SR 08-23-2022 5N
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: August 23, 2022
Agenda Item: 5.N
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Public Landscape
Subject: Award Bid to United Pacific Services, Inc. for the Comprehensive Urban
Forest Maintenance Program
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award Bid #4415 to United Pacific Services, Inc. to provide urban forest
maintenance services for the Public Works Department;
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with United
Pacific Services, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $8,731,559 over a five-year
period, which includes a $1,746,312 contingency, and one additional five-year
renewal option in the amount of $9,800,877, which includes a $1,960,175
contingency, on the same terms and conditions for a total amount not to exceed
$18,532,436 over a 10-year period with future year funding contingent on Council
budget approval.
Summary
Santa’s Monica’s urban forest is an invaluable asset that provides the community with
many environmental, economic, and social benefits. The City’s approximately 36,000
public trees are maintained solely by a vendor under the oversight of the Public Works
Department’s Public Landscape Division. Vendor services include tree pruning, tree
removal, tree planting, watering, addressing emergencies, young tree care, and
inventory management. Staff recommends awarding bid #4415 to United Pacific
Services, Inc. to provide these services to maintain and advance the health, safety, and
benefits of the City’s urban forest. Staff also recommends entering into an agreement
with a five-year initial term with an option to renew for an additional five years. The five-
year initial term would be in an amount not to exceed $8,731,559, which includes a 25%
contingency in the amount of $1,746,312. Costs for services remain the same
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throughout the entire initial five-year term. Staff recommends a 25% contingency for this
work to accommodate emergencies and unscheduled tasks, work requested by various
departments and funds, and to have enough contract authority to accommodate
potential future funding restorations contingent on Council budget approval as funding
for urban forest work decreased by approximately 30% at the start of the COVID
pandemic.
The five-year renewal option would be in an amount not to exceed $9,800,877, which
includes a 25% contingency in the amount of $1,960,175 and 4% cost escalator in each
of the additional five years. As part of their bids, vendors provided cost escalators for
each year of the five-year renewal option. The contingency would be for the same
aforementioned reasons. If the five-year renewal option is exercised, the total ten-year
contract amount would not exceed $18,532,436.
Discussion
The City of Santa Monica has long been on the forefront of sustainability measures and
providing a healthy community for our residents and visitors alike. A thriving urban
forest is a recognized hallmark of a healthy and sustainable community. Continued
investment and maintenance of the urban forest reflect the City’s commitment to
continued innovation and high standards for the wellbeing of our community and
environment. Santa Monica’s tree canopy covers approximately 12% of the City’s land
area with over half being attributed to 35,800 public trees on the streets and in the
parks. The City’s urban forest not only results in cooler temperatures, but also an
estimated $2,323,743 in total tree benefits. The total tree benefit incorporates savings
due to storm water runoff mitigation, air quality improvements such as absorbing
pollutants and reducing energy use, and, perhaps most significantly, carbon dioxide
sequestration. It is also proven with research that trees help increase property value by
providing a more attractive urban landscape.
The Public Landscape Division of Public Works is tasked with delivering the vision of
Santa Monica’s Urban Forest Master Plan adopted by City Council in 2011. Appropriate
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urban forest maintenance is a critical element of this Master Plan, and the division
annually responds to nearly 900 tree related 311 service requests.
The City has historically contracted urban forest maintenance services. The “Contract
and As-Needed Staffing Review Policy, Practice, Recommendations” report approved
by Council on January 13, 2015, recommends that urban forest maintenance services
be contracted due to capital/equipment requirements, specialized expertise, and risk
management. Bid #4415 requires the vendor to provide all equipment and personnel
needed to deliver the needed services. A sample of the volume of services performed
can be illustrated by an average of the last three fiscal years within these four primary
categories:
• Trees (including palms) pruned: 7,023
• Trees removed: 207
• Trees planted: 479
• Trees watered: 12,693
Vendor Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Bidder United Pacific Services, Inc.
Evaluation Criteria Bid evaluated on the price; the ability,
capacity, and skill of the bidder to perform
or provide the materials or services; the
capacity of the bidder to perform the
contract or provide the service promptly,
within the time specified, and without delay
or interference.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.180
Submittals Received
United Pacific Services, Inc. $6,985,247
Mariposa Tree Management, Inc. $8,450,846
West Coast Arborists, Inc. $9,034,383
Bid Data
Date Posted Posted On Advertised in (City
Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
8/24/21 ProcureNow Santa Monica 17 9/14/21
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Daily Press
Best Bidder Justification
Bids were evaluated based on the criteria in SMMC 2.24.180 including price, the ability,
capacity and skill of the bidder to perform or provide the materials or services; the
capacity of the bidder to perform the contract or provide the service promptly, within the
time specified, and without delay or interference.
Staff determined United Pacific Services submitted the best price by projecting future
costs over a five-year and ten-year period (including annual cost escalators provided by
each of the three vendors for each year of the five-year renewal option) based on the
estimated annual frequencies provided in the bid and actual productivity from the two
most recent fiscal years prior to posting the bid.
Additionally, staff evaluated ability, capacity, and skill using professional qualifications,
reference checks, and an inventory management software demonstration to select
United Pacific Services as the best bidder.
Protest
On May 27, 2022, City staff posted a pending award notification on the City's online
bidding site, putting all vendors on notice that staff's recommendation to Council would
be to award bid #4415 to United Pacific Services, Inc. On June 2, 2022, the City's
Purchasing Agent received a timely protest from West Coast Arborists, Inc (WCA). The
protest questioned pricing evaluation. On June 23, 2022, after reviewing the submitted
protest documents, the Finance Director denied the protest based on the bid tabulation
which is an automated function of the bid opening process in ProcureNow. The bid
tabulation does not consider any additional analysis that may be required depending on
the pricing methodology used. The pricing methodology used for the bid was a rate card
model.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding from the General Fund in the Public
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Landscape Division operating budget, urban forest renewal CIP, and various other
funds dependent on requests (contingency) to award a contract with United Pacific
Services, Inc for tree maintenance services. Future year funding is contingent on
Council budget approval.
Contract Request
FY 2022-23
Request Amount
Years 2 – 5 Total
(Initial Term)
Future Years
(5 Year Optional
Renewal Term)
Department/
CIP Account #
Total Contract
Amount
$967,533 $3,767,714 $5,305,863 01500024.550010 $10,041,110
$450,000 $1,800,000 $2,534,839 C0104650.689000 $4,784,839
$354,383 $1,391,929 $1,960,175
Various - Depends
on Department and
Fund Request
$3,706,487
$1,771,916 $6,959,643 $9,800,877 TOTAL $18,532,436
Prepared By: Carlos Collard, Senior Administrative Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. FY22-23 UPS Oaks Initiative
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. ..
:.....II ~ ,,, ~ ......... ., .. 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.
5.N.a
Packet Pg. 169 Attachment: FY22-23 UPS Oaks Initiative (5193 : Award Bid for Comprehensive Urban Forest Maintenance Program)
t. ,
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:
United Pacific Services, Inc.
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Gus K. Franklin, President
Eric L. Franklin, Executive Vice President/ Secretary and Treasurer
Jack D. Mooring, Vice President/ General Manager
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Gus K. Franklin, President
Prepared by: Eric L. Franklin
Signature: £. ~
Email: Eric@Unitedpac.com
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Title: Executive Vice President
Date: 07/18/2022
Phone: (562) 691-4600 x 226
Permit# _________ _
5.N.a
Packet Pg. 170 Attachment: FY22-23 UPS Oaks Initiative (5193 : Award Bid for Comprehensive Urban Forest Maintenance Program)