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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/17/2009, C5 - LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE SERVICES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Coun V I L Manes Febrr uary 17,2009 j acEnaa Repoat hmNumba CITY OF SAN LUIS O B I S P O FROM: Jay Walter, Public Works Director yDW Prepared By: Keith Pellemeier, Public Works Supervisor, Urban Forest SUBJECT: LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE SERVICES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RECOMMENDATION 1. Approve the request for proposals for landscape maintenance services 2. Authorize staff to advertise for proposals 3. Direct staff to bring the award of contracts back to the City Council for final approval DISCUSSION Background The City has a long-standing policy of contracting with private companies for ongoing landscape maintenance services. For many years that work focused entirely on landscaped areas such as medians and roadside vegetation. This contract totaled about $80,000 prior to 2005. As part of budget reductions for 2005-07, two things happened. First, an operating program cut of about half, or $40,000 was made to the landscape maintenance item. The contract decreased the frequency of maintenance visits froth prior contracts. Secondly, Damon Garcia Sports Fields came on line and it was acknowledge that the fields required a two person maintenance crew. The fiscal situation was not conducive to increasing staffing levels in 2005 and Council authorized an additional $126,000 to augment contract maintenance services. Two existing staff were transferred to the Damon-Garcia Sport Fields. Contract maintenance expanded to include some park maintenance formerly performed by staff. A small additional amount was also added for new areas that had entered the inventory. The total funding for contract landscape maintenance services in 2005-07 was $229,100. Current Request for Proposals The landscape services contract for 2007-09 was adjusted to include increases for annual U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) and additional maintenance areas to $272,000. The current contract for landscape services is set to expire on June 30, 2009. The Parks and Landscape maintenance and Parking Services divisions currently contract out for landscape maintenance services for the following areas: A. Landscaped Areas, Parks, Facilities with turf B. Landscaped Areas, Parks, Facilities without turf C.. Traffic median islands, frontages and sound walls D. Sound walls, circles, islands and frontages E. Parking lots Landscape Maintenance Request for Proposals Page 2 The contractor is responsible for providing all maintenance services, including labor, supplies and equipment, in accordance with the tasks and service levels detailed in the request for proposals (RFP.) Utility services, such as water, sewer and electricity, are paid directly by the City, and are not included in the contract. Staff has grouped the contract landscape maintenance locations into similar areas and used Levels of Service as a guideline to manage the landscape work. Levels of Service groupings are used to afford the best maintenance service within the budget constraints, with high visibility areas receiving high service, and low visibility areas receiving less attention. Flexibility and the Review Process The RFP calls for the proposing firms to submit both a qualifications proposal, including general information, proposed work schedule, references, and insurance information, in addition to a cost proposal. The review team will look at and rank all the proposals based on experience, expertise, approach to completing the work and the company's understanding of the work scope. After determining the group of companies with the proper qualifications and satisfactory references, staff will review the proposed compensation before finalizing a recommendation to the City Council. The City is requesting proposals, not bids for this work. The reason for this is to screen the applicants for the quality of the services they provide to others through reference checks and documentation of company history. The City had used a low bid approach in the 1990's that proved unsatisfactory before switching to a proposal process. The second benefit of proposals, particularly given the timing with financial cut backs, is that staff can negotiate the final work and service levels for the various areas. For example, should the Council be considering a reduction of the landscape maintenance budget, staff will be able to shift specific areas to the lower service levels without having to re-bid the contract. The RFP allows the City the flexibility to award one agreement or more, which ever is in the best interest to the City. The previous agreement was for a four-year term with an option to renew for another two. Stam' is proposing changing that to a three-year term to avoid the conflict with Financial Plan adoption when the agreement next expires. The contract also includes a provision for annual cost increases based on changes in the consumer price index. The City can terminate the contract at any time or make service level adjustments based on the City's satisfaction with the contractor or its fiscal situation. CONCURRENCES The Parking Division supports the use of contract services for this purpose. FISCAL IMPACT Since 2005, the City staff/ contract maintenance mix has remained essentially unchanged. The 2007-09 agreement was adjusted to include the addition of several new areas added to the contract as medians and other areas that were constructed and turned over to the City. As part of CJr-� 11 Landscape Maintenance Request for Proposals Page 3 this agreement, contract prices have continued to increase annually by a percentage equal to CPI. As such, staff now estimates the funding needed to support the current contract landscape maintenance of these areas, at the existing levels, to be $272,000 annually. Staff further proposes moving forward with the agreement. Landscape Maintenance Areas 2009-10 Estimates Landscape Areas A -D(General Fund) A. Landscaped Areas,Parks, Facilities with turf $ 126,000 B. Landscaped Areas,Parks, Facilities without turf $ 41,000 C. Traffic median islands, frontages and sound walls $ 30,000 D. Sound walls,circles, islands and frontages $ 30,000 Total General Fund $ 227,000 Landscape Area E(Parking Fund) E. Parking Lots $ 45,000 Total Parking Fund $ 45,000 Total Contract Landscape Maintenance Areas $ 272,000 'Budget Estimates Include Additional Maintenance Areas and CPI Increases Funding, in the amount of $227,000 for the landscape areas, parks, facilities, medians, islands and sound walls in Areas A—D will come from the City's General Fund. The remaining funding to cover parking lots will be provided by the Parking Enterprise Fund. Timing The current agreements are set to expire at the end of the fiscal year. For that reason, staff has been working on updating this agreement. Some difficulties have arisen with the current contracts, which along with the addition of new areas and the City's fiscal situation, encouraged staff to proceed with obtaining new proposals at this time, rather than pursue extensions. Staff anticipates conducting interviews in mid-April and finalizing a recommendation to the City Council in early May. The Council is expected to set the strategic budget direction in mid-April and see the City Managers entire budget proposal in the middle of May. Staff will work with the companies proposed to be hired as the operating budget cuts develop so that by the time a recommendation reaches the City Council, it is in alignment with the proposed final budget. ALTERNATIVES 1) Defer issuing an RFP and extend existing agreements. Staff does not recommend this alternative given the lack of contract management tools in the current agreements. 2) Eliminate contract maintenance completely. Staff sees that this alternative is better dealt with as part of the discussion on operating program cut backs. If it was determined that it was appropriate to eliminate contract maintenance, staff would present that as part of the budget C5-3 Landscape Maintenance Request for Proposals Page 4 package along with the anticipated impacts to maintenance. The City Council could then reject all proposals. ATTACHMENT Excerpt from RFP: Contract Landscape Maintenance Areas and Frequency of Work. AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW IN THE COUNCIL OFFICE Request for Proposals 77T:\Council Agenda Reports\Public Works CAR\Parks-Trees\LandMaint Contract RFP\CAR LandMaint RFP 90879.doc Exhibit A to Agreement Attachment , SCOPE OF WORK AND SERVIdL cEVELS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF WORK 1. Litter Control. Ground Litter. The Contractor shall pick up litter as encountered during scheduled visitsto the locations listed in Contract Proposal, taking particular care to remove fecal matter from turf areas and from areas that are highly traveled and highly visible,including parking lots. Posted Material. The Contractor shall remove all posters, flyers, signs, and advertisements including staples, tacks, nails, and tape that are attached to trees, poles, and any other structures. Disposal of Gathered Litter and Material. Disposal of collected litter shall be at the Contractor's expense and not deposited in site garbage cans and dumpsters. The City shall remove trash from site garbage cans unless otherwise specified. 2. Walkway Maintenance. Litter Control. The Contractor shall remove all trash, weeds, and foreign objects from walkway surfaces as established for each Service Level. The Contractor shall then remove all trash, weeds and foreign objects from the site. Blow Pack Use. In the downtown area, blow packs may be used between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. In residential areas blow packs may be used between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. All litter swept with a blow pack shall be picked up and removed from the site. Because of inherent noise and dust problems,the Contractor shall display courtesy and consideration towards citizens and businesses whenever a blow pack is used d and shut down or direct blowing away from pedestrians. Washing. Washing walkways shall not be permitted unless specifically authorized by the City's Contract Manager and undertaken with proper controls to prevent pollution of stormwater. Pruning. In addition to the specified scheduled pruning,the Contractor shall prune trees, shrubs and groundcovers whenever necessary to keep walkways clear and to maintain pedestrian safety. Eguipment Pads. Equipment pads shall receive the same maintenance as walkways. 3. Irrigation. Manual Irrigation. The Contractor shall manually irrigate vegetation as required to maintain proper plant growth. This manual irrigation shall include watering with hoses, hose bibs, quick couplers, nozzles, and sprinklers furnished by the Contractor. Manual irrigation may be required in addition to, in conjunction with, or in the absence of automatic irrigation. The Contractor shall irrigate at times of the day that shall ensure maximum plant health and minimum inconvenience for people using the area. The Contractor shall avoid water runoff onto roadways, walkways and other hard surfaces. Recycled water shall be prevented from landing on picnic tables and drinking fountains. Schedules. On January 1,April 1, July 1, and October 1 o each year, the Contractor shall submit a proposed irrigation time of day schedule for all areas for the next 3 months. This schedule form will be provided by the city and the schedule must be approved by the City's Contract Manager. Automatic Irrigation. The Contractor shall operate all automatic irrigation systems. Automatic irrigation shall normally take place during night or early morning hours. TheL Contractor shall program automatic controllers for seasonal water requirements. During periods of rain,the contractor shall deactivate all automatic programming and go into"rain shut down.",. The contractor shall notify the City when"rain shut down" is both activated and deactivated. Failure to activate"rain shut down"during rainy weather will result in the contractor being liable for the cost of water used, per location, during rainy periods. Landscape Contract Maintenance—Specification 90897 Page 14 of 30 W �� Attachment ' If plant material dies due to inadeq,._,e water or over watering,the Contractor s.n d replace all dead plant material within 3 weeks of written notification, at no cost to the City. Irrigation System Inspection and Repair: The contractor shall maintain all irrigation systems in proper adjustment to avoid water runoff or overspray onto adjacent properties, roadways, walkways and other hard surfaces. The contractor is responsible for repairs and replacements from the lateral line up, including swing joints, risers, irrigation heads, drip emitters, and tubing. The City shall be responsible for any other irrigation system repairs. The Contractor shall perform monthly irrigation system inspections by turning the system on, checking for leaks, overspray and other coverage issues, and making necessary adjustments and repairs. The Contractor shall notify the City of the inspection and submit an irrigation report the first of every month during the irrigation season. The Contractor shall report any irrigation problems that are the City's responsibility, to the City as soon as noted, particularly any repairs needed for irrigation controllers, or improper coverage that could lead to plant death or site runoff. The Contractor shall manually irrigate an area as needed while an irrigation controller is being repaired. Before fertilization the Contractor shall check each automatic irrigation system for proper operation and adjustment. Non-Potable recycled)water training. Worker safety training is required for all workers working in identified areas that use non-potable (recycled)water. The training will be provided by the city and scheduled once the reclaimed systems are operable. Water Conservation. All irrigation schedules shall comply with any watering restrictions imposed by the City of San Luis Obispo Utilities Department during drought conditions. When the Utilities Department has imposed watering restrictions, the Contractor shall consult with the City's Contract Manager to determine the best allocation of available water, considering plant species,time of year, location, and other environmental factors. Each month the Contractor shall monitor the effects of manual irrigation. During periods of officially declared water use restrictions, the Contractor shall report each month the amount of water used at each work location. Failure to comply with any mandatory restrictions may result in the contractor being liable for the cost of water used per location. 4. Disease and Pest Control. Protection of Vegetation and the Public. The Contractor shall control and eliminate weeds, insects, rodents, and diseases that harm vegetation. In performing this pest control work, the Contractor shall use only materials and methods that will not harm the vegetation or the public. The City strongly encourages the use of Integrated Pest Management concepts in all parks. Application Plan. The Contractor shall provide a application plan to the City's Contract Manager for approval.This plan shall include the disease or pest to be treated,the type and name of the product proposed to be used and copies of both the product label and Material Safety Data Sheet(MSDS). Following any pesticide application, the Contractor shall submit to the City's Contract Manager on the first of the month a copy of all pesticide use reports identifying the type and brand name of the chemical, the date, rate and specific location of application. Pesticide Application Licenses and Permits. The Contractor and its employees and subcontractors shall have and maintain all required permits and licenses required by the State of California before applying any pesticide. Pesticide Acceptability. Any pesticide used shall be selected from the list approved by the State of California Department of Pesticide Regulations. Restricted materials may only be used with approval from the City and a permit issued by the San Luis Obispo County Agricultural Commissioner. Rodent Traps. The Contractor shall not use rodent traps without prior written approval from the City's Contract Manager for the location and type of trap to be used. Traps will not be allowed in any area where children could be expected to play. 5. Turf Maintenance. Mowing. The Contractor shall mow all turf areas at the locations and frequencies established for each Service Level.The Contractor shall mow turf in a workmanlike manner that ensures a smooth surface without scalping or leaving excessive cuttings.All mowing equipment shall be adjusted to the proper cutting heights and sharpened Landscape Contract Maintenance—Specification 90897 Page 15 of 30 CS`(o Attachment adequately. Mowing height shall b o inches for all turf areas, unless otherwi%—'pecified by the City's Contract Manager for special events and ob.-. 'conditions. Immediately before each moi .,g,the Contractor shall remove all litter and trash from turf areas. Immediately after each mowing, the Contractor shall clean all adjacent walkways. Mechanical Edging. The Contractor shall mechanically edge all turf areas. The Contractor shall edge all turf borders to leave a neat, uniform line and eliminate all grass invasion into adjacent areas. The Contractor shall also edge around other obstacles within turf areas to leave a neat, well-trimmed appearance and to allow optimum operation of sprinkler heads. When using string trimmers the Contractor shall take care to protect trees and shrubs from damage. Power edgers with rigid blades shall leave a well-defined v-shaped edge that extends into the soil. Chemical Edging and-Detailing. With approval from the City's Contract Manager the Contractor may apply edging chemicals around areas such as planters, building walls, trees,fence lines, and sprinkler heads. Before applying chemicals, the Contractor shall trim all areas to the proper height. Fertilizing. The Contractor shall fertilize all turf areas as specified for each Service Level, except at identified areas that use recycled water,where no fertilization will be required. Application dates shall be approved by the City's Contract Manager. Following application,fertilizer shall be thoroughly watered into the soil within 24 hours. The Contractor shall notify the City's Contract Manager via the submitted monthly schedule a minimum of one week before a fertilizer application. The turf fertilizer shall be a complete fertilizer with a ratio of 4-1-2. The Contractor shall evenly broadcast the fertilizer at a minimum rate of one pound actual available nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of turf area per application. Any fertilizer landing outside the turf area shall be swept up and removed. The Contractor shall submit to the City written documentation of the quantities of fertilizer applied at each specified work location. Seed/Sod. Seed or sod replacement for bare areas shall be perennial rye grass or match surrounding turf. Weed Control. The Contractor may apply selective herbicides. The Contractor shall also perform any additional weeding necessary to keep the turf free of weeds. This additional weeding may be performed by hand or by using selective herbicides. 6. Groundcover Maintenance. Edging. The Contractor shall edge all groundcover areas as specified for each Service Level. The primary purpose for edging the groundcover is to prevent it from growing onto walkways, roadways, hard surfaces,fences, and walls. The Contractor shall not use chemical edging methods without prior approval from the City's Contract Manager. Fertilizing. The Contractor shall fertilize all groundcover areas as specified for each Service Level. Following application, fertilizer shall be thoroughly watered into the soil within 24 hours. The Contractor shall notify the City's Contract Manager via the submitted monthly schedule a minimum of one week before a fertilizer application. The groundcover fertilizer shall be a complete balanced low release fertilizer with a ratio of 12-12-12. The Contractor shall evenly broadcast the fertilizer at a minimum rate of ten pounds per 1,000 square feet of groundcover area per application. Any fertilizer landing outside the groundcover area shall be swept up and removed. The Contractor shall submit to the City written documentation of the quantities of fertilizer applied at each specified work location. Weed Control. The Contractor shall maintain groundcover areas in a weed free condition. This weeding may be performed by hand or by using selective herbicides. 7. Shrub Maintenance Pruning. The Contractor shall prune all shrubbery at the locations as specified for each Service Level. The primary purpose for pruning the shrubbery shall be to encourage healthy and attractive growth according to prescribed industry practices. Such pruning shall encourage the graceful, natural growth of the shrub and shall maintain plant health through removal of dead,diseased, or injured wood. The secondary purpose for pruning the shrubbery shall be to prevent it from growing onto walkways, roadways, and other hard surfaces. Where the specified pruning frequency is two times per year, the shrubs shall be pruned in the spring and fall. When required, the Contractor shall remove dead shrubbery. Landscape Contract Maintenance-Specification 90897 Page 16 of 30 CJ Attachment: Fertilizing. The Contractor shall fe -e all shrub areas at the locations as sper I for each Service Level.. Where the specified fertilizing fregL_.icy is twice a year,the shrubs shall be fern..ad in April and September. Where the specified frequency is other than twice a year, the application dates shall be approved by the City's Contract Manager. Immediately following application,fertilizer shall be thoroughly watered into the soil. The Contractor shall notify the City's Contract Manager one week before a fertilizer application. The shrub fertilizer shall be a complete balanced low release fertilizer with a ratio of 12-12-12. The Contractor shall evenly broadcast the fertilizer at a minimum rate of ten pounds per 1,000 square feet of shrub bed area per application. The Contractor shall submit to the City written documentation of the quantities of fertilizer applied at each specified work location. Weed Control. The Contractor shall maintain all shrub beds in a weed free condition. At a minimum, the contractor shall perform weeding at the locations as specified for each Service level. This weeding may be performed by hand or by using.selective herbicides. When weeding is completed, the Contractor shall rake the shrub beds clear of all leaves and debris. 8. Tree Maintenance. Pruning. The only purposes for pruning the trees shall be to maintain proper pedestrian clearances and to remove suckers. The Contractor shall not make structural changes to the trees. The Contractor shall report the need for any additional pruning to the City's Contract Manager. Staking. The Contractor shall make minor staking repairs to all trees as required. Minor repairs shall include replacing or repairing ties, and refastening boards and braces. The Contractor shall report the need for more extensive repairs to the City's Contract Manager. 9. Miscellaneous Weed Control. The Contractor shall maintain all fence lines, light standard bases, tree wells, buildings, walls, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, asphalt berms, parking lots, signs structures, and equipment pads etc. in a weed free condition. All non- landscaped areas shall be weed free. Herbicides used for weed control must have prior approval from the City's Contract Manager. The contractor shall perform all annual weed abatement in late May or as required by the San Luis Obispo Fire Department. 10. Drinking Fountain Maintenance. The Contractor shall clean, scrub and disinfect all drinking fountains at the locations as specified for each Service Level. 11. Site Inspection and Reporting. Review entire site on each occasion that a site visit is made for any reason. Report any problems, including irrigation, damage, graffiti or user issues,the same day by email, or phone if immediate repairs are needed. SERVICE LEVELS Level 2: High Level Maintenance associated with well developed public areas, malls, government grounds. Walkway and Turf Maintenance: Perform all aspects of walkway and mowing and edging work of turf maintenance once every five working days. Aeration: Complete aeration routinely to maintain vigorous turf but not less then two times per year. Reseeding/sod: Reseed or install sod in bare spots for areas larger than 4 square feet. Fertilizer:Apply adequate fertilizer to ensure all plants are healthy and growing vigorously. Amount depends on species, length of growing season, soils and rainfall. Rates should correspond to at least the lowest recommended rates. Distribution should ensure an even supply of nutrients for the entire year. Trees, shrubs, turf and flowers should receive fertilizer levels to ensure optimum growth. Weed Control: Weed control practiced when weeds represent more than 5% of the turf area. Landscape Contract Maintenance—Specification 90897 Page 17 of 30 Cs-a- HLI.dC.:lllllCil 1. ' Litter Control: Complete all aspen' Litter Control, at minimum, 3-5 days per' `ak as needed so high use areas are clean. - ' Tree, Shrub and Groundcover Maintenance: Complete all aspects of tree, shrub and groundcover maintenance for health, safety, and to maintain a neat,well maintained appearance, and maintain walkway and other clearances. Sculpted hedges or high growth species may dictate a more frequent requirement than most trees and shrubs in natural growth plantings. Disease and Pest Control: Disease and pest control shall be performed as needed to prevent loss or disfiguration of vegetation. Surfaces:All surfaces are to be maintained in a clean condition. Surfaces are walkways, sidewalks, stairs,tops of planters, etc. Level 3 -Moderate level maintenance associated with locations that have moderate to low levels of development or visitation. Walkway and Turf Maintenance: Perform all aspects of Walkway Maintenance and mowing, edging and weed control work of Turf Maintenance every ten working days. Aeration: Complete aeration when turf vigor is low and prior to fertilization. Reseeding Lsod: Reseed or install sod in bare spots for areas larger than 25 square feet. Fertilizer:Apply fertilizer when turf vigor is low at a minimum complete a low level application once per year. Litter Control: Complete all aspects of Litter Control,at a minimum, once per week. High use may dictate higher levels during the warm season. Tree. Shrub and Groundcover Maintenance: Complete all aspects of tree, shrub and groundcover maintenance; Complete all aspects of Tree, Shrub and Groundcover Maintenance when required for health, safety, walkway clearance or reasonable appearance. Usually twice per year but in some species or locations may need pruning more frequently. Disease and Pest Control: Disease and Pest control shall be performed as needed to prevent loss of vegetation. Surfaces: Clean surfaces once per week. Level 4-Moderately low level maintenance associated with areas that have moderate to low levels of development or visitation. Turf.Maintenance: Low frequency mowing scheduled based on species. Low growing grasses may not be mowed. High grasses mat.receive periodic mowing. Walkway Maintenance: Complete all aspects of Walkway Maintenance at least once per month. Litter Control: Once per month. Complaints may increase level above one servicing. Pruning: Remove dead or damaged growth. No regular schedule. Disease and Pest Control: Disease and pest control shall be performed as needed to prevent loss of vegetation. Level 5-Minimum level maintenance. These areas will be cleaned or attended to when the City's Contract Manager notifies the Contractor to perform the work. Bid these areas on what it would cost to visit site one time to clean walkways, pick up litter, trim bushes, weed whip grasses and leave the area safe and sightly. Landscape Contract Maintenance—Specification 90897 Page 18 of 300 p CJ 1 Attachment;- ,- SITE DETAILS Sites with recycled water: • Los Osos Valley Road (LOVR) Islands at Diablo & Descanso • Calle Joaquin frontages Sites with no automatic irrigation system: • Planters on sidewalk in front of Post Office on Marsh St. Landscape Contract Maintenance-Specification 9080 Page 19 of 30