Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, January 03, 2023
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT NO. 5 TO THE AGREEMENT WITH WEST COAST ARBORISTS, INC. FOR TREE MAINTENANCE SERVICES.
Body
I. SUMMARY
On December 5, 2017, a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) was published to solicit qualified firms for tree maintenance services. A total of three firms responded and submitted their proposals, which were opened on January 8, 2018. After review and evaluation of the proposals, it was determined that West Coast Arborists, Inc. was the most qualified to provide tree maintenance services to the City.
As part of the contract, extensions up to three (3) years were allowed with Council’s approval. The contract has been amended four times, first to add a Tree Planting Project increasing the contract sum from $1,969,764.09 to $2,046,204.09, the second time to extend the contract for two additional months extending the expiration date to November 30, 2021, a third time to extend the term for thirteen (13) additional months from December 1, 2021, through December 31, 2022 at an additional cost of $656,588.03, resulting in an increased total contract sum of $2,702,792.12 to allow contractor to continue meeting tree service requests for Carson residents and businesses, and finally, a fourth time to extend the contract for (1) one additional month from December 31, 2022 through January 31, 2023, at an additional cost of $199,000.00 bringing the increased contract sum to $2,901,792.12, again to allow contractor to continue meeting tree service requests for Carson residents and businesses while staff prepared to go out to bid for award of a new contract.
As allowed under the agreement, West Coast Arborist has also submitted a request for Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustment for the Los Angeles region for an increase of 7.5% resulting in an additional $82,073.51 based on the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim Region Area.
At the November 16 Staff is requesting that the contract be extended for twenty (20) additional months from February 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024 (Final Extension Period) at an additional cost of $1,094,313.40, while incorporating the $82,073.51 CPI increase, bringing the increased contract sum to $4,078,179.03, to allow contractor to continue meeting tree service requests for Carson residents and businesses while staff prepares to go out to bid for award of a new contract.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
TAKE the following actions:
1. APPROVE the requested 7.5% adjustment of $82,073.51 based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Los Angeles region.
2. APPROVE Amendment No. 5 to the Agreement for Contract Services by and between the City of Carson and West Coast Arborists, Inc. to increase the contract sum by $1,094,313,.40 for twenty additional months to provide tree maintenance services such that the total cost of the Contract Agreement does not exceed $4,078,179.03.
3. AUTHORIZE the Mayor to execute the amendment after approval as to form by the City Attorney.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
1. DO NOT APPROVE the 7.5% CPI adjustment.
2. DO NOT APPROVE Amendment No. 5 to the Agreement for Contract Services.
3. TAKE another action the City Council deems appropriate, and consistent with the requirements of the law.
IV. BACKGROUND
The Public Works Department is responsible for the care and maintenance of approximately 18,652 trees located throughout the City in various public parkways, medians, parks and City facilities. In October 2018, the City Council awarded West Coast Arborists, Inc. (“WCA”) a three-year contract to provide tree maintenance services for the period of October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2021, with optional extensions up to three years, to be exercised either all at once or incrementally at the City’s sole election.
After the agreement was amended four times, in November 2022, the City Council requested staff to bring back an amendment to again extend the agreement term for the remaining available period through September 30, 2024, rather than going out to RFP in December 2022.
Now, and as allowed under the agreement, West Coast Arborist has submitted a request for Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustment for the Los Angeles region for an increase of 7.5% resulting in an additional $82,073.51 based on the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim Region Area.
Staff is requesting that the contract be extended for the remaining twenty (20) additional months from February 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024 (Final Extension Period) at an additional cost of $1,094,313.40 (this dollar amount is consistent with the amount that has been allocated on an annual basis), while incorporating the $82,073.51 CPI increase, bringing the increased total contract sum to $4,078,179.03, to allow contractor to continue meeting tree service requests for Carson residents and businesses while staff prepares to go out to bid for award of a new contract.
The Public Works Department will be going out to bid in quarter one of 2024 to solicit proposals from qualified contractors to provide professional tree maintenance services for the City. The procurement package will reflect the priorities the Council has expressed, such as structuring it in a manner to ensure geographically equitable service throughout the City, providing a solid baseline year of tree trimming, and updating the scope based on current industry standards and best practices in how trees should be taken care of in the City of Carson, such as adjusting the trimming schedule based on the differing requirements of the dozens of tree species in the City’s inventory.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
None. Funds for this service were included in the FY 2022/23 budget in account no. 101-80-840-106-6004.
VI. EXHIBITS
Exhibit 1 - West Coast Arborist Contract Amendment No. 5 (pgs. 4-12)
Exhibit 2 - West Coast Arborist request for CPI adjustment (pgs. 13-16)
Prepared by: Freddy Loza, Superintendent of Landscape, Building, and Maintenance