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Home My WebLink About11/22/1994, 6 - MAINTENANCE FOR FRENCH PARK AND ISLAY HILL PARK �IIIII�IBIIIu►IIIIIIIII II MEETING DATr,-. ci or san pais osispo COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT ITE NU ER: FROM: Michael D. McCluskey, Public Works Director PREPARED BY: David Elliott, Administrative Anal SUBJECT: Maintenance for French Park and Islay Hill Park CAO RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) Approve adding one new maintenance worker position in the parks and landscape maintenance program 2) Approve the budget amendment request which transfers $18,800 from the contract services account to various accounts in the parks and landscape maintenance program DISCUSSION: Background. French Park was completed in November 1993. For one year after comple- tion the construction contractor has been obligated to maintain the turf, trees, shrubs, and other improvements. That maintenance period will end on November 22, 1994, and the City must then assume full maintenance responsibility. Islay Hill Park is under construction and will be completed in March 1995. Because there is no initial maintenance obligation for the developer or the construction contractor, the City must assume maintenance responsibility upon completion. To maintain these two parks there is $40,000 budgeted in the contract services account of the parks and landscape maintenance program. When the Council adopted the 1993/95 Financial Plan, it conceptually approved adding a new maintenance worker position if in-house maintenance ended up being less expensive than contract maintenance. The approved program change request (copy attached) called for public works to solicit quotations from landscape maintenance contractors. If prices were lower than the cost of doing the work in- house, then the City would award a contract. Otherwise, public works would proceed with recruitment of a maintenance worker. Cost of Contract Maintenance. Because of the approaching need for maintenance at French Park, public works solicited quotations on the annual cost for work at that park only and received the following two responses from qualified landscape maintenance contractors: Takahashi Landscaping and Maintenance $47,400 The Good Green Earth Landscape Company $51,540 Takahashi currently maintains the landscaped public areas for the homeowners association in the neighborhood surrounding French Park. Good Green Earth currently maintains small landscaped areas for the City. Gilbert's Landscape & Maintenance, the construction contractor which currently maintains French Park, did not respond to the request. Cost of In-house Maintenance. The cost of maintaining French Park in-house would be - �,9ji �. ��►�►►��IIIIIIIIIp�' �111 city Of SAn pais OBISPO COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT $31,800 per year as outlined below: Salary and Benefits - Maintenance Worker 11, Step E $40,700 Wages - Weekend and Seasonal Field Worker 2,000 Amortization of Pickup Truck Capital Cost 1,600 Fuelfor Pickup Truck 300 Maintenance Fluids and Pans for Pickup Truck 100 Amortization of Mower Capital Cost 1,000 Fuel for Mower 200 Maintenance Fluids and Parts for Mower 100 Uniform Laundry 200 Protective Footwear Allowance 100 Fertilizers 600 Insecticides and Herbicides 800 Total Cost for French and Islay Hill Parks $47,700 Cost for French Park (213 of Total) $31,800 Contract vs. In-house Maintenance Costs. Typically, the cost of contract maintenance is equal to or less than the cost of in-house maintenance. Two factors may explain why the opposite is true in this instance. First, local landscape maintenance contractors generally maintain small landscaped areas around buildings and parking lots, not large park areas. (The one exception is Gilbert's, which is currently maintaining only French Park.) Prices may reflect the uncertainty of taking on a new kind of work. And second, a local landscape maintenance contractor would have to buy a pickup and special mower for this work. Because of relatively short contract terms (two to four years), the contractor would have to amortize this equipment cost over a shorter period of time than the City would. Public works is satisfied that in-house maintenance is a less expensive method at this time. Other Concerns. A former parks maintenance worker has been off the job with a workers' compensation injury. The City requested a disability retirement for him based on prelimi- nary medical reports which found that he could not perform his essential job functions. More recent medical reports have reversed these findings, and the employee wants tp return to work in his previous position. Under PERS regulations, the proposed disability retirement cannot proceed without medical justification. If the Council approves adding a new maintenance worker position, the City can rehire the former employee without laying off another worker with less seniority. Also, the City can hire an experienced employee immediately, with no lag time for recruitment or training. FISCAL IMPACT: The attached budget amendment request transfers $18,800 from the contract services account ��ii�i�►►►IVIIIIIII�Ui �ll C -Y O� San La]S OBISPO SMIGO COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT to various accounts in the parks and landscape maintenance program. This amount will cover the cost of a maintenance worker and additional supplies and services needed for last six months of fiscal year 1994/95. ATTACB ENTS• Program Change Request Budget Amendment Request (on file in the City Clerk's office) GAWP61\FRENCH 1 T � 1993-95 Financial i Request SIGNIFICANT OPERATING PROGRAM CHANGE PROGRAM: Parks and Landscape Maintenance (5020) REQUEST TITLE: New Parks Maintenance Request Summary Start full maintenance activities for Islay Hill Park in September 1993 and French Park in July 1994. Accomplishing this work would require contracting for all maintenance work and increasing budgets for utilities. Additional ongoing cost would he $39,000 in 1993/94 and $60,000 in 1994/95. Primary Objectives ■ Keep Islay Hill Park and French Park safe, useful, and attractive. Primary Factors Driving the Request for Change ■ Islay Hill Park will be completed in September 1993. There is no initial maintenance obligation on the part of the developer or the construction contractor. ■ French Park will be completed in July 1993. For one year after completion, the construction contractor is obligated to maintain the turf, trees, shrubs, other improvements, and one-third of the irrigation system. The City will be responsible for all maintenance after that period. Alternatives ■ Perform the work primarily with a new regular employee. This alternative would require hiring one maintenance worker, contracting_ the restroom maintenance and increasing budgets for utilities and materials. Additional oneoin_; cost would be about 560,000 per year. A new lawn mower would also be required at a one-time cost of 515,000. ■ Spread the new maintenance activity among existing employees and contracts. This option would stretch existing resources too thin and would result in all parks looking unkempt and less-manicured for most of the year. Cost Summary Current Additional Costs Costs 1993/94 1994/95 Contract Services 19,000 40,000 Other Operating Expenditures 20.000 20.000 39,000 60,000 Implementation With approval of this request, staff would immediately draft specifications on a maintenance contract for both parks. The City would then solicit competitive bids on the contract to determine the best contract price for the work. If this price were lower than the cost of doing the work in-house, then the City would award the contract. Otherwise, personnel department would proceed with recruitment of a maintenance worker. Line Item Detail Account 1993/94 1994195 Contract Services 100-5020-200-053 +19;000 +40,000 City Water Service 100-5020-330-221 +18,000 +18,000 Trash Service 100-5020-330-230 +2,000 +2,000 C-29