SR 02-23-2021 3A
City Council Report
City Council Meeting: February 23, 2021
Agenda Item: 3.A
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Acting Public Works Director, Public Works, Architecture Services
Subject: Authorization to Negotiate and Execute a Design/Build Agreement with
Landscape Structures, Inc. for the Marine Park Playground Safety Upgrades
Project
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute an agreement with Landscape Structures, Inc. for the design, purchase of
equipment, and installation of an inclusive playground at Marine Park for the Community
Services Department. This recommended award is made as an exception to the
competitive bidding process, pursuant to Section 2.24.250(c), and is for an amount not
to exceed $1,200,000 (including a 10% contingency) for two years with a one-year
renewal option.
Summary
Santa Monica’s parks and recreation system includes aging facilities and equipment
that require regular reinvestment and repair to maintain safe and accessible open
spaces. Following an assessment of the system’s current physical conditions and
needs, and incorporating community and stakeholder input, the removal and
replacement of the existing Marine Park playground located at 1406 Marine Street with
an inclusive (universally accessible) playground was identified as a priority project.
Staff recommends awarding a design-build agreement to Landscape Structures, Inc. for
the design, purchase of equipment, and installation of an inclusive playground at Marine
Park in an amount not to exceed $1,200,000 (including a 10% contingency). Staff
anticipates up to 12 months for the design and construction phases of the project, with
design beginning in the second quarter of 2021 and project completion anticipated by
the second quarter of 2022. The project would be funded by Parks and Recreation
Impact Fee revenues and Proposition 68 per capita program funding.
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Discussion
Parks and recreation activities are central to the quality of life in Santa Monica.
Community members consistently express their appreciation for the City’s diverse parks
and recreation system, and ongoing investment into cherished parks and recreation
assets is necessary to continue the system’s functionality. Recently, as part of the City’s
Parks and Recreation Master Plan (PRMP) Update process, an assessment of the
parks and recreation system’s current physical conditions and needs was completed.
Although the PRMP Update was deferred as part of the City’s restructuring that resulted
from COVID-19 budgetary impacts, findings from the needs assessment, incorporating
input from community members and stakeholders, are intended to guide future system
enhancements. This led to the initiation and development of the Marine Park
Playground Safety Upgrades Project to replace the approximately 12,000 S.F.
playground at Marine Park with an inclusive playground.
A key finding of the assessment identified recreation as a means for Santa Monicans to
enjoy outdoor play in a variety of ways, in which play embraces Santa Monica’s culture
of fitness and should be accessible and inviting for all. Considering Santa Monica’s
highly active community, one of the initial strategic actions to emerge from the
assessment to enhance play for all called for an increase of inclusive design throughout
the parks system. Additionally, an assessment of existing playgrounds found that play
equipment and safety surfaces in several playgrounds are nearing the end of their
lifespan and will require replacement. Without reconstruction, these playgrounds may
eventually need to close to the public for safety reasons. The decision was made to
prioritize the reconstruction of the heavily used playground at Marine Park, one of the
City’s oldest playgrounds and where a piece of 20-year-old play equipment recently
failed and had to be removed. See Figure 1 below for project location and context.
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Figure 1: Project Location
This project is necessary to ensure the playground at Marine Park remains open to the
public and that the recreational space of Marine Park is not diminished. Project
improvements would include:
• Replacement of the existing traditional play equipment with inclusive play
equipment;
• Replacement of the existing sand and rubber safety surface with new rubber
safety surface throughout;
• Improved access between the on-site surface parking and playground; and
• Pedestrian amenities, including shade structures, fencing, and seating.
To avoid potential closure and expedite project delivery by up to six months, staff
recommends that the City make an exception to competitive bidding and enter into a
design-build agreement with Landscape Structures, Inc. for the design, purchase of
equipment, and installation of an inclusive playground at Marine Park.
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Vendor Selection
Exception to Competitive Bidding
Staff recommends Landscape Structures, Inc. for the design, purchase of equipment,
and installation as an exception to competitive bidding per Muni Code 2.24.250 (c),
which authorizes an exception if competitive procedures were followed by another
governmental agency, including a joint powers agency; those procedures
are equivalent to the procedures set out in SMMC Chapter 2.24; and the City is
obtaining the goods or services at the same or better price as provided to that other
agency.
On March 2, 2017, Sourcewell (formerly known as National Joint Powers Alliance
(NJPA)), a government agency that establishes national leveraged and competitively
solicited purchasing contracts for education, government, and non-profits, issued a
Request for Proposals (RFP) for the procurement of recreation and playground
equipment, accessories, and supplies. Under the terms of the RFP and the resulting
Sourcewell Agreement with Landscape Structures, Inc. (Agreement #030117-LSI set
to expire April 14, 2022), the City as a member agency receives an 8% discount off
list price on Landscape Structures play, skate, and shade equipment for orders over
$80,000 in equipment and has access to the following goods and services: standard &
custom playground equipment, freestanding play, shade, surfacing, sports & fitness
equipment, site furnishings, skateparks, and waterparks; installation solutions; site
work (grading, concrete walkways, landscaping, drainage solutions); shelters; and
Independent safety audits.
Landscape Structures, Inc. has provided turn-key solutions for playground and
recreation-related equipment, accessories, and supplies for several municipalities in
California, including the City of Los Angeles, City of Glendora, and City of Walnut.
Architecture Services staff conducted outreach to the City of Los Angeles, and they
recommended Landscape Structures, Inc. for its reliability, expertise, and affordability.
Landscape Structures, Inc. offers industry leading custom design and manufacturing
expertise, local project and playground design consultation/site evaluation, and safety
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audits by independent CPSI certified playground inspectors. Installation services
offered through Landscape Structures, Inc. are completed by certified installers.
Next Steps
Landscape Structures, Inc. would initiate site evaluation, conduct required survey work
and identify design alternatives to be considered. Following the public outreach process,
Landscape Structures, Inc. would deliver a City approved, community supported, and
technically vetted final design. Staff anticipates up to 12 months for the design and
construction phases of the project, with design beginning spring 2021 and project
completion by spring 2022.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
06/23/20 (Attachment A) FY20-22 Biennial Capital Improvement Program Budget –
Playground Safety Capital Improvement Project
10/27/20 (Attachment B) Grant acceptance and authorization of Proposition 68 Per
Capita funds for the Marine Park playground project
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve local funding from the Special Revenue Fund and grant
funding from the California Department of Parks & Recreation Proposition 68 Per Capita
Program to award an agreement to Landscape Structures, Inc. for design/build services
for the Marine Park Playground Safety Upgrades Project.
Agreement
FY 2020-21
Budget
Request Amount
CIP Account # Contract Amount
$965,565 C1008030.689000 $965,565
$234,435 C2008030.689270 $234,435
Total $1,200,000
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Prepared By: Linda Cogswell, Associate Planner
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. June 23, 2020 Staff Report (Web Link)
B. October 27, 2020 Staff Report (Web Link)
C. Landscape Structures Inc. Oaks Form
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Please attach additional pages if more space is required.
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITIATIVE NOTICE
NOTICE TO APPLICANTS, BIDDERS, PROPOSERS
AND OTHERS SEEKING DISCRETIONARY PERMITS, CONTRACTS,
OR OTHER BENEFITS FROM THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
Santa Monica’s voters adopted a City Charter amendment commonly known as
the Oaks Initiative. The Oaks Initiative requires the City to provide this notice and
information about the Initiative’s requirements. You may obtain a full copy of the Initiative’s
text from the City Clerk.
This information is required by City Charter Article XXII—Taxpayer Protection. It
prohibits a public official from receiving, and a person or entity from conferring, specified
personal benefits or campaign advantages from a person or entity after the official votes,
or otherwise takes official action, to award a “public benefit” to that person or entity. The
prohibition applies within and outside of the geographical boundaries of Santa Monica.
All persons or entities applying or receiving public benefits from the City of Santa
Monica shall provide the names of trustees, directors, partners, and officers, and names
of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation or revenue interest. An exception
exists for persons serving in those capacities as volunteers, without compensation, for
organizations exempt from income taxes under Section 501(c)(3), (4), or (6), of the
Internal Revenue Code. However, this exception does not apply if the organization is a
political committee or controls political committees. Examples of a “public benefit” include
public contracts to provide goods or services worth more than $25,000 or a land use
approval worth more than $25,000 over a 12-month period.
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by an
entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every person
who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten percent
interest in the entity. Therefore, if you are seeking a “public benefit” covered by the Oaks
Initiative, you must supply that information on the Oaks Initiative Disclosure Form. This
information must be updated and supplied every 12 months.
3.A.c
Packet Pg. 17 Attachment: Landscape Structures Inc. Oaks Form (4379 : Playground Safety Upgrades Project)
Please attach additional pages if more space is required.
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITIATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City compiles
and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any person or persons
who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by an entity, rather than an
individual person, the information includes the name of every person who is: (a) trustee, (b)
director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten percent interest in the entity.
Public benefits include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-month
period;
3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-
month period;
4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any 12-month
period;
5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land use plan,
where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12-month
period; or
7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-month
period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Prepared by: ____________________________Title: __________________________
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________
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Packet Pg. 18 Attachment: Landscape Structures Inc. Oaks Form (4379 : Playground Safety Upgrades Project)