City of Culver City, California
Redevelopment Agency Agenda Item Report
Page 1 of 4
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Culver City Redevelopment Agency (“The Agency”) approve
a contract for two years with Merchants Landscape Services, Inc., for landscape
maintenance services for Agency owned properties, at a cost not-to-exceed
$140,300.
BACKGROUND:
The Agency has contracted for landscape maintenance services to maintain the
various properties it has acquired. On December 19, 2005, the Agency awarded an
extension to a contract with Proscape Landscape to continue servicing Agency
properties until July 2007. With the expiration of the contract, staff solicited four
firms to submit proposals for a new two-year contract. Proposals were due by
September 25 2007. Two firms responded to the Request for Proposal.
Subsequent to the proposal deadline, each firm submitted a revised proposal.
Proscape has also performed work under contract to the City of Culver City.
DISCUSSION:
Attachment No. 1 to the staff report is the scope of work required to maintain 13
specified properties. The list of properties to be maintained currently is in
Attachment No. 2. The number of properties to be maintained during the course of
the contract can vary as the Agency buys or sells various parcels. For that reason,
the total dollar value of the contract exceeds the sum of the proposed monthly fee
for the two year period. In other words, an allowance is requested to cover the cost
Meeting Date: 11/05/07 Item Number: A-1
AGENDA ITEM: Consideration of Award of Landscape Maintenance Contract for
Redevelopment Agency Owned Properties.
Contact Person/Dept.: John Fisanotti Phone Number: (310) 253-5767
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: All responding landscape maintenance contractors (10/22/07) and
Master Notification List (10/31/07).
Department Approval:
Sol Blumenfeld (11/1/07)
Executive Director Approval:
Jerry B. Fulwood (10/31/07)
Fiscal Impact Approval:
Marlee Chang (by N. Kimball)(10/31/07)
City of Culver City, California
Redevelopment Agency Agenda Item Report
Page 2 of 4
of additional properties which may be added to the Scope of Work during the term of
the contract. Of course, as a property is sold, it is removed from the Scope of Work
which results in a cost reduction.
By the September 25, 2007 deadline the two proposals which were received
indicated the following monthly costs to maintain the 13 specified properties:
M o n t h l y C o s t
Company First Year Second Year
Proscape Landscape $5,073.00 $5,326.65
Merchants Landscape $3,762.00 $3,913.00
Each company was allowed to submit a revised proposal and by October 11, 2007,
revised proposals were received from each company with the following results:
M o n t h l y C o s t
Company First Year Second Year
Proscape Landscape $3,998.00 $4,197.90
Merchants Landscape $4,457.00 $4,536.00
The results of the revised proposals reversed the results of the original proposals.
Last summer, (June 25, July 2 and July 16. 2007) the Culver City City Council heard
public comment consisting largely of complaints regarding the poor performance of
Proscape in maintaining property within certain landscape maintenance districts
within the City. After taking into account cost and Proscape’s past performance
staff’s recommendation is to go in a new direction and recommend a contract with
Merchants. Although the proposal by Merchants is more costly, it amounts to
approximately $5,508 more in the first year and $4,056 more in the second year. If it
buys better service, then the additional money will provide better value.
The sum of the monthly maintenance cost based upon the revised proposals and the
current list of 13 properties is as follows:
Company Office Location Sum of Monthly Cost
for 24 months
Merchants
Landscape
Services, Inc.
Sun Valley, CA $107,916.00
Proscape
Landscape
Signal Hill, CA $98,350.80
City of Culver City, California
Redevelopment Agency Agenda Item Report
Page 3 of 4
The sum of monthly cost for 24 months listed in the table is the sum of the monthly
fee in the first year multiplied 12 times, plus the sum of the monthly fee in the second
year multiplied 12 times. The recommended not-to-exceed total value for the
contract adds another 30% to cover the expense of new properties added to the
Scope of Work as the need occurs, or for non-routine, as needed service. For
example, none of the properties in the Washington/National area which the Agency
is acquiring are currently in need of landscape maintenance services and are not
included in the monthly cost. If needs or conditions change, then some or all may be
added to the Scope of Service and the monthly expense will rise. Therefore, it is
practical to have a cushion in the contract amount because of the need to be
flexible.
Closely related to landscape maintenance is the larger issue of overall property
management. Over the years, responsibility for management of the Agency owned
property has shifted from the Real Estate Coordinator to the Economic Development
Administrator. Today, neither position exists so staff is working to hire a person
dedicated to this task. A Request for Proposal for property management services is
under preparation and staff will soon be requesting Agency authority to solicit for
these services. In the meantime, the property management function has been
carried out by a combination of temporary contract employees and existing Agency
staff. Staff is committed to making bi-weekly visits to all Agency properties in order
to attend to maintenance and security issues as quickly as possible.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The total proposed agreement not-to-exceed $140,300 is for a two-year term (i.e.
approximately $70,150 per year). Landscape services at Agency-owned properties
is a regularly budgeted item and sufficient funds have been included in the adopted
2007-08 and approved 2008-09 Redevelopment Agency Budget (Account No.
55091000.619800) for this service contract.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Scope of Work.
2. List of Properties
3. Cost Proposals Received.
City of Culver City, California
Redevelopment Agency Agenda Item Report
Page 4 of 4
MOTION:
That the Culver City Redevelopment Agency:
1. Approve a two-year contract with Merchants Landscape Services, Inc., for
landscape maintenance services, in a form approved by Agency General
Counsel, at monthly cost of $4,457 for the 13 properties currently specified in
the Scope of Work in the first year, and $4,536 for the same Scope of Work in
the second year, with a two-year total, not-to-exceed cost of $140,300.00;
and
2. Authorize the Agency General Counsel to review/prepare the necessary
documents and authorize the Executive Director to execute those documents
on behalf of the Agency; and
3. Authorize the Executive Director to modify the Scope of Service as properties
and needs change subject to the total maximum compensation.