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Home My WebLink About2013-09-10; City Council; 21369; Rejecting Bids Request for Proposals 14-01CITY OF CARLSBAD - AGENDA BILL 16 AB# MTG. DEPT. 21.369 09/10/2013 P&R CONSIDER REJECTING ALL BIDS FOR PARKS MAINTENANCE SERVICES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #14-01 AND DIRECTING STAFF TO UPDATE AND RE-ISSUE THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS DEPT.DIRECTOR CITYATTY. CITY MGR. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Adopt Resolution No. 2013-231 rejecting all bids for Parks Maintenance Services Request for Proposals #14-01 and directing staff to update and re-Issue the request for proposals. ITEM EXPLANATION: On July 24, 2012 the city council received a report on the parks and recreation department operational assessment conducted by the firm of Baker Tilly. This assessment was to be an Independent review ofthe department's lines of business - In terms of their costs, methods and quality of service. The focus of the assessment was on Identifying opportunities to provide the same high level of services at lower costs. The assessment included a finding that significant savings may be achieved by outsourcing parks maintenance services. The City Council directed staff to pursue obtaining proposals to outsource all parks maintenance services, and Initiate the meet and confer process with the Carlsbad City Employees' Association (CCEA). The meet and confer process between the city and the CCEA was subsequently initiated. On February 7, 2013, an agreement between these two entitles regarding outsourcing work was reached. Amongst other elements, the agreement required that two CCEA appointees be afforded the opportunity to meet - on at least two occasions - with city staff responsible for the development of the parks maintenance services request for proposals (RFP). The appointees were to be allowed to provide written feedback and suggestions on the development ofthe RFP. These obligations were fulfilled and the RFP was developed to the satisfaction ofthe CCEA appointees. On July 17, 2013, the parks maintenance services RFP was advertised for bid by administrative services staff, for a 35 day period. The RFP was broken in to five specific work categories that define current service levels: Trees Maintenance; Community Parks and School Athletic Fields; Passive Parks and Facilities Landscapes; Streetscapes, Medians and Parkways; and Undeveloped Parks, Urban Forests, and Trails Maintenance. Potential contractors had the ability to bid on any or all of the of work categories. On August 7, 2013, a mandatory pre-bid meeting was held by parks and recreation staff. Nine potential bidders attended this meeting. The RFP was thoroughly reviewed, including: introduction/background; minimum qualifications/licensing; general requirements; scope of work categories; legal and contractual guidelines; submittal process, special considerations, and schedule. DEPARTMENT CONTACT: Kyle Lancaster 760-434-2941, Kyle.Lancaster@carlsbadca.gov FOR CLERK USE. M COUNCIL ACTION: APPROVED M CONTINUED TO DATE SPECIFIC • DENIED • CONTINUEDTO DATE UNKNOWN • CONTINUED • RETURNED TO STAFF • WITHDRAWN • OTHER - SEE MINUTES • AMENDED • REPORT RECEIVED • Page 2 No questions were received from the potential bidders at the time ofthe pre-bid meeting. As part of the RFP process, 24 written questions were later received from the potential bidders. On August 15, 2013, those questions, and the corresponding answers, were posted to the city's e:bid board. On August 22, 2013, four sealed contractor bids were opened by administrative services staff. None of the four contractors bid on all five of the work categories. As required by the terms of the RFP, contractors were directed to submit bids that Included both prevailing and non-prevailing wage. The four contractor bids are reflected below. Prevailins Wase Trees Maintenance Community Parks & School Athletic Fields Maintenance Passive Parks & Facilities Landscapes Maintenance Streetscapes, Medians, & Parkways Maintenance Undeveloped Park Sites, Urban Forests, & Trails Maintenance Lincoln Training Center $1,360,800.64 $1,014,849.98 $1,026,900.28 West Coast Arborists, Inc. $502,125.00 Westem Gardens Landscaping, Inc. $679,800.00 $435,840.00 Westturf Landscape Management, Inc. $298,344.00 $554,259.00 Non-Prevailins Wase Trees Maintenance Community Parks & School Athletic Fields Maintenance Passive Parks & Facilities Landscapes Maintenance Streetscapes, Medians, & Parkways Maintenance Undeveloped Park Sites, Urban Forests, & Trails Maintenance Lincoln Training Center $801,818.72 $614,948.10 $753,332.06 West Coast Arborists, Inc. $524,920.00 Westem Gardens Landscaping, Inc. $587,520.00 $393,440.00 Westturf Landscape Management, Inc. $279,368.00 $504,346.88 Staff reviewed all ofthe bids, and recommends that city council find the bids of Lincoln Training Center and Western Gardens Landscaping, Inc. non-responsive, in thatthe RFP's minimum contractor qualifications were not met. Specifically, Section 5 - Proposal Requirements, Minimum Contractor Qualifications, indicates: Page 3 1. CONTRACTOR is required to have a minimum of five (5) years in business performing commercial maintenance services ofa size and scope similar to the individual category or city-wide scope of parks maintenance services required in CITY. CONTRACTOR should have at least three (3) similar and separate California municipal multi-year maintenance contracts which have been successfully performed within the last seven (7) years. Each CONTRACT shall be of comparable size and scope ofthis project (descriptions of these comparable projects and contact persons must be provided with bid submission). The Lincoln Training Center bid indicates the contractor has only two years of experience providing parks maintenance services. In addition, the bid indicates the contractor has not recently performed any municipal parks maintenance services similar to those described In the RFP. The Western Gardens bid indicates the contractor has twenty-nine years of experience providing commercial landscape maintenance services (Including for municipal parks). However, the bid also indicates the contractor has only four recent landscape maintenance services contracts with two municipalities - all of which were for site limited construction projects, and ranged from only three months to twenty-eight months. Taking Into account that non-responsive bids are not further evaluated, staff does not have comparative bids for a best value analysis In any ofthe RFP's five work categories. Three ofthe work categories (I.e., Trees Maintenance; Passive Parks and Facilities Landscapes; Streetscapes, Medians and Parkways) have only one responsive bid, and two ofthe work categories (i.e.. Community Parks and School Athletic Fields; Undeveloped Parks, Urban Forests, and Trails Maintenance) have no responsive bids. West Coast Arborists, Inc. submitted a responsive bid on the Trees Maintenance work category. West Coast Arborists, Inc. is currently under a trees maintenance services contract with the city, which is scheduled to expire In December 2015. The total unit pricing In the current contract with West Coast Arborists, Inc. Is approximately 5.8 percent lower than the total unit pricing in this RFP bid submittal. Westturf Landscape Management, Inc. submitted a responsive bid on the Passive Parks and FaciUties Landscapes work category, and the Streetscapes, Medians and Parkways work category. Westturf Landscape Management, Inc. Is currently under a parks and facilities landscapes maintenance services contract with the city, which is scheduled to expire in June 2014. The total unit pricing in the current contract with Westturf Landscape Management, Inc. is approximately 2.5 percent lower than the total unit pricing in this RFP bid submittal. Considering the above information, staff is recommending city council reject all bids for Parks Maintenance Services Request for Proposals #14-01, and direct staff to update and re-Issue the RFP. Based on the limited number of bids submitted, staff is unable to conduct a thorough best value analysis to determine If substantial savings can be realized by outsourcing any or all of the parks maintenance categories as defined in the RFP. Another factor contributing to this recommendation is staff's belief that there are more interested bidders than those that actually submitted bids in response to the RFP. Staff is therefore recommending that the RFP be updated and re-Issued for a 60-day advertisement period. Page 4 In addition, staff is proposing to conduct an optional staff led tour (to be conducted at the end of the mandatory pre-bid meeting) of representative sites from each ofthe work categories within the RFP. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no direct fiscal impact to the city associated with the recommended action. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21065, this action does not constitute a "project" within the meaning of CEQA in that it has no potential tb cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change In the environment, and therefore does not require environmental review. EXHIBITS: 1. Resolution No. 2013-231 rejecting all bids for parks maintenance services RFP # 14-01 and directing staff to update and re-Issue the RFP I RESOLUTION NO. 2013-231 2 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, REJECTING ALL BIDS FOR PARKS MAINTENANCE SERVICES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #14-01 AND DIRECTING 4 STAFF TO UPDATE AND RE-ISSUE THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS 5 ^1 WHEREAS, on July 24, 2012 the city council received a report on the parks and 6 y recreation department operational assessment conducted by the firm of Baker Tilly; and 8 WHEREAS, the assessment Included a finding that significant savings may be achieved by ^ outsourcing parks maintenance services; and WHEREAS, the council directed staff to pursue obtaining proposals to outsource all II parks maintenance services, and initiate the meet and confer process with the Carlsbad City 12 Employees' Association (CCEA); and j4 WHEREAS, on February 7, 2013, an agreement between the city and the CCEA regarding 15 outsourcing work was reached; and WHEREAS, the obligations under this agreement were fulfilled and the parks 17 maintenance services request for proposals (RFP) was developed to the satisfaction ofthe CCEA 18 appointees; and 19 WHEREAS, on July 17, 2013, the RFP was advertised for bid by administrative services 21 staff; and 22 WHEREAS, the RFP was broken Into five specific work categories that define current service levels and potential contractors had the ability to bid on any or all ofthe categories; and WHEREAS, on August 7, 2013, a mandatory pre-bid meeting was held by parks and recreation staff and attended by nine potential bidders; and 23 24 25 26 27 28 4 I WHEREAS, on August 22, 2013, the sealed bids of four contractors were opened by ^ administrative services staff; and 3 WHEREAS, none ofthe four contractors bid on all five scope of work categories; and 4 WHEREAS, staff reviewed all of the bids, and recommends that the bids of Lincoln 5 , Training Center and Western Gardens Landscaping, Inc. be found to be non-responsive; and 6 7 WHEREAS, consequently staff does not have comparative bids for a best value analysis 8 in any of the RFP's five work categories; and ^ WHEREAS, West Coast Arborists, Inc. submitted a responsive bid on the Trees Maintenance category, and is under a trees maintenance services contract with the city; and WHEREAS, the total unit pricing In the current contract with West Coast Arborists, Inc. is lower than the total unit pricing in this RFP bid submittal; and 10 II 12 13 14 WHEREAS, Westturf Landscape Management, Inc. submitted a responsive bid on the 15 Passive Parks and Facilities Landscapes category, and the Streetscapes, Medians and Parkways category, and Is under a parks and facilities landscapes maintenance services contract with the 17 city; and 18 WHEREAS, the total unit pricing In the current contract with Westturf Landscape 19 2Q Management, Inc. is lower than the total unit pricing in this RFP bid submittal; and 21 WHEREAS, staff is unable to conduct a thorough best value analysis to determine If substantial savings can be realized by outsourcing any or all parks maintenance services; and 23 WHEREAS, staff believes that updating the RFP and re-issuing it for a 60-day 24 advertisement period may provide for additional bids; and 25 26 27 28 1 WHEREAS, staff recommends city council reject all bids for Parks Maintenance Services Request for Proposals #14-01, and direct staff to update and re-Issue the RFP. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, as follows that: 1. The above recitations are true and correct. 3 4 5 6 7 2. The bids of Lincoln Training Center and Western Gardens are found to be non- responsive for failure to meet the minimum experience requirements. 3. All bids for Parks Maintenance Services Request for Proposals #14-01 are hereby rejected. 8 9 10 II 12 4, Staff is directed to update and re-Issue the RFP for a 60-day advertisement 13 period 14 15 16 17 18 21 22 23 24 25 // // // // 19 // 20 // // // // // 26 // 27 28 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting ofthe City Council ofthe City of Carlsbad on the lO**' day of September, 2013, by the following vote to wit: AYES: NOES: Council Members Hall, Packard, Wood, Blackburn and Douglas. None. ABSENT: None. MATT HALL, Mayor ATTEST: BARBARA ENGLESON }>i;A SBAo Parks Maintenance RFP# 14-01 Chris Hazeltine, Parks and Recreation Director September 10, 2013 Background •On July 17, 2013, RFP was advertised for bid for 35 days. •Nine contractors attended mandatory pre-bid meeting. •Contractors had ability to bid on any or all of the RFP’s five work categories. •On August 22, 2013 four bids received. Bid Status •Two bids were found to be non-responsive. •One responsive bid in three of the work categories; no responsive bids in two of the work categories. Staff Findings •Unable to determine if substantial savings can be realized by outsourcing parks maintenance categories. •Staff recommends that the RFP be updated and re-issued. Recommended Action •Adopt Resolution No. 2013-231 rejecting all bids for Parks Maintenance Services Request for Proposals #14-01 and directing staff to update and re-issue the request for proposals.