REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 09/01/2021
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Community Services Department
SUBJECT:
Title
Award of Contract to L.R. Landscaping, Inc. and Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc. for On-Call Emergency Landscape Services.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Community Services Department Parks Division was previously contracted with L.R. Landscaping, Inc. for on-call emergency landscaping services. However, the current contract has expired and no longer eligible to be extended. As such, Community Services and Finance Departments collaboratively worked together to update the scope of work and sought bids for the Request for Proposals (RFP) for on-call emergency landscape services (RFP-21-058AC). Community Services is bringing forth the L.R. Landscaping Inc. and Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc. contracts for consideration of award so that the City can have two vendors for on-call emergency landscaping services in the event that one vendor is unable to respond to the City’s immediate needs.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Award contract for RFP21-058AC to L.R. Landscaping, Inc. for on-call emergency landscape services for a two-year contract with an optional extension for two (2) years to renew with total compensation not to exceed the amount of $500,000 per Fiscal Year.
b. Award contract for RFP21-058AC to Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc. for on- call emergency landscape services for a two-year contract with an optional extension for two (2) years to renew with total compensation not to exceed the amount of $175,000 per Fiscal Year.
c. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the On-Call Emergency Services Maintenance and General Services Agreement with L.R. Landscaping, Inc., and Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc., and to approve necessary non-substantive change orders or amendments up to ten percent of the contract amount.
d. Authorize the Purchasing Agent to issue yearly purchase orders to L.R. Landscaping, Inc and Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc. in accordance with the duly authorized and executed agreements, change orders, amendments, and renewals.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The City of Corona utilizes on-call emergency landscaping services for emergency maintenance that encompass homeless encampment clean-ups, irrigation repairs and installs, concrete repairs, various plantings in Lighting Maintenance Districts (LMDs) and parkways, ballfield maintenance, and winter season rain preparations. Community Services working with Purchasing issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for on-call emergency landscaping services (RFP 21-058AC) on July 21, 2021. This was due to the expiration of the current contract with L.R. Landscaping, Inc. for emergency on-call landscaping, which could no longer be extended. Three bids were received which included L.R. Landscaping, Inc., Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc., and Mariposa Landscapes, Inc. The criteria was based on four evaluation scoring categories (Exhibit 5) which include: qualification of company and personnel (experience), the workplan and project understanding/approach, approach to safety measures, and the reasonableness of cost and price (value). The bids were reviewed and L.R. Landscaping, Inc. and Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc. scored the highest and were selected as the most qualified and competent of all the bidders. Since the Parks Division already had the facilitated relationship with L.R. Landscaping, Inc. and Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc., and have worked with both vendors in previous contracts, these vendors are fully aware of the standards and expectations set by City staff and Corona residents .
As such, staff is recommending to the City Council to award two contracts for RFP21-058AC. The first contract is to L.R. Landscaping, Inc. for on-call emergency landscaping services for for a two-year contract with an optional extension for two (2) years to renew with total compensation not to exceed the amount of $500,000 per fiscal year, which is needed to execute the scope of work. Staff further recommends that the City Council award a contract for RFP21-058AC to Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc. for on-call emergency landscaping services for a two-year contract with an optional extension for two (2) years to renew with total compensation not to exceed the amount of $175,000 per fiscal year. Awarding to Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc. provides additional support to keep current with maintenance workloads throughout the City and avoids potential delays in response. The last vendor, Mariposa Landscapes Inc., was not chosen amongst the recommended vendors based on their evaluation criteria because of their much higher rates (cost). The two chosen vendors had fair and equitable rates for the cost of their services. Typically, on-call emergency landscape services cost approximately $450,000 per fiscal year.
ANALYSIS:
A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued on July 21, 2021 for on-call emergency landscaping (RFP 21-058AC). The Purchasing Division received three bids from three on-call landscaping contractors with a copy of the City’s on-call emergency landscaping scope of work.
Staff reviewed the three submitted bids and recommends awarding a contract to L.R. Landscaping, Inc. as the most reliable and responsible primary bidder, and Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc. as the second most reliable and responsible bidder. Due to the nature of emergency landscaping services, it is necessary to have a contract with two vendors to ensure one is available to respond to the City’s needs at all times.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Funding for the recommended action is available in the Fiscal Year 22 Parks Maintenance operating budget. Community Services will recommend appropriate amounts in future budgets prepared for City Council approval for future renewals. The purchase orders for both vendors will be unencumbered and will be used on an “as needed” basis.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action is for landscaping and irrigation services; therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: MOSES CORTEZ, PARKS SUPERINTENDENT & VIOLA VAN, MANAGEMENT ANALYST II
REVIEWED BY: ANNE K. TURNER, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Maintenance/General Services Agreement for On-Call Emergency Landscaping Services with L.R. Landscaping, Inc.
2. Exhibit 2 - Maintenance/General Services Agreement for On-Call Emergency Landscaping Services with Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc.
3. Exhibit 3 - L.R. Landscaping, Inc. Bid Proposal
4. Exhibit 4 - Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc. Bid Proposal