Agenda Item: 6
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
CONSENT CALENDAR
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: May 28, 2024
SUBJECT: LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS FOR LMD ZONES 4, 8, and 26
DEPARTMENT: Administrative Services
PRESENTER: Andrew Adams
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Award three contracts to Stay Green, Inc., to provide landscape maintenance services for Landscape Maintenance District Zones 4, 8, and 26, for two-year contract amounts not to exceed $20,207; $12,314; and $208,272 respectively.
2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute up to three additional one-year renewal options beginning in year three, not to exceed the annual contract amounts, inclusive of as- needed expenditure authority, plus an adjustment in compensation consistent with the appropriate Consumer Price Index, upon request of the contractor, and contingent upon the appropriation of funds by the City Council in the annual budget for such fiscal year.
3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all contracts and associated documents, subject to City Attorney approval.
4. Appropriate an ongoing budget increase, beginning in Fiscal Year 2024-25, of $29,813 from the Landscape Maintenance District Fund Balance (Fund 357) to Zone 8 expenditure account 3572435-516110 ($1,337) and to Zone 26 expenditure account 3572446-516110 ($28,476).
5. Find that the award of contracts is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Article 19 – Categorical Exemptions, Section 15301, Existing Facilities, (h) Maintenance of Existing Landscaping.
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clarita (City) administers 62 financially independent zones within the
Landscape Maintenance District (LMD), providing landscape maintenance services through contracts with private companies. Request for Proposal (RFP) LMD-23-24-31 for the maintenance of LMD Zone 4 (Via Princessa / Sierra Highway), Zone 8 (Ackerman Avenue), and Zone 26 (Centre Pointe Commercial) was published and circulated via the City’s e-procurement system BidNet on April 11, 2024.
Unlike a bid procurement, where the recommended contract award is based upon the lowest, most responsive bid, the RFP procurement approach utilizes multiple weighted criteria to evaluate and score proposals. This approach reinforces performance expectations and ensures that vendors dedicate adequate employees to service the contract. While the price for services is a component constituting 10 percent of the weighted evaluation criteria, 90 percent of the evaluation criteria focuses on the overall value provided, including the composition and structure of the contractor’s crew, their schedule to rotate through the maintenance areas, understanding of the specifications, and references.
The following categories comprised the weighted criteria used to evaluate proposals:
• Value Provided - Includes Team Composition/Crew Structure and Rotation Schedule/Response Times (65%)
• Acknowledgement and Understanding of Specifications (15%) • References and Certifications (10%)
• Proposal Amount (10%)
The City transmitted the solicitation to 838 vendors on BidNet, of which 20 vendors downloaded the RFP. Five companies submitted proposals for consideration. An evaluation panel comprised of staff representing the City’s Special Districts division scored the responses based on a 300- point system, with the results outlined below:
COMPANY LOCATION POINTS
AWARDED
ANNUAL
COST
Stay Green, Inc. Santa Clarita, CA 270 $94,567
Specialized Landscape Management Simi Valley, CA 254 $77,160 Elite Maintenance & Tree Service Clovis, CA 252 $55,555 Oakridge Landscape, Inc. Valencia, CA 244 $53,352
Marina Landscape Services, Inc. Stevenson Ranch, CA 244 $118,560
Upon reviewing the proposals, Stay Green, Inc. (Stay Green) received the highest score from the evaluation team. The team concluded that Stay Green's proposal offered the best overall value for landscape maintenance in LMD Zones 4, 8, and 26. Stay Green achieved an excellent "Value Provided" ranking, the highest among all submissions in this category. Additionally, the company scored the second highest in "Rotation Schedule" and "Team Composition." Notably, several competing bids, despite being lower in cost, were found to offer man hours and rotation schedules insufficient to meet the City’s standards. The third ranked firm offered a lower price but proposed fewer man-hours and lacked adequate support in management and irrigation. The second ranked firm, though cheaper, had insufficient manpower and references that were not comparable in scope or duration to the LMD requirements, with higher hourly rates in two zones.
Staff completed a due-diligence review of Stay Green’s professional references and determined their work history meets the City's standards and performance expectations. Based on the above, staff recommends awarding the landscape maintenance contract to Stay Green.
To support these contracts, staff is requesting an ongoing appropriation of $29,813, specific to LMD Zones 8 and 26. The requested ongoing base adjustment is reflective of rising fuel and industry labor costs. Moreover, the recommended contract amount is necessary to ensure Stay Green can perform monthly landscape maintenance and repairs, maximize operational efficiencies, and complete such work promptly. Maintenance and repairs include responding to emergencies, irrigation repairs, replacement of irrigation systems, addressing vandalism, and one-time beautification enhancement projects.
The increase in expenditure authority granted by the City Council does not guarantee additional compensation under the terms of the recommended contract. Beyond retaining the discretion to utilize alternative contractors as deemed necessary, all unscheduled repair work or one-time enhancement projects performed by Stay Green under the contract will continue to require staff review and advanced authorization by the City’s Special Districts division. Furthermore, to improve maintenance standards and enforce accountability, the solicitation also includes provisions to impose payment reductions for poor performance should the contractor fail to meet their maintenance obligations.
The award of this contract is not subject to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Article 19 - Categorical Exemptions, Section 15301, Existing Facilities, (h) Maintenance of Existing Landscaping. This contract meets the criteria for this exemption because the scope of work falls under existing landscape maintenance.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
The recommended action requires an ongoing appropriation of $29,813, resulting in a total annual budget of $240,793 for all three contracts, starting in Fiscal Year 2024-25. This will be funded from the Landscape Maintenance District Fund Balance (Fund 357) to cover recurring landscape maintenance costs associated with these contracts. Funding for future years will depend on the City Council's appropriations in the annual budget for each respective fiscal year.
ATTACHMENTS
LMD-23-24-31 Zones 4, 8, and 26 - Published Bid Documents (available in the City Clerk's Reading File)
Stay Green Inc. Zones 4, 8, and 26 - RFP Proposal File (available in the City Clerk's Reading File)