June 17, 2025
TO: City Council
REQUESTED BY: Preston Sullens, Superintendent
APPROVED BY: Robert A. Johnson, City Manager
SUBJECT: Playground Equipment Procurement for Tamarisk Park, Col Lewis Millett Park, and Stallions Crossing
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Accept the proposals submitted by Pacific Play Systems, Inc. for the procurement of new playground equipment at Tamarisk Park, Colonel Lewis Millett Park, and Stallions Crossing Park;
2. Reject all other proposals submitted for these projects;
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute a Purchase Agreement with Pacific Play Systems, Inc., in a form approved by the City Attorney; and
4. Direct staff to proceed with preparation of construction-level installation documents and initiate a separate solicitation for installation services.
DISCUSSION:
As part of the City’s commitment to maintaining high-quality public parks and recreation facilities, staff initiated a plan to fully replace the aging playground structures at three Cityowned parks: Tamarisk Park, Colonel Lewis Millett Park, and Stallions Crossing Park. These playgrounds have long served their neighborhoods but have reached or exceeded their useful lifespans.
Commercial-grade playground systems typically have a life expectancy of 15 to 20 years, depending on the frequency of use, exposure to elements, and general wear and tear. In each of these parks, the existing equipment has surpassed that threshold. Despite efforts by City maintenance crews to extend the longevity of the play structures through incremental repairs, the equipment is now considered functionally obsolete and no longer meets the City’s safety or accessibility goals.
• Tamarisk Park, located at 3061 Coffeeberry Way (at Coffeeberry Way & Cherry Laurel Lane), serves as a neighborhood park with ample open space and mature landscaping.
The park has long been a recreational resource for families in the surrounding area. [Playground Installed: 2007]
• Colonel Lewis Millett Park, located at 2001 Ramona Boulevard (at Ramona Boulevard & Bridge Road), is one of the City’s larger community parks and hosts a variety of amenities, including walking paths, picnic areas, and turf fields. The park is named after a decorated military hero, and the current playground is due for a full redesign and thematic refresh. [Playground Installed: 2006]
• Stallions Crossing Park, located at 108 N. Lyon Avenue (at Appaloosa Drive & Lyon Avenue), is a smaller pocket park situated within a residential subdivision. The current play area occupies a limited footprint, necessitating a compact, efficient design. [Playground Installed: 2005]
Recognizing the need to approach replacement in a legally compliant and competitively bid process, staff issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Playground Equipment Procurement on April 9, 2025. The scope of the RFP was limited to the purchase of playground equipment only (including freight and applicable sales tax). A separate RFP will be issued for demolition, site preparation, and installation services after procurement is completed.
Proposers were asked to submit proposals on a per-park basis, with each park treated as a standalone project. Vendors were allowed to bid on one, two, or all three park locations. The RFP specified that all equipment must meet or exceed applicable standards for safety and accessibility, including CPSC, ASTM, and ADA requirements, and must be reviewed under the supervision of a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI).
Proposals were evaluated according to the following criteria:
• Completeness and Competitiveness of Pricing (equipment, design, freight, and sales tax); • Durability, Play Value, ADA Inclusivity, and Innovation of the proposed equipment; • Thematic and Functional Appropriateness of the proposed designs; • Vendor Experience, References, and Qualifications;
• Delivery Schedule and Responsiveness to the City’s Timeline; • Warranty Coverage and Technical Support.
Each proposal was scored independently by City staff. Individual scores were then aggregated to determine a final ranking for each proposer at each park site. The following vendors submitted responsive proposals:
• Pacific Play Systems, Inc.
• Miracle Playground Sales, Inc.
• Great Western Recreation
• Zoom Recreation, Inc.
• Wyatt W. Underwood & Associates
The final scores are summarized as follows:
Vendor Tamarisk Park Millett Park Stallions Crossing
Pacific Play Systems, Inc. 336 358 353
Miracle Playground Sales 317 333 N/A
Great Western Recreation 307 257 316.5
Zoom Recreation, Inc. 296 314 N/A
Wyatt W. Underwood & Assoc. 137 159 171
Pacific Play Systems, Inc. received the highest total score across all three parks. Their proposals stood out for their:
• Attention to site-specific theming, including a military theme at Colonel Millett Park, an agricultural motif at Tamarisk Park, and an equestrian design at Stallions Crossing Park; • Competitive pricing relative to the scope and design complexity; • Detailed information on bill of materials breakdown, warranty part list and playground equipment maintenance guidelines;
• Short delivery schedule; 6-8 weeks manufacturing lead time and 2-3 business days on freight transit;
• Extensive references from other government clients with similar projects and relevant experience in public-sector playground procurement;
• Strong understanding of industry standards, accessibility, and modular play configurations;
• Local presence in Carlsbad, California, which improves responsiveness for long-term maintenance and support.
Cost Comparison by Park:
Vendor Tamarisk Park Millett Park Stallions Crossing
Pacific Play Systems, Inc. $182,998.001$170,475.00 $40,000.00 Miracle Playground Sales $151,296.39 $194,055.23 N/A
Great Western Recreation $150,541.18 $120,997.17 $39,991.27 Zoom Recreation, Inc. $161,606.52 $199,768.00 N/A
Wyatt W. Underwood & Assoc. $146,877.80 $161,534.31 $46,170.34 Budget $175,000.00 $200,000.00 $40,000.00
Although the original proposal for Tamarisk Park from Pacific Play Systems exceeded the established budget by approximately $8,000, prior to scheduling the item for City Council consideration, staff engaged the vendor in negotiations pursuant to Section M of the RFP, which expressly allows for negotiation of final pricing with the top-ranked proposer. This process is also consistent with the City's adopted purchasing ordinance (San Jacinto Municipal Code Chapter 3.08), which permits refinement of proposals through competitive solicitation and subsequent negotiation. As a result, the final proposal for Tamarisk Park was adjusted to a total cost of $174,892, ensuring full alignment with the approved project budget.
Following Council approval, staff will finalize and execute the purchase agreement for a total of $385,367. The selected vendor will then prepare construction-level installation documents, 1 Original Proposal Amount
which will be used to post a second RFP for installation services. Installation is anticipated to begin after Labor Day, with a construction window of approximately 60 days. This schedule avoids disruption during the peak summer season when parks are most heavily used by the public.
Compliance with the City’s Purchasing Ordinance
The playground equipment procurement process complies with the requirements established in Chapter 3.08 of the San Jacinto Municipal Code, which governs the solicitation and purchase of goods and services. Specifically, the purchase of prefabricated playground equipment for Tamarisk Park, Colonel Lewis Millett Park, and Stallions Crossings Park falls under the category of general purchases pursuant to Section 3.08.060, as it involves the acquisition of physical equipment and related design and support services, but not construction or professional services.
Because the anticipated cost of each park’s equipment exceeds the $100,000 threshold set forth in Section 3.08.060(C)(3), a competitive solicitation process was required. To fulfill this requirement, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on April 9, 2025, through PlanetBids, the City’s online procurement portal. The RFP was publicly advertised and made available to all interested vendors. The submission deadline was May 20, 2025, at 11:00 PM PST. Vendors were required to be registered on PlanetBids in order to access and submit their proposals. A total of 24 vendors were identified as “prospective bidders”.
In total, five vendors submitted responsive proposals for Tamarisk Park and Colonel Lewis Millett Park, and three vendors submitted proposals for Stallions Crossings Park. Each proposal was reviewed and scored by Public Utilities staff using evaluation criteria defined in the RFP, which included: adherence to the park-specific design themes, conformance with safety standards (ASTM, CPSC, ADA), product durability, vendor experience, warranty provisions, and pricing. Scoring was conducted on a per-park basis, and the highest-scoring proposal for each location was submitted by Pacific Play Systems, Inc.
By utilizing a competitive solicitation, applying clearly defined evaluation criteria, and selecting the most responsive and responsible proposer for each location, the City’s procurement process fully complies with the procedures and intent of its adopted purchasing code.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funding for each of these playground replacement projects has already been budgeted in the City’s respective Special Assessment Districts. These districts levy annual assessments on properties within their boundaries to fund improvements that benefit the local area. The funds may only be used within the zones in which they are collected. Accordingly, the playground replacements will be paid from these assessment revenues, and there is no impact to the General Fund.
The recommended contract awards are within the approved budgets for each zone. No additional appropriations are required to proceed with the purchase.
ATTACHMENTS:
Proposal - Pacific Play Systems, Inc.
Tamarisk Park Revised Plans
Updated Cost Proposal
Equipment Purchase Agreement - Pacific Play Systems Inc.