BOARD MEETING DATE: November 3, 2006
AGENDA NO. 2

Execute Contract for Landscape Maintenance at Diamond Bar
Headquarters

SYNOPSIS:

The current contract for Diamond Bar headquarters landscape maintenance expires December 31, 2006.  On July 14, 2006, the Board approved release of an RFP to solicit proposals from firms interested in providing this service for the next three-year period.  This action is to execute a contract with Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc., through December 31, 2009, for a three-year amount not to exceed $114,800.  The cost for this fiscal year is $19,918, which is available in the FY 2006-07 Budget.

COMMITTEE:

Administrative, October 13, 2006, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Chairman of the Board to execute a three-year contract with Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc., for an amount not to exceed $114,800.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

AQMD contracts with a landscape maintenance firm to provide routine landscape maintenance and tree trimming services at the Diamond Bar headquarters.  The current contract expires December 31, 2006.  On July 14, 2006, the Board approved release of an RFP to solicit proposals from landscape maintenance firms interested in providing these services for the next three-year period.

Those responding to the RFP were asked to bid on both landscape maintenance and tree-trimming services.  In addition to these routine services, AQMD typically has unanticipated landscape-related repairs and replacements that, based on past experience, cost approximately 25% of the routine maintenance cost.  These unanticipated costs result from such things as weather-related damage to plants and landscaped areas, loss of existing plantings, and sprinkler equipment repairs and replacements.  Since it is difficult to project what these non-routine costs might be, the contract amount includes the three-year cost as submitted by the contractor for routine landscape maintenance and tree-trimming services, plus an additional approximately 25% of the routine maintenance cost as a contingency to cover unanticipated landscape-related repairs and replacements.

Outreach

In accordance with AQMD’s Procurement Policy and Procedure, a public notice advertising the RFP and inviting bids was published in the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register, the San Bernardino Sun, and Riverside County Press Enterprise newspapers to leverage the most cost-effective method of outreach to the entire South Coast Basin.

Additionally, potential bidders may have been notified utilizing AQMD’s own electronic listing of certified minority vendors.  Notice of the RFP was mailed to the Black and Latino Legislative Caucuses and various minority chambers of commerce and business associations, the State of California Contracts Register website, and placed on the Internet at AQMD’s Web site (http://www.aqmd.gov/ where it can be viewed by making menu selections “Inside AQMD”/“Employment and Business Opportunities”/“Business Opportunities” or by going directly to http://www.aqmd.gov/rfp/index.html).  Information is also available on AQMD’s bidder’s 24-hour telephone message line (909) 396-2724.

Bid Evaluation

One hundred six copies of the RFP were mailed out, and nine vendors attended the mandatory bidders' conference on July 27, 2006.  Four responsive bids were received when final bidding closed at 2:00 p.m., August 18, 2006.

The evaluation panel included a Director of Community Services with City of Diamond Bar and three AQMD employees—a Building Maintenance Manager, a Building Maintenance Supervisor, and a Facilities Services Technician.  Of these panel members, one is Asian/Pacific Islander, two are Caucasian, and one is Hispanic; one is female and three are male.

Evaluation of the four proposals was based on criteria specified in the RFP, which included cost, understanding of requirements, contractor qualifications, and references regarding past work experience.  The attached summary lists responsive bidders and their scores.  Staff recommends the contract be awarded to Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc., the firm that submitted both the lowest-cost and the highest-rated bid.

Resource Impacts

Annual costs, which vary according to the tree-trimming schedule, are $19,918 for the remainder of the current fiscal year, $36,162 for FY 2007-08, $30,990 for FY 2008-09, and $11,071 for FY 2009-10.  Sufficient funds are available in the approved FY 2006-07 Budget for the remainder of this fiscal year and funding will be included in budgets for each of the remaining fiscal years of the contract.

Attachment

Landscape Maintenance Proposal Evaluation Summary
 

LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE
PROPOSAL EVALUATION SUMMARY