,000 (Per the Letter of Intent or LOI). The contractor has equipment on the property and can readily continue maintenance of all properties.
The City remains committed to maintaining the natural landscapes in Point Molate and providing a safe and aesthetically pleasing environment for the community.
Analysis
In consideration of the above, the City through its Public Works Department recently advertised an open Request for Proposals (RFP) process and invited qualified bidders to submit proposals. The RFP sought contractors specializing in mechanical and
cultural methods to manage unwanted vegetation, invasive plant removal, the promotion of desirable native plant species, and wildfire fuel load reduction.
The RFP advised all potential bidders that some parcels in Point Molate may change ownership during the contract terms and the City will not retain an obligation for the continued provision of these services in the event of such transactions. Both the RFP and proposed contract assures no guarantee of any minimum amount of service will be requested over the contract term. The inclusion of proposed costs per acre or linear mile will allow for predicable costs throughout the contract term, regardless of reductions in the total acreage serviced.
A total of four bidders submitted a proposal: Forster & Kroeger, VP Hauling & Demolition, BrightView Landscape Services, and Julian Tree Care. The proposals were reviewed by subject matter experts within the Parks and Landscaping Division and were rated based on a selection criteria as outlined in the RFP and included below:
EXPERIENCE 30 points
Past, recently completed, or on-going projects that demonstrate applicable experience similar in scope and scale
References
QUALIFICATIONS 30 points
Professional experience and qualifications of company
Ability to perform on short notice and under time constraints Licensing, Certification, and staff training
ORGANIZATION 20 points
Available staff and specialized resources, if any
Capacity and flexibility to meet schedules, including any unexpected work Answers to Supplemental Questions
COST 20 points
Appropriateness of proposed rates and fees
The table below represents the ranking of vendor submittals. All three raters ranked Forster & Kroeger Landscape Maintenance, Inc. the highest in each category. Their applicable experience, organizational capacity, cost proposal, and completeness of their submittal merited higher scores relative to other bidders.
VENDOR NAME Rater 1 Rater 2 Rater 3 Average
(1) Forster & Kroeger 95 90 89 91.3
(2) VP Hauling & Demolition 85 85 84 84.7
(3) BrightView Landscape Services 80 80 55 71.7
(4) Julian Tree Care 55 40 55 50
The contract includes an option for a year or additional one-year options to extend the service to the 80 acres which comprise B Property for $2,500 per month, due to the equipment already on site. The City Attorney will negotiate with the District pursuant to the LOI and bring this agreement back to City Council.
Conclusion
Coty staff requests that City Council adopt the resolution to award a three-year contract to Forster & Kroeger Landscape Maintenance, Inc. beginning on January 1, 2025, and ending on December 31, 2027, for an amount not to exceed $360,000, with two optional one-year extensions for an amount not to exceed $240,000 for the whole duration of the two optional one-year extensions and an additional option for the B Property subject to agreement with District.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Contract
Attachment 3 – RFP