Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, September 04, 2018
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER A CONTRACT AMENDMENT FOR SWAYZER CORPORATION TO PROVIDE LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE SERVICES AT CITY FACILITIES (CITY COUNCIL)
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I. SUMMARY
This matter was continued from the August 21, 2018 Council meeting.
The Grounds and Landscape crew is responsible for providing mowing and routine maintenance at City facilities. Due to a number of factors, there is a significant lack of internal resources available to provide these services at the present time. Swayzer Corporation (“Swayzer”) currently provides Citywide median landscape maintenance services pursuant to a three year contract that commenced January 1, 2018 for a total sum of $797,400. Staff requests that Council approve an amendment to the current Swayzer contract to provide additional grounds and landscaping services to the City for the amount of $211,032 over a term of six months commencing September 1, 2018, with an option to extend an additional four months (at $35,172.00 per month) thereafter upon City Manager approval, in order to temporarily augment staffing. This 6 month period will increase the total contract sum to $1,008,432.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
TAKE the following actions:
1. APPROVE a contract amendment for Swayzer Corporation to provide grounds and landscape maintenance services at City facilities in an increased amount not to exceed $211,032.00 (new total contract sum $1,008,432) for the period commencing September 1, 2018 and ending February 28, 2019 with an option to extend for an additional four months (at $35,172.00 per month) at City’s election upon City Manager’s approval in writing. (“Swayzer Amendment”); AND
2. APPROVE Resolution No. 18-111 “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF CARSON CITY COUNCIL AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2018/19 BUDGET IN THE GENERAL FUND”; AND
3. AUTHORIZE the Mayor to execute the Swayzer Amendment, following approval as to form by the City Attorney, and AUTHORIZE the City Manager to have the ability to, subject to City Attorney approval as to form, exercise the option to extend for an additional four months at $35,172.00 per month.
1.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE any other action the City Council deems appropriate and consistent with the law.
IV. BACKGROUND
The City’s Grounds and Landscape crew is responsible for providing mowing and routine maintenance at City-owned facilities including City Hall, the Community Center, the Corporate Yard, 12 parks (Anderson, Calas, Carriage Crest, Carson, Del Amo, Dolphin, Dominguez, Hemingway, Mills, Stevenson, Scott, and Veterans) and 4 mini parks (Friendship, Perry, Reflections and Walnut). The facilities total more than 75 acres, and based on the FY 2018-19 approved budget, there are 49 budgeted positions (25 part-time and 24 full-time) that provide service Saturday through Thursday.
As of August 16, 2018, there were 27 staff members (11 part-time, 16 full-time) currently working, with the balance of the positions vacant due to leaves (5 full-time) and various stages of the recruitment/hiring process (14 part-time, 3 full-time).
Given the lack of available internal resources, an augmentation is being requested for at least the next 6 months. This will allow each park to be adequately staffed, deferred projects to be completed, the disposition of personnel to be confirmed and an RFP to be developed and issued if necessary.
On December 19, 2017 City Council awarded a three year landscape median maintenance contract to Swayzer Corporation, the lowest, most responsive bidder, to provide landscape median maintenance services Citywide with an option to extend by up to three (3) consecutive one-year terms at City’s sole election (Exhibit No. 2)
The City’s median infrastructure includes approximately 45 acres of hardscape, turf, planter and landscaped medians. The services that are typically performed by the Grounds and Landscape crews at the City facilities are similar in nature, and given the urgent need, staff determined the optimal work distribution to ensure that each park maintained adequate staffing levels. Swayzer Corporation would be responsible for all grounds and landscape at City Hall, the Community Center, the Corporate Yard and the four mini parks (Friendship, Perry, Reflections and Walnut) and would perform mowing-only services at 11 parks (Anderson, Calas, Carson, Del Amo, Dolphin, Dominguez, Hemingway, Mills, Stevenson, Scott and Veterans) (Exhibit No. 1) Internal staff will be responsible for mowing at Carriage Crest Park and all grounds and landscaping services at
12 parks (Anderson, Calas, Carriage Crest, Carson, Del Amo, Dolphin, Dominguez, Hemingway, Mills, Stevenson, Scott and Veterans).
On August 15, 2018 AFSCME 809 was officially notified by the Director of Human Resources/Risk Management of the need to move forward with this temporary augmentation. Additionally, on August 29, 2018, the Directors of Public Works and Human Resources/Risk Management met and conferred with AFSCME 809 regarding Public Works need to adequately maintain City grounds via the use of the existing Swayzer contract to temporarily provide those services. AFSCME acknowledged meet and confer on the proposed Amendment to the Swayzer contract and advised that it would not object to the City placing the Swayzer Contract Amendment on the September 4th Council Agenda for adoption and implementation. The parties agreed, however, to continue to meet and confer in the future to discuss the staffing augmentation needs and the potential to return to full service by City employees at the earliest date possible during the contract term.
Staff is recommending the City Council award a six month contract amendment to Swayzer Corporation for the provision of grounds and landscape services at City facilities, with an option to extend by up to four (4) consecutive months (at $35,172.00 per month) at City’s sole election upon City Manager approval (Exhibit No. 4)
V. FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for this amendment were not included in the FY 2018/19 general fund budget. Resolution Number 18-111 (Exhibit No. 4) has been included in order to move funds from the unallocated General Fund balance to account number 101-80-840-108-6004. The budget amendment is $211,032, with potential reduction due to salary savings. The estimated General Fund Balance before the amendment is $17,440,624.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. Quotes from Swayzer Corporation (pgs. 4 - 7)
2. Contract Services Agreement with Swayzer Corporation (pgs. 8-43)
3. Resolution No. 18-111 (pgs. 44-45)
4. Contract Amendment with Swayzer Corporation (pgs. 46-57)
Prepared by: Dr. Maria Williams-Slaughter, Director of Public Works