Title
Report regarding a resolution amending the existing landscape maintenance services agreement with Brightview Landscape Services, Inc. of Menlo Park, California for citywide landscape maintenance services in order to extend the term of the agreement by twelve months beginning July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 for an additional amount not to exceed $583,146, for a total amount not to exceed $1,749,438. (Greg Mediati, Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation)
label
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution amending the existing landscape maintenance services agreement with Brightview Landscape Services, Inc. of Menlo Park, California for citywide landscape maintenance services in order to extend the term of the agreement by twelve months beginning July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 for an additional amount not to exceed $583,146, for a total amount not to exceed $1,749,438.
Body
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The City of South San Francisco (City) currently contracts with a landscape maintenance vendor for certain landscape maintenance services throughout the City. These specialized contracted services are necessary to keep up with the extensive and varied landscape maintenance responsibilities in order to maintain the City’s safety and aesthetic objectives.
The scope of work for the landscape maintenance contract has been modified over time in order to care for those areas that were added to the city’s maintenance obligations, as well as to modify tasks requested by the City. These specified locations include medians, streets, hook ramps, green spots and Common Green areas.
The current landscape maintenance services agreement was first entered into on July 1, 2018, for a two year term, expiring June 30, 2020. The Request for Proposals (RFP) issued in 2018 included a provision for the City to extend the agreement in three one-year increments, for a total of five years. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent financial burden placed on the City’s General Fund, staff has negotiated with Brightview Landscape Services to maintain the contract amount at the same annual price as the previous two year term, despite cost escalation between three and six percent year over year during this same time. This price will be honored for the full term of the one year extension, from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.
In order to maintain the contract’s existing financial footprint, City staff worked with Brightview to hold the line on their contract cost. Despite cost escalation associated with increasing prevailing wages and material costs, Brightview has offered to reduce the irrigation technician position from 40 hours to 20 hours per week, but will provide an additional 20 hour per week allocation for a general labor employee in their place, resulting in modest cost savings. This will maintain the current contract’s staffing of nine maintenance workers. Additionally, Brightview has also agreed to provide and install plant material and arbor mulch in order to improve landscapes within their maintenance areas, at no cost to the City.
Project Scope
The Landscape Maintenance Services Project (Project) includes all specialized labor, material and tools necessary to maintain all ornamental planting, including, but not limited to lawns, groundcovers and shrubs (trees are excluded), safety zones, drainage facilities, weed control on median hardscapes, poles, posts, sprinkler heads, lateral irrigation lines up to the valves (not including valves or water mains downstream of the water meter), irrigation controllers, and public walkways, including the cost of necessary repairs, replacements, care, supervision, and any and all other items necessary for the proper maintenance and operation thereof. The work does not include repairs and maintenance of lighting systems, gates, benches, railings, homeowner fences, walls, sidewalks and curb and gutter (except weed control).
The City’s objectives for this Project continues to include the following:
• Provide high-quality professional landscape maintenance services for various medians, islands, and right-of-ways within the City.
• Work in collaboration with the City to identify areas where reduction of maintenance, energy and water can result in an overall cost savings for the City.
• Work in collaboration with the City to implement these identified strategies within the service areas.
Under the current contract, staff believes Brightview has satisfied these objectives, though staff will work with them to enhance their services levels whenever possible.
FISCAL IMPACT
Staff has worked with Brightview Landscape Services to ensure that the contract amount for these services has not increased. Staff has also negotiated extra work, noted above, to be performed throughout the maintenance areas under the contract at no additional cost to the City.
The monthly price for this agreement is $43,595 for an additional term of twelve months, split between the Common Greens Funds and General Fund. Staff also recommends that the City Council approve an additional $60,000 in budget authority to serve as a contingency fund for any deferred maintenance improvements to irrigation systems and landscaping within the project areas. This contingency is not an additional funding request, but would require staff to use existing funding within the Parks and Recreation or Common Greens budgets, if available. Recent projects that have been accomplished with this contingency fund include the renovations to the medians on Westborough Boulevard near Camaritas Avenue and various landscaping projects in the Common Greens areas.
Shown below is a summary of the proposed project budget:
Service Contract Value
Landscape maintenance services FYs 2018-20 $1,166,292
Additional 1 year term for FY 20-21 (incl. $60,000 contingency) $ 583,146
Total $1,749,438
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC PLAN
The landscape maintenance services agreement supports Strategic Plan Priority #2: Quality of Life/Build and Maintain a Sustainable City by providing adequate maintenance of the City’s parkland and green infrastructure assets. This agreement will allow the City to maintain the health and safety of the City’s park and open space resources, which will in turn provide for safe public recreational spaces and increased environmental benefits, such as storm water capture, carbon sequestration, habitat, among countless others.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends amending the Landscape Maintenance Services Agreement with Brightview Landscape Services, Inc. of Menlo Park, California, for citywide landscape maintenance services in order to extend the term of the agreement by twelve months beginning July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 for an additional amount not to exceed $583,146, for a total amount not to exceed $1,749,438. By entering into this contract, the City will continue to provide adequate maintenance of these areas without increasing the burden on the city’s General Fund or Common Greens Funds.