Approval is requested for the award of two-year contracts to TruGreen LandCare of Santa Clara and Environmental Care, Inc., of San Jose (with option to extend the contracts for two additional one-year periods) to provide landscape maintenance services for the Department of Public Works Trees and Landscaping Division.

For a number of years, the Department of Public Works has outsourced landscape maintenance services at a variety of City sites, including the Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP), Landfill, twelve water plants, five Hetch-Hetchy water connections, and six fire stations.

The current contracts were awarded by Council on January 15, 1998, and will expire on March 31, 2000.

Historically, because of variations in specifications, the WPCP and Landfill sites were bundled into one Invitation for Bids; and the water plants, Hetch-Hetchy connections, and fire stations were bundled into another. This year, however, in order to reduce the cost of bidding, specifications were developed by Public Works and Purchasing staff and combined into one comprehensive Invitation for Bids. The WPCP and Landfill were bundled into Bid Item 1, and the remaining sites were bundled into Bid Item 2 (with the option to split the award if it made fiscal sense to do so).

Invitation for Bids #F9901-49 was advertised on the Internet and directly distributed to eight local landscape maintenance contractors who specialize in large, commercial accounts.

Three bids were received:

Staff recommends awarding a contract to the low bidder for each bid item: TruGreen LandCare for Bid Item 1 and Environmental Care, Inc., for Bid Item 2.

Total cost to the City for both two-year contracts will not exceed $199,480.

Bid Item 1 – Water Pollution Control Plant and Landfill

Landscape maintenance services for two years $91,200

Contingency for additional work or tree pruning $15,000 as authorized by Public Works staff

Subtotal $106,200

Bid Item 2 – Water Plants, Hetch-Hetchy Connections and Fire Stations

Landscape maintenance services for two years $83,280

Contingency for additional work or tree pruning $10,000 as authorized by Public Works staff

Subtotal $93,280

TOTAL $199,480

Funds are available in Public Works Accounts #252210, 312204, 322230 and 334980.

It is recommended that Council take the following action:

Award a two-year contract in an amount not to exceed $106,200 to TruGreen LandCare of Santa Clara to provide landscape maintenance services at the Water Pollution Control Plant and Landfill; and

Award a two-year contract in an amount not to exceed $93,280 to Environmental Care, Inc., of San Jose to provide landscape maintenance services at twelve water plants, five Hetch-Hetchy connections and six fire stations.