COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Alex Posada, Director of Recreation and Parks
DATE: July 1, 2025
SUBJECT: Landscape District Bid Award Follow up Information
Description:
The City Council will receive additional information regarding the award of a contract to provide landscape services Citywide.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Receive and file additional information regarding the award of a contract to provide landscape services Citywide; or
2. Provide direction to staff.
BACKGROUND:
At the June 17, 2025, City Council meeting, the Recreation and Parks Department provided a recommendation to award a multi-year contract to J.D. Humann Landscaping Inc. to provide landscape services Citywide. By motion, the City Council directed staff to prepare an analysis comparing the cost proposed in this private contract bid to the cost for City employees performing the work. The following is a summary of City costs compared to the use of a private contractor.
DISCUSSION:
SPECIAL LANDSCAPE DISTRICTS COSTS - CONTRACTOR vs CITY WORKFORCE
JD HUMANN (NW
District) COST CITY (NW District) COST
Employee FTE = 4.5 $153,577.00 Employee FTE = 4.5 $500,854.00
JD HUMANN (NE District) COST CITY (NE District) COST
Employee FTE = 5 $455,679.00 Employee FTE = 5 $556,504.00
2 JD HUMANN (SW
District) COST CITY (SW District) COST
Employee FTE = 8 $653,090.00 Employee FTE = 8 $890,406.00
JD HUMANN (SE District) COST CITY (SE District) COST
*Employee FTE = 7 $605,111.00 Employee FTE = 7 $779,106.00
The side-by-side comparison was based on using those tasks, equipment, and personnel identified in the J.D. Humann bid.
The City would need to hire approximately 24.5 full time employees ( FTE’s) to provide the services outlined in the submitted proposal. This creates the most significant difference in the chart above. City costs are estimated at $2,978,870 vs $1,867,457 proposed b y the contractor, a difference of $1,111,413. It should be noted that the contractor’s pricing is based on an all -inclusive price of $.21 per square foot of landscaping. In comparison, the City’s per square foot rate would be approximately $.35.
In addit ion, the City would need to invest approximately $810,000 in upfront costs, including the purchase of trucks and trailers, a lawn mower, hand tools, and power tools needed to deliver the services. Also not included are the monthly fleet rental rates for mobile equipment, maintenance, and fuel.
The current District budgets have set aside approximately $1,870,000 to cover the cost of landscape maintenance contracts for Fiscal Year 2025-26. The City's costs far exceed the amount set aside for landscape maintenance services, while the contractors’ proposal falls within the allocated amount.