Agenda Item: 12
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
CONSENT CALENDAR
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: June 23, 2026
SUBJECT: LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE CONTRACT FOR LMD ZONE 7
(CREEKSIDE) AND ZONE 19 (BRIDGEPORT/BOUQUET)
DEPARTMENT: Administrative Services
PRESENTER: Andrew Adams
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Award a five-year contract to Stay Green, Inc., to provide landscape maintenance services for Landscape Maintenance District Zone 7 (Creekside) and Zone 19 (Bridgeport/Bouquet), for a total contract amount not to exceed $685,790.
2. Appropriate an ongoing budget increase, beginning in Fiscal Year 2026-27, from the Landscape Maintenance District Fund Balance (Fund 357) in the amount of $23,778 to expenditure account 3572434-516110 and $13,506 to expenditure account 3572440-516110, contingent upon appropriation of funds by the City Council in each fiscal year.
3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all contracts and associated documents, subject to City Attorney review.
4. Find that the award of contract 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 63 financially independent zones within the Landscape Maintenance District (LMD), providing landscape maintenance services through contracts with private companies.
The City conducted a Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit proposals from qualified vendors for landscape maintenance services in LMD Zone 7 (Creekside) and LMD Zone 19
(Bridgeport/Bouquet). The RFP was published and circulated via the City’s e-procurement system, BidNet, on March 12, 2026. The City transmitted the solicitation to 1,325 vendors on BidNet, of which 43 vendors downloaded the RFP. Seven companies provided proposals for consideration.
Unlike a traditional low-bid procurement, where the award is based upon the lowest, most responsive bid, the RFP approach utilizes multiple weighted criteria to evaluate and score proposals. This approach reinforces performance expectations and ensures that vendors dedicate adequate staffing to service the contract. While the price for services is a component constituting 40 percent of the weighted criteria, 60 percent of the criteria concentrates on the overall value provided, including the composition and structure of the contractor’s crew, proposed maintenance scheduling, understanding of the specifications, and associated references.
These proposals were reviewed and evaluated based on each proposer’s ability to meet the specific demands of the LMD maintenance zones. An evaluation panel comprised of staff representing the City’s Special Districts division scored the responses using the following categories of weighted criteria:
• Team Composition: Contractor qualifications, staff qualifications, and number of staff provided. (15%)
• Rotation Schedule: Use and mobilization of resources. Proposed timeline to service all areas. (20%)
• Acknowledgement and Successful Understanding of Scope of Work: Proposed method and guidelines for adhering to the landscape maintenance requirements to include but not limited to: description and clarity of approach in the areas of proactiveness, responsiveness, familiarity with common concerns of the LMD areas and problem resolution. (15%)
• References (10%)
• Cost of Services Provided (10%)
• Value: Cost in relation to manpower. What makes the contractor the best candidate to provide the services requested. (30%)
The evaluation team scored the responses based on a 300-point system, with results outlined below. Proposal costs ranged from $36,412 to $149,376, reflecting a wide range of service approaches and staffing levels.
COMPANY
LOCATION
POINTS
AWARDED
ANNUAL
COST
WEEKLY
HOURS
AVERAGE
HOURLY
RATE
Stay Green, Inc. Santa Clarita,
CA
259 $149,376* 84.3 $36.92
Marina Landscape
Services, Inc.
Santa Clarita,
CA
243 $ 94,812 52.5 $37.62
Oakridge Landscape, Inc. Santa Clarita,
CA
238 $124,080 81 $31.91
(Cont.)
COMPANY
LOCATION
POINTS
AWARDED
ANNUAL
COST
WEEKLY
HOURS
AVERAGE
HOURLY
RATE
EMTS, Inc. Santa Clarita,
CA
210 $ 98,148 57 $35.87
American Heritage
Landscape
Clovis, CA 202 $ 71,400 35 $42.50
C&M Landscape, Inc. Canoga Park,
CA
166 $ 63,561 38 $34.85
Bark & Branch
Landscaping
Somis, CA 115 $ 36,412 72 $10.54
*(Negotiated a reduction in pricing to $94,575 annually.)
Consistent with the provisions of the RFP, the City reserved the right to conduct interviews with proposers when deemed beneficial to further evaluate qualifications and service approaches. Due to the close scoring among the top-ranked proposers and the importance of ensuring the selected contractor could successfully meet the service demands of the zones, staff elected to interview the three highest-scoring firms. The interviews included a standardized set of questions focused on each proposer’s rotation schedule, dedicated manpower commitments, and familiarity with the specific maintenance needs and characteristics of the zones.
Following the interviews, Stay Green, Inc. (SGI) remained the highest-scoring proposer based on the overall evaluation criteria. Staff subsequently entered into negotiations with SGI to further refine the scope and pricing of services. As a result of these negotiations, SGI agreed to reduce its proposed pricing by approximately $300,000 over the term of the five-year agreement while committing to meet all contract requirements, maintenance standards, and service level expectations established by the City. This negotiated outcome ensured the City received the highest-ranked proposal at a significantly reduced cost without compromising the quality of service required to maintain the zones.
Based on the proposal evaluations, interview results, and subsequent contract negotiations, staff determined that SGI provides the best overall value to the City. SGI demonstrated a strong understanding of the maintenance requirements.
Key strengths of SGI’s proposal include:
• Comprehensive crew structure aligned with service need • Efficient and clearly defined rotation schedule
• Strong responsiveness and maintenance approach
• Verified positive performance reference
The recommended five-year contract with SGI has a total not-to-exceed amount of $685,789, which reflects the annual contract cost of $94,575, anticipated service level adjustments over the term, and an allocation to address unforeseen repair and maintenance needs that may arise during the term of the agreement. To ensure sufficient funding to support the negotiated service levels and ongoing maintenance needs within the respective zones, staff recommends ongoing annual
appropriations beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 from the LMD Fund Balance (Fund 357) of $28,878 for Zone 7 and $13,506 for Zone 19.
Any unscheduled repair work or one-time enhancement projects performed by SGI under the contract will still require staff review and prior authorization from the City’s Special Districts division. Additionally, to enhance maintenance standards and enforce accountability, the contract includes provisions for payment reductions in the event of poor performance.
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
Upon approval of the recommended actions, beginning in FY 2026-27, an ongoing budget increase of $23,778 to Expenditure Account 3572434-516110 and $13,506 to Expenditure Account 3572440-516110 will be appropriated from the Landscape Maintenance District Fund Balance (Fund 357), contingent upon appropriation of funds by the City Council during the annual budget process.
ATTACHMENTS
LMD-25-26-29 ZONES 7 & 19 - Published Bid Documents (available in the City Clerk's Reading File)
LMD-25-26-29 ZONES 7 & 19 - Stay Green, Inc., Response File (available in the City Clerk's Reading File)