City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: OCTOBER 10, 2023 FROM: PARKS, RECREATION AND COMMUNITY WARDS: 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6
SERVICES DEPARTENT
SUBJECT: AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT - APPROVE PURCHASE ORDER TO LANDSCAPE STRUCTURES, INC. IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,534,063.54 TO PURCHASE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT FOR NINE PARKS.
ISSUE:
Approve purchase order to Landscape Structures, Inc. in the amount of $2,534,063.54 to purchase playground equipment for nine park sites.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council:
Approve the Purchase Order to Landscape Structures, Inc. in the amount of $2,534,063.54 to purchase playground equipment for nine park sites.
Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the purchase orders with Landscape Structures, Inc. including making minor and non-substantive changes.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act to facilitate the recovery from the devastating economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Rescue Plan Act established the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund and Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, which provides a combined $350 billion in assistance to eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to assist in the economic and health recovery by providing resources to address impacts resulting from the crisis.
BACKGROUND:
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) established the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund to provide resources to support communities that are struggling with the impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The US Department of the Treasury (Treasury) first released the Interim Final Rule providing eligibility guidance as well as regularly updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). The Interim Final Rule provided initial guidance and served to help communities develop proposals for funding.
On November 9, 2021, the City Council approved the ARPA funding Expenditure Category Plan for the first allocation in the amount of $36,767,594 following the Interim Final Rule guidelines. Additionally, the City Council directed staff to return with an itemized list for Parks infrastructure needs during the second allocation of funding for consideration. The Final Rule was issued on January 6, 2022, and became effective on April 1, 2022.
On February 7, 2023, the City Council approved the ARPA expenditure plan for the second allocation of grant funds in the amount of $36,767,594 and reallocated $1,600,000 from the first plan to the Park Maintenance Project funding. These approvals allocated $10 million for Parks Deferred Maintenance Projects and increased the Bordwell Gymnasium allocation by $3 million to a total of $8 million. The approval of the ARPA funding allows the City to make an initial investment towards addressing the City’s deteriorating park infrastructure priority needs, including the replacement of HVAC systems, renovations of parking lots, flooring replacements and playground renovations equitably throughout all wards.
On June 21, 2023, the Parks and Recreation Commission received an update on the ARPA funding received and the planned projects.
DISCUSSION:
American Rescue Plan Act Expenditure Plan
The American Rescue Plan Act established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (Fiscal Recovery Funds) to aid eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments. These funds may be used to respond to pandemic response needs including mitigation and prevention, support to communities and populations most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and fill revenue shortfalls. The City of Riverside received Fiscal Recovery Funds in two installments for a total amount of $73,535,189. The city received the first allocation for $36,767,594 in June 2021 and the second allocation for $36,767,594 in June 2022.
Investing in our Community’s Health and Wellbeing
Good health and well-being in a City is directly impacted by the health of a City’s park system, and a healthy park system requires a reliable but moderated funding stream to replace deteriorating infrastructure. Parks enhance the quality of life because Parks Make Life Better.
As reported by the National Recreation Park Association, “The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has shed an even bigger light on the essential role of local parks and recreation. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, park and recreation professionals swiftly mobilized to keep parks, trails, and green spaces open to support physical and mental health, while delivering vital services and programs to support the community. Park and recreation professionals are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic —– and will continue to be in the months and years to come.” The PRCSD is responsible for programming, planning, development, operation, and maintenance of the City’s public recreational resources, including 60 park properties, almost 3,000 acres of park land and approximately 350,000 square feet of building facilities. The City invested over $100 million in renovating and building new park facilities in the Riverside Renaissance (2007-2012). Now, over a decade later, there is a wave of increased maintenance costs as a result of park infrastructure being used beyond its intended lifecycle. Fortunately, the City Council voiced their concern, support, and commitment this year by approving funding in the ARPA Expenditure Plan and future allocations through Measure Z to address the park deferred maintenance needs.
ARPA FUNDING:
The First ARPA Expenditure Plan allocated an initial $5,000,000 for the Bordwell Gymnasium Project, and $1,800,000 for Eldorado Park Improvements. Both projects are located in underserved communities. Additionally, City Council directed staff to return with an itemized list for Park’s infrastructure needs during the second allocation of funding for consideration; and The Second ARPA Expenditure Plan allocated an additional $3 million for the Bordwell Gymnasium Project and $10 million for Park Deferred Maintenance Projects. These priority park projects focused on addressing safety concerns, compliance, and improving public health. This is an initial critical investment in restoring park infrastructure, with an initial cost estimate exceeding $12 million. These priority differed maintenance items include playground replacement, playground surfacing replacements, HVAC replacement, parking lot renovations, and flooring renovations that are distributed equitably throughout all wards.
Investing in our City’s park infrastructure is an investment in our future and will play a key role of creating and maintaining resilient recreational resources and a health community.
New Playground Equipment
The PRCSD is committed to maintaining playgrounds at park sites to promote safety and recreational opportunities for children. Playgrounds are highly valued in the City of Riverside and often serve as the heart of a public neighborhood park and help Make Life Better. This investment will revitalize the parks and create a positive gathering space for new parents, grandparents, and children to build a strong community.
The PRCSD team worked with the park site users, the Riverside Police Department, and surrounding communities to gather input for the designs of the new playgrounds. Surveys were handed out and social media was used to get input and engage the community. The final designs (see attachment) are a reflection of the community’s input and support, and Staff is excited to take this next step to purchase the equipment needed to realize the design and prepare for the installation and revitalization of each park. Completion of the projects are anticipated to be as early as Spring 2024, with the last playground being completed before Summer of 2024.
Purchasing
The Department will purchase the equipment for the nine sites, at a discount totaling $2,534,063.54, through a cooperative agreement with Landscape Structures Inc. and bid out the construction of these playgrounds which is projected to cost an additional $2.5 million for a total of $5 million for the replacement of nine playgrounds.
Sourcewell is a national service cooperative created to provide government procurement resources and solutions to members in government, education, and nonprofit sectors. To meet competitive bidding requirements of government entities Sourcewell performs its own competitive bidding process for various services and supplies. Sourcewell issues a Request for Proposal that is advertised across various publications. Vendors bid on contracts with Sourcewell offering discounts and taking advantage of economies of scale, Sourcewell has over 50,000 agencies who obtain services and supplies through their discounted agreements. Since the City of Riverside is a member of Sourcewell, Landscape Structures Inc can provide the best overall government pricing in accordance with Cooperative Agreement Number 010521-LSI that currently expires on February 17, 2025. Landscape Structures, Inc. offers an 8% discount on playground equipment orders over $80,000. Purchasing equipment through the cooperative agreement will allow PRCSD to purchase equipment at a discounted rate and avoid mark-ups from contractors.
City Staff is requesting to purchase playground equipment through the Sourcewell Staples Minnesota Cooperative pricing under Contract No. 010521-LSI, which is in accordance with Purchasing Resolution No. 23914, Section 602 (f) which states, “Competitive Procurement through the Informal Procurement and Formal Procurement process shall not be required in any of the following circumstances: …(f) When Cooperative Purchasing is available and undertaken or when Goods can be obtained through Federal, State and/or other public entity pricing contracts or price agreements”.
The Purchasing Manager concurs that the recommendation in this report is in compliance with Purchasing Resolution 23914 Section 602 (f).
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
The purchase of playground equipment contributes to Strategic Priority 1 – Arts, Culture and Recreation, which aims to provide diverse community experiences and personal enrichment opportunities for people of all ages.
This purchase supports Goal 1.3, Improve parks, recreational amenities, open space, and trail development, and fulfill critical lifecycle and facility maintenance needs.
The item aligns with each of the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – Replacement of playground equipment promotes safety at parks and benefits the city’s diverse populations and contributes to the overall public good.
Equity – With the increasing costs of recreational activities, playgrounds provide access to recreational opportunities to all and there is no cost for use.
Fiscal Responsibility – Purchase of equipment is discounted through a cooperative agreement and funded through ARPA funds.
Innovation – Replacement of playground equipment ensures the PRCSD continues to meet the community’s needs.
Sustainability & Resiliency – Ensuring playgrounds are on a maintenance and replacement schedule ensure the public will continue to have access to them in the future.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact of this action is $2,534,063.54. Sufficient funding for the purchase and installation is available from the First and Second ARPA Expenditure Plan allocations totaling $10,000,000 for Park Maintenance Project. $7,000,000 has been set aside for Playground improvements and is budgeted and available in the Grants & Restricted Programs Fund, Citywide Park Improvement Project account 9279500-440120. The breakdown for the equipment cost for each park is provided below.
Park Location
Amount
Bergamont Park
$223,262.41
Castleview Park
$316,241.81
Collett Park
$194,457.56
Dario Vasquez Park
$320,560.74
Harrison Park
$217,915.97
Hunt Park
$230,608.71
Nichols Park
$260,214.20
Taft Park
$299,359.14
Thundersky Park
$471,443.00
Total Amount
$2,534,063.54
Prepared by: Pamela M. Galera, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Finance Director/Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney Attachment: ARPA Playground Design Presentation ARPA – Park Playground Equipment Purchase ● Page 2