April 7, 2026
Public Works
DATE: April 7, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, Director of Public Works
Darin Fitzpatrick, Assistant Deputy Director of Public
Works, Operations & Maintenance
Subject:
Purchase of Plant Material from Blue Angel International, LLC
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed expenditure of $300,000 for the initial three-year term, along with $200,000 for the two optional one-year extensions (subject to City Manager approval), will be funded within the approved Public Works
Operations and Maintenance budgets that support parks,
landscaping, and right-of-way maintenance activities.
Annual expenditures are anticipated to be approximately $100,000 per year and will be budgeted accordingly in
the appropriate Public Works operating accounts that
fund landscape maintenance and vegetation restoration.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Public Works Department is requesting City Council
approval to purchase nursery plant materials used for
park beautification, right-of-way landscaping, and
vegetation restoration projects throughout the City.
AGENDA
REPORT
April 7, 2026
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution to APPROVE the purchase of plant
materials for City-wide landscaping, beautification, and vegetation restoration efforts from Blue Angel
International, LLC, for a three-year term in an amount not to exceed $300,000, with the option to extend for two
additional one-year terms in an amount not to exceed
$100,000 per year, subject to City Manager approval –
Public Works Department (Daniel Chavarria 510-620-
5478/Darin Fitzpatrick 510-231-3044).
DISCUSSION:
The Public Works Department, Operations and Maintenance Division – Parks and Landscaping, is responsible for maintaining landscaped areas across the City including parks, medians, public rights-of-way, and restoration areas. These efforts require the ongoing purchase of a variety of plant materials including trees, shrubs, and groundcover to support maintenance activities, beautification initiatives, and vegetation restoration projects.
To support these operational needs, Public Works issued a competitive solicitation through the City’s BidsOnline procurement system for plant material supply and delivery (Attachment 1). The solicitation requested unit pricing for a wide range of plant species and container sizes to allow staff to procure plant materials on an as-needed basis for use throughout the City.
A total of 197 vendors registered within the relevant commodity categories were notified of the solicitation. At the close of the bid period, the City received one responsive bid from Blue Angel International LLC (Attachment 2).
Although only one bid was received, staff reviewed the submitted pricing and determined that the proposal is reasonable and competitive with current market pricing for nursery plant materials. The vendor demonstrated the ability to supply a broad range of plant species meeting California Nursery Stock Standards and provide delivery to City facilities and project locations as required for operations.
Blue Angel International LLC is a certified small business with experience supplying nursery plant materials and landscaping products to public agencies. The vendor’s pricing schedule includes a wide selection of trees, shrubs, and groundcover in multiple container sizes, allowing City staff flexibility to select appropriate materials depending on project needs and planting locations (Attachment 3).
Approval of this purchase will allow Public Works crews to efficiently maintain landscaped areas, support park improvements, replace damaged or removed vegetation, and continue City-wide beautification and restoration efforts. Establishing
April 7, 2026
unit pricing through this solicitation will also allow staff to procure materials quickly while maintaining cost control and procurement transparency.
Based on the review of the bid submissions and operational needs, City staff recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution approving the purchase(s) from Blue Angel International, LLC in an amount not to exceed $300,000 over the initial three-year term, with the option to extend for two additional one-year terms in an amount not to exceed $100,000 per year, subject to approval by the City Manager (Attachment 4).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – City of Richmond Plant Material RFQ
Attachment 2 – Bid Summary
Attachment 3 – Vendor Pricing Schedule
Attachment 4 – Resolution