COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Alex Posada, Recreation and Parks Director
DATE: June 17, 2025
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution Approving a Professional Services Agreement with J.D. Humann, Inc. for Citywide Landscape Maintenance Services
Description:
The City Council will consider approving a 36-month Professional Services Agreement to J.D. Humann, Inc. for Citywide landscape maintenance work.
Environmental Notice: The activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to State Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) no environmental review is required.
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a Resolution approving a Professional Services Agreement with JD Humann, Inc. for Citywide Landscape Maintenance Services in alignment with the City’s Purchasing Guidelines.
BACKGROUND
On April 22, 2025, the City issued a Notice Inviting Sealed Requests for Proposals (RFP) for Citywide Landscape Maintenance Services. The basis of the RFP is to provide results- based landscape care for streetside landscaping, retention basins, parks, and plazas that are managed by the Parks Operations Division of the Recreation and Parks Department.
The RFP was posted on the Bids and Proposals page of the Public Works section of the City of Santa Maria’s website and published in the Santa Maria Times on April 22, 2025, and April 24, 2025.
DISCUSSION
The current City of Santa Maria Landscape Maintenance Services contract expires on June 30, 2025. After review of the forecasted budget, changing economic climate, and the continued need to care for landscaping throughout Santa Maria, the city determined that it would be in the best interest of the City to seek out new service proposals. The 2025 RFP for Citywide landscape maintenance includes Landscape Maintenance Districts, Special Benefit Zones, retention basins, plazas, and parks.
The provision of landscape maintenance service is a dynamic service that requires the contractor to be accurate, flexible, and reactive to the customers of the Landscape Maintenance Districts, Special Benefit Zones, retention basins, plazas, and parks. The 2 RFP pro cess allows proposers to present their company’s best cost and practices to deliver services being requested by the City. Several factors in the proposal are considered, weighted, and evaluated, taking into account the City’s collective knowledge of services required, then a recommendation is made. Therefore, it is not necessarily the lowest proposal that is awarded the contract. The contractor considered for award is the one that presents the most cost-effective, concise, and complete information as part of their initial response packet. In this case, the city received four inquiries and four completed responses to the RFP. All were considered, as their proposal formats acceptably followed the RFP guidelines: The responses to the RFP are on file in the Department of Finance.
The evaluation team consisted of Scott Christian, Special Districts Supervisor, Neville Smeda, Business Manager, and Angela Oslund, Assistant Director of the Recreation and Parks Department. This rating team considered the information submitted by the contractors and ranked the proponents in the following areas: overall cost associated with the contract, landscape maintenance knowledge and experience, reference checks, staffing levels to perform the scope of services, and compliance with the bid instructions.
The team independently rated each proposer’s package for all evaluation criteria other than reference checks, and the average of the three was taken to be the final score.
Reference checks were conducted, and the top scores for each contractor were scored based on the reference’s ranking and added to the average score. The team reconvened to analyze the ranking against the known factors and presented the findings to Alex Posada, the Director of the Recreation and Parks Department, wh o then made the final decision on the recommendation.
Each proposal was evaluated using a point formula and scored based on response to the RFP. The maximum rating scale was 100 points; the results are listed below. The annual cost comparison shown is based on the award of three of the four Landscape Maintenance Districts and their Special Benefit Zones.
Firm Name Overall Rating Cost per SF Annual Cost
JD Humann Landscaping, Inc. 84.35 $0.2100 $1,083,148.29 AllWeather Landscape Inc. 75.21 $0.1800 $928,412.82
Brightview Landscape Services, Inc. 71.60 $0.2211 $1,140,400.41 EMTS, Inc. (Elite) 56.84 $0.2510 $1,294,620.10
J.D. Humann Landscaping, Inc. scored the highest overall ratings. Although AllWeather Landscape Inc. presented the lowest overall square footage cost, J.D. Humann Landscaping, Inc. provided the most advantageous proposal to the city. J.D. Humann Landscaping, Inc. provided a comprehensive Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan, identified all of their office and field staff by name and position to meet the level of service identified in the contract, provided a detailed staffing plan, and provided lower “Extra Services” costs on all items than AllWeather Landscape Inc.
3 Staff recommends the City enter into a three (3) year contract agreement with J.D.
Humann Landscaping, Inc. based on the proposed costs and an annual CPI index review of appropriations, expenses, and mutual consent of both parties to renew for up to three (3) additional one (1) year terms.
The total contract award includes the Northwest Landscape District, Northeast Landscape District, Southwest Landscape District, and Extra Services up to $350,000.
TOTAL CONTRACT AWARD = $1,083,148.29 + $350,000.00 = $1,433,148.29
J.D. Humann Landscaping, Inc. , a California corporation, located in Santa Maria, has been in business for over 35 years, and has served the Santa Maria area since 1982.
J.D. Humann Landscaping, Inc. is the City’s current contractor and performs landscape maintenance services for the City’s Landscape Maintenance Districts and Special Benefit Zones. The City’s relationship with J.D. Humann Landscaping, Inc. has been excellent over the years, and their quality of work has met the level of service standards identifie d in the scope of work of their contract.
ALTERNATIVE
The City Council may choose not to approve this professional services agreement. If so, the city would have to reprioritize City staff to provide reduce d level of service at City parks, sports fields, and other public spaces in order to maintain services at Landscape Maintenance Districts and Special Benefit Zones.
FISCAL CONSIDERATION
The recommendation would authorize staff to work with J.D. Humann Landscaping, Inc. to provide landscape maintenance services at Landscape Maintenance Districts, Special Benefit Zones, retention basins, plazas, and parks for the amount of $1,433,148.29.
The city is authorized to levy and collect assessments for the purposes of maintaining the public landscaping at par ks for the 4 Landscape Maintenance Districts and 20 Special Benefit Zones under the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972. There is sufficient funding in the anticipated revenues in both the Landscape Maintenance District/Special Benefit Zone funds and in the General Fund for the FY 2025-26 to award this contract.
IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY
Regularly scheduled landscape maintenance work keeps the city’s rights of way, street medians, parks, and open spaces thriving, reduces liability exposure, and helps keep the City looking its best for residents and visitors. Landscape turf, plants, shrubs, and trees provide the generation of oxygen, absorb CO 2 in the atmosphere, and help to mitigate urban flooding by storing rainwater.
ATTACHMENT(S)
A. Resolution- JD Humann Contract
B. Agreement for Professional Services Citywide Landscape Maintenance Services