City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: June 27, 2023
Agenda Item: 5.F
1 of 7
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Cemetery Subject: Award Contracts to Beacon Mortuary, Inc., for Mortuary Services and Decedent Transportation Services and to Farmscape, Inc., for Specialized Landscape Maintenance Services for Woodlawn Cemetery
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award RFP #352 to Farmscape, Inc., for specialized landscaping services for the Eternal Meadow area of Woodlawn Cemetery, Mausoleum & Mortuary, for the Public Works Department.
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Farmscape, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $150,000 over a five-year period with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
3. Award RFP #353 to Beacon Mortuary for providing decedent transportation services for Woodlawn Cemetery, managed by the Public Works Department.
4. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Beacon Mortuary for decedent transportation services in an amount not to exceed $200,000 over a five-year period with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
5. Award RFP #354 to Beacon Mortuary for providing mortuary services for Woodlawn Cemetery, managed by the Public Works Department.
6. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Beacon Mortuary for mortuary services in an amount not to exceed $475,000 over a fiveyear period with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
7. Adopt a finding of categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
Summary
The City of Santa Monica’s Woodlawn Cemetery, Mausoleum, and Mortuary (Woodlawn) provides mortuary services, decedent transportation services, and maintains the Eternal Meadow area by way of contracting with third parties. To ensure 2 of 7
the continuity of these services, Woodlawn staff initiated a competitive RFP process to solicit bids from prospective contractors. Based on the results of this process, staff recommends awarding two agreements to Beacon Mortuary, Inc.; an agreement for mortuary services for a total amount of $475,000 over a five-year period, and a second agreement for transportation services for a total amount of $200,000 over a five-year period. Staff also recommends awarding an agreement to Farmscape, Inc., for specialized landscape maintenance services for the Eternal Meadow section of Woodlawn for a total amount of $150,000 over a five-year period.
Discussion
The City purchased the Woodlawn Cemetery in 1897 and the Mausoleum in 1972.
Woodlawn started providing mortuary services in June 2011 to provide the community with the convenience of arranging for end-of-life services, including embalming and cremation, at one location. While cemetery operations and maintenance are conducted by City staff, mortuary services and decedent transportation services are both specialized and sporadic, making City staffing cost prohibitive. Since July 1, 2016, Woodlawn has contracted with Beacon, for mortuary services. Since July 1, 2019, the City has contracted with Beyond the Sky Transport, Inc., for decedent transportation services. The City’s contracts with Beacon Mortuary, Inc. and Beyond the Sky Transport, Inc. both expire on June 30, 2023.
In order to properly serve the community’s need for mortuary and cemetery services, Woodlawn must have the ability to respond around-the-clock to any location when a death occurs, to transport decedents from their place of death to Woodlawn, to prepare decedents for burial, and to provide other mortuary related services. These services have been contracted out since the City began providing mortuary services in 2011. At that time staff determined that these services required third party contractors due to specialty licensing requirements for embalmers and the difficulty associated with providing variable transportation demand services.
Eternal Meadow was established in 2016 and is Woodlawn’s green/natural burial section. This portion of the cemetery allows decedents to be buried in a more 3 of 7
sustainable way, minimizing environmental damage while fostering a greater relationship with nature. Only wood caskets with no metals or lacquers and biodegradable urns are used in interments. Concrete vaults and toxic embalming chemicals are not used. Eternal Meadow is comprised of native California plants that create a unique habitat for the region’s native birds and pollinator insects and, as a result, requires specialized landscape maintenance.
Based on the results of a competitive RFP process, staff recommends awarding two agreements to Beacon Mortuary, Inc.;
• An agreement for mortuary services for a total amount not to exceed $475,000 over a five-year period and;
• A second agreement for decedent transportation services for a total amount not to exceed $200,000 over a five-year period.
The cost for these services would be recouped as a direct pass-through to customers.
Staff also recommends awarding an agreement to Farmscape, Inc., for specialized landscape maintenance services for the Eternal Meadow section of Woodlawn for a total amount not to exceed $150,000 over a five-year period.
Vendor Selection
RFP #352 for specialized landscaping services for Woodlawn’s Eternal Meadow.
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified Person/Firm Farmscape, Inc.
Evaluation Criteria Experience, workplans/timelines, references, cost, presentation/demonstration, value add/breadth of
service, and quality of work/technical capabilities.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.190
Proposals Received
Farmscape, Inc. JAS Landscape, LLC SGD Enterprises
RFP Data
Posted On Posted On
Advertised In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
04/05/2023 City's Online
Bidding Site
Santa Monica Daily
Press 14 05/03/2023
4 of 7
Justification to Award
Staff recommends Farmscape, Inc., as the best qualified firm to provide maintenance for the Eternal Meadow based on the firm’s area of expertise in California native plant landscaping and on the criteria in SMMC 2.24.190.
RFP #353 for decedent transportation services for Woodlawn.
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified Person/Firm Beacon Mortuary, Inc.
Evaluation Criteria Experience, removal staff, workplans/timelines, references, cost, presentation/demonstration, and
value add/breadth of service.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.190
Proposals Received
Beacon Mortuary, Inc. Beyond the Sky Transport
RFP Data
Posted On Posted On
Advertised In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
04/05/2023 City's Online
Bidding Site
Santa Monica Daily
Press 4 05/03/2023
Justification to Award
Staff recommends Beacon Mortuary, Inc. as the best qualified firm to provide decedent transportation services based on the firm’s expertise in decedent transportation requirements, best practices, references, and the criteria in SMMC
2.24.190.
RFP #354 for mortuary services for Woodlawn.
Best and Only Qualified Person/Firm Beacon Mortuary, Inc.
Proposals Received Selection Criteria
Beacon Mortuary, Inc. Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.190
Evaluation
Criteria
Experience, workplans/timelines, references, cost,
presentation/demonstration, value add/breadth of service, and quality of work/technical capabilities.
RFP Data
Date
Posted Posted On
Advertised In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
5 of 7
04/05/2023 City's Online
Bidding Site Santa Monica Daily Press 4 05/03/2023
Additional Vendor Outreach & Justification to Award
Procurement conducted additional outreach to vendors who downloaded the RFP to see why they did not submit a proposal; staff received one response stating that the vendor did not provide the products or services sought. There are very few firms that provide mortuary services in the area. Staff then interviewed the sole firm, Beacon Mortuary, Inc. Staff recommends Beacon Mortuary, Inc., as the best and only qualified firm to provide mortuary services based on the firm’s area of expertise in decedent preparation, cremation, funeral services, and the criteria in SMMC 2.24.190.
Environmental Review
The award contracts are categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Section 15301. Section 15301 of the CEQA State Guidelines provides Class 1 (existing facilities) exemption for projects that consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, leasing, licensing, permitting, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of the existing or former use. The award contracts for landscaping services and mortuary services would not result in any modifications to Woodlawn Cemetery. The existing cemetery would continue operations and would be maintained and the contracts would not expand or materially change existing facilities or operations. Therefore, the contracts are categorically exempt as set forth in Section 15301 of the CEQA State Guidelines.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
5/22/2018 (Attachment A) Beacon Mortuary Staff Report 5.22.2018 5/11/2018 (Attachment B) Beacon Mortuary Staff Report 5.11.2021 5/11/2018 (Attachment C) Beacon Council Minutes 5.11.2021 1/28/2020 (Attachment D) CTS Staff Report 1.28.2020
1/28/2020 (Attachment E) CTS Council Minutes 1.28.2020
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
6 of 7
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the Cemetery Fund to award a contract with Farmscape, Inc., for specialized landscaping services for Woodlawn’s Eternal Meadow. Funds are included in the FY 2023-25 Proposed Biennial Budget. Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Contract Request - Farmscape, Inc.
Specialized Landscape Maintenance of Eternal Meadow
FY 2023-24 Budget
Request Amount
Future Year
Request Amount
Department/CIP
Account #
Total Contract
Amount
$30,000 $120,000 59500001.550010 $150,000
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the Cemetery Fund to award a contract with Beacon Mortuary, Inc., for mortuary services for Woodlawn. Funds are included in the FY 2023-25 Proposed Biennial Budget. Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Contract Request – Beacon Mortuary, Inc.
Mortuary Services
FY 2023-24 Budget
Request Amount
Future Year
Request Amount
Department/CIP
Account #
Total Contract
Amount
$95,000 $380,000 59500001.550120 $475,000
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the Cemetery Fund to award a contract with Beacon Mortuary, Inc., for decedent transportation services for Woodlawn. Funds are included in the FY 2023-25 Proposed Biennial Budget. Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Contract Request – Beacon Mortuary, Inc.
Decedent Transportation Services
FY 2023-24 Budget
Request Amount
Future Year
Request Amount
Department/CIP
Account #
Total Contract
Amount
$40,000 $160,000 59500001.550130 $200,000
7 of 7
Prepared By: Adam Lopez, Cemetery Administrator
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Beacon Staff Report 5.22.2018
B. Beacon Staff Report 5.11.2021
C. Beacon Council Minutes 5.11.2021
D. CTS Staff Report 1.28.2020
E. CTS Council Minutes 1.28.2020
F. Beacon Oaks Initiative
G. Farmscape Oaks Initiative