HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-09-15 City Council (22)City of Palo Alto
C ty Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: Community Services
AGENDA DATE:
SUBJECT:
September 15, 1997 CMR: 378:97
LANDSCAPE AND TENNIS COURT MAINTENANCE
REQUEST
Staff requests that Council approve and authorize the Mayor to emer the option year of a
contract with Gachina Landscape Management and Four Seasons Landscape Maintenance, Inc.
for landscape maintenance services at City facilities. Staff also requests that Council approve
and authorize the Mayor to enter the option year of a contract with Zongar Johnson
Construction for tennis court cleaning services.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that Council:
Authorize the Mayor to enter the option year of a contract with Gachina Landscape
Management for $154,307; and Four Seasons Landscape Maintenance in the amount of
$79,456 for landscape maintenance services, both commencing on July 1, 1997 and
ending on June 30, 1998; and for Zongar Johnson Construction for $9,993 for tennis
court cleaning services commencing on July 1, 1997 and ending on June 30, 1998.
Authorize the City Manager or her designee, to negotiate and execute one or more
change orders to the existing contracts to cover unforeseen work that may develop. The
value of these change orders will not exceed $15,084 for Gachina Landscape
Management; $7,767 for Four Seasons Landscape and Maintenance; and $999 for
Zongar Johnson Construction.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This recommendation does not represent any change to existing City policies.
CMR:378:97 Page 1 of 3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On September 11, 1995 (CMR:389.95), Council approved contracts with Gachina Landscape
Management, Four Seasons Landscape and Maintenance and Zongar Johnson Construction to
provide specific landscape maintenance services and tennis court cleaning services. Included
in the contracts was an option year to continue services. The option year is open to negotiation
on cost of the renewal contracts, and is based upon the quality of the contractor’s work and
response to the City’s needs. The areas covered include fire stations, libraries, utility
substations, City Hall, Cultural Center, various park sites such as Johnson, Bowden, Robles,
Briones, Boulware, Scott, Cogswell, and E1 Palo Alto parks; tennis courts at Hoover, Mitchell,
Peers, Rinconada, Terman and Weisshaar parks; and median strips and roadside strips,
including Alma Street, Embarcadero Road, Page Mill Road and Oregon Expressway, University
Avenue tree wells, islands and underpass, E1 Camino islands, and University, Midtown, and
California parking lots.
The requirements of the bid contracts allowed for no-cost increases during the initial twenty-one
month term of the contract. By mutual consent of the parties, the contract may be renewed for
an additional option year commencing on July 1, 1997 and terminating on June 30, 1998.
During the past twenty-one months, Four Seasons Landscape, Gachina Landscape Management,
and Zongar Johnson Construction have been very good contractors with which to work. All
contractors have performed well, and are responsive, capable and cooperative.
The conditions that determined the City’s willingness to renew the contracts are as follows:
°
The City and contractors agreed to a 2.3 percent cost increase for contract renewals
commencing July 1, 1997 and ending June 30, 1998.
The City determined that the contractor’s quality of work and response to City’s needs
were adequate.
The costs of rebidding will exceed the nominal one-year cost increase.
Staffhas checked with the State Contractor’s Licensing Board and National Labor Relations
Board and found the licenses of all three contracotrs to be current, active and free of claims.
FISCAL IMPACT
On an annual basis the new contract results in an additional $4,492 in expenses. These funds
were approved in the 1997-1998 Interim Budget process.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
The project is categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
CMR:378:97 Page 2 of 3
ATTACHMENTS
Contract extension acceptance letters
CMR:389:95
PREPARED BY: Donald Piana, Parks Superintendent
DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW"
PAUL THIILTGEN
Director of Community Services
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
EM~Y HARRISON
Assistant City Manager
CMR:378:97 Page 3 of 3
Cityof Palo Alto
Department of Community Services
May 8, 1997
Parks &Golf Division
Gachina Landscape Management, Inc.
1 f30 O’Brien
Menlo Park, California 94025
Dear Mr. Gachina:
Your current contract #C6082539 with the City of Palo Alto for Landscape Maintenance
Services expires June 30, 1997. As you know, the contract also allows us to extend the
term of the contract for an additional year starting July 1, 1997 and terminating June 30,
1998 by mutual consent of both parties.
Per our conversation on July 8, 1997, the City of Palo Alto will extend your contract for
an additional year and will give you a 2.3% cost of living increase. We will also allow
you to use our landfill for work you are doing for this contract.
If you are in full agreement with the above conditions for contract extention on
C6082539, please sign below and return.
Sincerely,
Donald Piana
Park Superintendent
Contractor Si
Munidpal Service Center
3201 East BayshoreRoad, Building A
PaloAlto, CA94303
415.329.2650
Qtyof PaloAlto
May 8, 1997
FourSeasons Landscape Maintenance, Inc.
95.1 Edgewater Boulevard
Building A, Suite 200
Foster City, California 94404-3760
Dear Mr, Marantes:
Your current contract #(26082556 with the City of Pa!o Alto for Landscape Maintenance
Services expires lune 30, 1997. As you know, the contract also allows us to ¢xa~ad the
term ofthe co~tra~t for an additional y~ar starting July !, 1997 and tcrmlnating June 30,
1998 by mutual consent of both partios.
Per our conversation on laly 8, 1997, the City of Palo Alto will extend your contract for
an additional y~ar and will give you a 2.3% cost of living increase. We ~ill also allow
you to use our landf’K! for work you are doing for this eontraoL
If you are ,in ~td agrezment with the above condition~ for ~:ontraet extention on
C6082556, please sign below and return.
Donald Piana
Park Superintendent
Contractor Si
MA¥-28-97 WEB 1:27 PM 5104622881 P. 2
II/18/I~94 18:17 4@87208858 ZelqC~R JOF~N Cel’~T
Pcr ou, cor.\’cr~6on on July g, 19¢L the City of Palo Alto will =~tcnd your onllract
an add~ti,,’,,,=! v~r and will glve ,’you "2.3% cost of living increase. W~ will also allow
you r..~, ,- .:~r landfiil for work yon are dola~, for this contract. ..
lr you are m fidl ag¢¢omeat with the above ondition~ for contract extenlio~ on’
C.60,~~ .~, ~. ":lease sign b¢low an~ return.
P 1
of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
4
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: Community Services
AGENDA DATE: September 11, 1995 CMR: 389:95
SUBJECT:Award of Contracts to Four Seasons Landscape Maintenance and
Gachina Landscape Management for Landscape Maintenance
Services; and Award of Contract to Zongar Johnson Construction for
Tennis Court Cleaning Services
REQUEST
This report requests that Council approve and authorize the Mayor to,
execute contracts with Four Seasons Landscape ~d Gachina Landscape M .anagement for
landscaping services; and with Zongar Johnson Construction for tennis court cleaning services.
RECOMMENDATIONS .
Staff recommends that Council:
D
Authorize the Mayor to execute the attached 21 month contracts with Four Seasons
Landscape Maintenance in the amount of $95,916; and Gachina Landscape Management in
the amount of$ i 84,900, for landscape services co .rnmencing on October 1, 1995.
Author’ize the City Manager or her designee to negotiate and execute one or more change
¯ orders to the contracts to cover Unforeseen work that may develop. The value of these
change orders shall not exceed $9,592 for Four Seasons Landscape and $18,490 for Gachina
Landscape Management maintenance work for the 21 month period.
Authorize the Mayor to execute the attached 21 month contractwith Zongar Johnson
Construction in the amount of $19,488 for tennis court cleaning commencing on October
1, 1995.
CMR:389:95 Page 1 of 5
o Authorize the City Manager or her designee to negotiate one or more change orders to the
contract with Zongar Johnson Construction to cover additionally related, but unforeseen
work, that may develop. The value of these change orders shall not exceed $1,948 for the
21 month period.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
If Council approves staff’s recommendations for funding of these agreements, there are no
policy implications. If Council chooses not to fund the additional costs for these services, a
policy decision regarding reducing the level of services will be required.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARy
The Parks and Golf Division contracts for specific landscape maintenance services and tennis
court cleaning services. The areas include City facilities such as fire stations, libraries, Rhona
Williams House, Albert Schultz Center, Ventura School and Boulware, Bowden, Cogswell, El
Palo Alto, Johnson, Scott parks; fifteen utility substations; and tennis courts at Hoover,
-Mitchell, Peers, Rinconada, Terman, and Weisshaar Parks. The Public Works Department
contracts maintenance of median and roadside strips (right-of-way areas), including Alma
Street, Embarcadei’o Road, Page Mill Road and Oregon Expressway, University Avenue tree
wells, islands and underpass’, El Camino islands, and University, Midtown, and California
parking lots. The requirements of the bid agreements allow for no-cost increases during the
two-year term of the agreement. The third year is an option year, open to negotiations on cost
or if that fails, a new competitive bid process will be held.
BID PROCESS
A competitive bid process was initiated in May 1995, for a two-year agreement for services.
Bids were solicited fi’om nine qua!ified contractors. A mandatory prebid meeting was held on
May 2,1995, with nine contractors attending. A three-week bidding period toexamine sites and
develop bids Was allotted to the contractors. A bid opening was held on May 16, 1995. Only
two contractors responded with bids, one of which was disqualified due to lack of a
contractor’s license. After careful analysis, staff recommended rejection of all bids due to the
lack of competitive bidding (Reference CMR 297:95). Interim short form contracts were
negotiated with the current contractors, John Shooter, I.nc~ and Four Seasons Landscape and
Maintenance, for a three.~month period with a 2.7 percent increase. During the interim time
staffhas undertaken a rebid process.
CMR:389:95 Page 2 of 5
A rebid process was initiated with a prebid meeting held on July 6,1995. A bid opening was
held on July 18, 1995. Since most of the contractors had received the bid packages previously,
City legal staff determined that an extensive rebidding period would not be necessary.
Qualified contractors on the city bid list were notified of the rebid process. Nine contractors
who-expressed interest in bidding were dis~ibuted bid packages at the mandatory prebid
meeting held July 6, 1995. There were no changes incorporated into the bid requirements. Four
contractors responded to the bid process; five contractors chose not to bid and their comments
are included in the following chart.
Company.
Lone Star Landscape
Blossom Valley Landscaping
Cagwin & Dorward
Diablo Landscaping
EnviroScapes
Zongar Johnson Construction
Gachina Landscape
John Shooter Inc.
Four Seasons Landscape and
Maintenance
. Mandatory Prebid
Attended
Attended
Attended
Attended
Attended
Attended
Attended
Attended
Attended
Comments
Too busy, family illness
Submitted letter n0-bid
Too busy
Bonding problem
Bonding problem
Submitted bid, but. only for
tennis court maintenance
only:
Submitted bid
Submitted bid
Submitted bid
BID EVALUATION
Staff evaluated the bid responses using the following criteria:
Ability of the contractor to conform to specifications;
o Previous experience and record of satisfactory performance;
Ability to supply the necessary personnel, resources, expertise, equipment, supplies
and materials to meet all contract requirements;.
CMR:389:95 Page 3 of 5
o Accuracy ofthebid;
The lowest responsible bidder whose bid meets the requirements set forth in the bid
document.
Staff believes that the prices quoted on the four bids received are reasonable, and compare
favorably with staffs estimate of the costs and hours proposed by the contractors. Staff also
believes that rebidding this contract would result in substantial additional administrative cost
and would not result in either additional bids or reduced costs.
DIVIDING BIDS
As demands for contractual services for landscape maintenance services have increased, staff
has chosen to award multiple contracts into areas or sections, wherever it is productive,
economically feasible, and manageable for the City to do so. This has proven beneficial to
the City as contractors are apt to bid, if they know that there are more eligible competitors.
Also, if more than one contractor is available, staff is better prepared to address needs should
a contractor be dismissed due to lack of performance (this occurred during the last contract
term as the Parks and Golf Division dismissed a contractor due to not conforming to
specifications).
The Landscape Maintenance bid specifications are divided into six sections, A thru F as
shown on Attachment "A", plus tennis court c.leaning. The lowest responsible bidders were
chosen in each section in accordance with awards and aRer an analysis of Schedule "A,"
Landscape Bid Summary Sheet. Sections C and D, Parks and Schools were combined due
to the similarity of work and to effectively reduce supervision requirements. Tennis court
cleaning was awarded to the lowest bidder for water brooming. There were no substantial
changes to the bid specifications from prior years.
As a result of the competitive bid process, costs have increased for contract maintenance
services on median and roadside strips, urban park sites and utility sub-stations and well
sites, and tennis court cleaning. There is a slight decrease in cost for business district parking
lots and miscellaneous sites.
Four Seasons Landscape, Gaehina Landscape Management, and Zongar Johnson
Construction have been very good contractors to work with. They have performed well, and
have been responsive, capable and cooperative. Staff has checked with the State Contractors
Licensing Board and National Labor Relations Board and found their licenses to be current,
active and free of claims.
The total bid amounts are shown on the attached bid summary Exhibit "A."
CMR:389:95 Page 4 of 5
OPTIONS
Council can pursue the following options:
1. Approve the lowest responsible bids as requested.
2. Direct staffto reduce service levels and rebjd for services.
IMPACT: this would be an administrative burden and very expensive and time-
consuming, and would result in lowered levels of services. Fewer bidders go through the
necessary site and bid reviews a third time.
FISCAL IMPACT
On an annual basis the new contract results an additional $19,515 in expenses..These funds
will be requested in the 1996-97 budget process. The additional $4,996 in expenses for fiscal
year 1995-96 will be absorbed out of the contingency funds allocated for these services.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
The project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
underSec.tion 15302 of the CEQA Guidelines.
Prepared By:Don Piana, Parks and Golf Division
Department Head Review:
PAUL THILTGEN
Director of Community Services
City Manager Approval:
ATTACHMENTS/EXHIBITS
Exhibit "A": Bid Summary
Exhibit "B": Contracts
Manager
CMR:389:95 Page 5 of 5
00700 GENERAL PROVISIONS
Contractor employees shall wear company uniforms which consist
of long pants and shirts with company name and individuals
name on the shirt. Rain gear, rain boots, safety shoes, and
safety glasses will be utilized by the contractor’s staff when
needed. A clean, neat professional appearance shall be
exhibited by all contracted employees while on the site.
Contractors equipment and vehicles shall also be professional
in appearance, exhibit the company name,and be well
maintained for safe operation.
Exclusions:
The City shall pay for execution of projects excluded from the
normal cost of landscape maintenance, which shall be
identified by the City of Palo alto Parks and Golf Division.
The Parks and Golf Division is responsible forrepairs and
-corrections to problems caused by natural wear and tear,
natural Calamities, vehicle accidents by non-contractor
personnel, and other causes beyond the responsibility of the
City. Any and all other exclusions agreed upon by both the
City and the contractor shall be indicated in writingand made
part of this agreement.
DEFINITIONS
Responsible parties referred to as City of Palo Alto are
deemed to refer to the Parks and Golf Divisions Project
Manager, Parks Superintendent, or Director of Parks.and Golf.
The Contractor shall begin work after receiving written no~ice
to proceed from the ParksISuperintendent.
TERM OF COk~RACT’
The services to be performed under this agreement Shall
.commence July I, 1995 and shall be completed by June 30, 1997
subject to the appropriation by the Palo Alto City Council of
sufficient funds for the contract during each City fiscal year
of the term.
The Contractor shall not increase the base bid price of the
contract during the second year of the term hereof. The ’bid
prices shall remain firm during the .sec.ond year of this
contract. This contract shall terminate on June 30, 1997.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, this contract may be .renewed
for a third year by mutual consent of the parties hereto. The
conditions which will determine the City’s willingness to
renew £he contract are as follows:
Proposed cost of renewal contract
Qualityof Contractor’s.work during the p~st two years.
Contractor’s response to the City’s needs during the past
two years.
SECTION 00700-4