City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: JANUARY 28, 2025 FROM: PARKS, RECREATION AND COMMUNITY WARDS: ALL
SERVICES DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: SIXTH AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT FOR LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE SERVICES WITH INLAND EMPIRE LANDSCAPE, INC., IN THE AMOUNT OF $802,665 FOR NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS FOR THE TERM OF FEBRUARY 1, 2025 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2025 ISSUE:
Approve the Sixth Amendment to Agreement for Landscape Maintenance Services in City Neighborhood Parks with Inland Empire Landscape, Inc., of San Bernardino, California, from Request for Proposals No. 1863, in the amount of $802,665 for the term of February 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Approve the Sixth Amendment to Agreement for Landscape Maintenance Services in City Neighborhood Parks with Inland Empire Landscape, Inc. in the amount of $802,665 for the period of February 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025; and, Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Sixth Amendment to the Agreement for Landscape Maintenance Services in Neighborhood Parks with Inland Empire Landscape Inc., including making minor and non-substantive changes.
BACKGROUND:
On September 13, 2018, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PRCSD) issued Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 1863, seeking new contractors for annual landscape maintenance services in City Neighborhood Parks. Six companies attended the non-mandatory proposer’s conference on September 19, 2018, and the City received seven proposals. The proposals were reviewed by the Purchasing Division staff and determined to be responsive. All proposals were evaluated by a selection committee comprised of PRCSD, Public Works, and Purchasing Division staff for format and content, including qualifications, experience and equipment. Pricing remained confidential so that the selection committee would evaluate each proposer based on their qualifications and experience. The seven proposers were invited to interview and make a formal presentation before the selection committee, and five accepted the invitation and participated in this process. Following the presentations and interviews, pricing was disclosed to the selection committee and factored into the overall rating for each proposer.
Contract negotiations were undertaken with the top three ranked proposers and Inland Empire Landscape Inc. met the Department’s terms and allocated budget for the contract. These negotiations resulted in the attached landscape maintenance contract, covering the period of April 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019. Under the agreement, Inland Empire Landscape, Inc., will provide landscape maintenance services at 27 City neighborhood parks, seven days per week. These sites are described in the following table.
On April 2, 2019, Council awarded RFP No. 1863 to Inland Empire Landscape, Inc., of San Bernardino, CA for the Annual Maintenance Services in the City Neighborhood Parks.
On December 19, 2023, City Council approved the fourth amendment to extend the term of the contract from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, utilizing Purchasing Resolution 23914, Section 702(h), “When Services, except for Professional Services, can be Procured from a Contractor who offers the same or better price, terms and conditions as the Contractor previously offered as the Lowest Responsive Bidder under Competitive Procurement or negotiations conducted by the City or another public agency, provided that, in the opinion of the Manager, it is in the best interests of the City to do so;” Since Inland Empire Landscape, Inc., was agreeable and the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department is satisfied with their performance, staff recommended amending the Agreement to extend the term. Council approved the extension of the Agreement which expires December 31, 2024.
DISCUSSION:
On August 23, 2024, the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department (PRCSD) issued Request for Proposals No. 2397 to identify new contractors for annual landscape maintenance services in City Neighborhood Parks. A total of fourteen proposals were received, and the evaluation process is still ongoing. Staff anticipates completing the evaluation process and awarding prior to June 30, 2025.
To prevent any interruption in essential park services during this period, the City Staff is requesting the sixth amendment with Inland Empire Landscape, Inc., to continue providing services under the current contract. Inland Empire is responsible for maintaining 27 city parks, providing essential services such as mowing, opening, cleaning, restocking, and closing restrooms. Their team ensures these parks are well-maintained seven days a week, addressing tasks like irrigation repairs, mainline breaks, and graffiti removal.
The City has been very satisfied with their service over the past five years. Disrupting services would significantly impact the quality of our parks and the experience of the community members who rely on them. Furthermore, the city lacks the necessary staff and equipment to take on this responsibility internally. The services requested will cover the ongoing maintenance services and other services such as repairs as stated in the contract. The table below summarizes the total anticipated cost for the extension of the term to complete services.
Total Services for 6 months extension
Routine Maintenance
$479,910.00
Additional Costs for Irrigation and Graffiti Removal in 2024: (This includes expenses for irrigation and mainline breaks, as well as vandalism repairs) $190,755.00
Additional Monthly Charges for Repairs (Next 6 Months)
$132,000.00
Total
$802,665.00
The request is in accordance with Purchasing Resolution 24101, Section 702 (w), which states as follows “When approved by the Manager, Services not subject to the bidding requirements of Section 1109 of the City Charter, which are of such a nature that suitable technical or performance specifications describing them are not readily available and cannot be developed in a timely manner to meet the needs of the City, in which case the Manager shall be authorized to negotiate with any Person or Persons for the Procurement thereof upon the price, terms and conditions need by the Manager to be in the best interest of the City and in doing so may utilize Informal Procurement or Negotiated Procurement process.” To ensure no lapse in services staff determined to establish a Stop-Gap Agreement in the amount of $100,000.00 for the term of January 1, 2025 - January 31, 2025 to extend the current contract enabling staff to bring forward a recommendation for a five-month extension to the Council. This extension ensures the continuity of critical park maintenance services while the new contract is finalized and awarded.
The Purchasing Manager has reviewed the recommendation and confirms it is in compliance with Purchasing Resolution 24101 Section 702 (w).
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
The work 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.
The agreement with Inland Empire Landscape, Inc. aligns with the Arts, Culture and Recreation Strategic Priority, and contributes to Strategic Goal 1.3 in addressing parks and open space maintenance needs.
This action aligns with each of the Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – Well maintained city facilities serve the public interest, benefit the City’s diverse populations, and result in greater public good.
Equity – Well maintained neighborhood parks ensure outdoor play areas are accessible and safe for public use.
Fiscal Responsibility – The Request for Proposal ensures the Department selects a qualified vendor at a reasonable rate.
Innovation – The Agreement ensures that the neighborhood parks are maintained and continue to be utilized for various community needs.
Sustainability & Resiliency – Landscape maintenance preserves the beautification and maintenance of parks for future use.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of this amendment is up to $802,665 for the period of February 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025. Funds are budgeted and available in General Fund, Parks & Recreation-Parks, Neighborhood Maintenance Contract account number 5215000-421204.
Prepared by: Vanessa Mayne, Senior Administrative Analyst Approved by: Pamela M. Galera, 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: Jack Liu, Interim City Attorney
Attachment: Sixth Amendment with Inland Empire Landscape, Inc.
Neighborhood Parks Landscape Maintenance ● Page 3