AWARD OF CONTRACT FOR

LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE

Recommendation:

It is recommended that the City Council:

1. Authorize the award of landscape maintenance contract to Landscape West of Anaheim for a period of three (3 ) years in the amount of $343,044.
2. Authorize the Mayor to execute and the City Clerk to attest the landscape maintenance contract subject to approval by the City Attorney.
3. Authorize the Director of Public Works to make minor changes as necessary within budget.

Background:

Specifications were prepared and request for bid notices were sent out to 55 landscape companies. In addition, staff advertised in the Easy Reader and the Green Sheet. A pre-bid meeting was attended by ten (10) interested companies. On May 21, 1998 three (3) bids were received.

The results were:

Company	City	Price
1.	Landscape West	Anaheim, CA	$343,044
2.	Bennett Landscaping	Harbor City, CA	$400,266
3.	Van Herrick's	Gardena, CA	$451,300

Analysis:

Landscape West is the apparent low bidder and their bid of $343,044 for three years of service is within staff's estimate for the work.

As you know, Landscape West (LW) is currently providing landscape maintenance services to the City on a month-to-month basis as a result the exportation of a six-year contract. Throughout the life of the contract staff has had to call LW attention to a number of occasions of work being below expectable standards. While both parties can attribute some of the problems to a misunderstanding of the scope of work, an ineffective field supervisor assigned to the work by LW may have caused the major problems.

Staff has met with representatives of LW and has express concern about the less than standard quality of work as well as their staffing practices. Consequently, they have recently assigned another area manager and field supervisors to the City. With this new arrangement coupled with a more defined scope of work, staff believes the problems will be resolved and staff is confident that the LW will meet our standards. Staff is going to monitor the work more diligently and will not approve substandard work for payment.

Fiscal Impact:

The first year cost of $107,340 has been budgeted for the FY 98-99 City Budget from the Administration/ Engineering/Parks Division of the General Fund (001-4202). Therefore, no additional appropriation is required.

Alternatives:

1. Approve staff recommendation. Award the contract to the lowest bidder, Landscape West. Execute contract and all necessary documents and return bid bonds to the unsuccessful bidders.
2. Award bid to the second low bidder.
3. Reject all bids and instruct staff to develop new specifications and send it out for bids.

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