SR 01-23-2024 5K
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: January 23, 2024
Agenda Item: 5.K
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Facilities Maintenance
Subject: Award Bid to UNISERVE Facilities Services for Citywide Contracted Custodial
Services
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemptions pursuant to Section15061(b)(3)
(Common Sense Exemption), Section 15301, and Section 15324 of the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
2. Award Bid #4457 to UNISERVE Facilities Services for custodial services for
various City locations as required by the Public Works Department.
3. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with
UNISERVE Facilities Services, in an amount not to exceed $5,995,985 (including
a 10% contingency), for two years, with two additional four-year renewal options
in the amount of $27,864,726 (including a 10% contingency) for a total amount
not to exceed $33,860,711 over a 10-year period with future year funding
contingent on Council budget approval.
Summary
The City of Santa Monica has adopted a hybrid service model of utilizing in-house
custodial staff and contracted custodial services to clean City facilities to maximize
workforce flexibility at sites with dynamic, seasonal demands (the Santa Monica Pier)
while minimizing service interruptions at busy locations (Historic City Hall, City Hall
East, Public Safety Facility and Main Library). Staff recommends an agreement with
UNISERVE Facilities Services (UNISERVE) to provide custodial services for various
citywide locations in an amount not to exceed $5,995,985 for two years with two
additional four-year renewal options for a total amount not to exceed $33,860,711 to
ensure the continuity of citywide custodial services.
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Discussion
The Facilities Maintenance Division within the Public Works Department employs 38
permanent in-house custodians to provide cleaning services for City facilities, such as
the Historic City Hall, City Hall East, Main Library, and public parks. The large number
of facilities under the City’s care exceed the capabilities of the City’s workforce to
provide in-house custodial services to all locations. As a result, the City augments
custodial services by utilizing contracted custodial staff at locations such as the Santa
Monica Pier, Public Safety Facility, City Yards, Animal Shelter, Arcadia Water
Treatment Plant, the Santa Monica Swim Center, branch libraries, and the Santa
Monica Municipal Airport (Airport). Many of the contract locations require consistent but
limited number of service hours, while other sites, such as the Pier, require year-round
staffing as well as additional staffing during the peak seasons.
UNISERVE currently employs 38.0 staff to service the City’s contracted sites. This
includes 1.0 Supervisor level position, 2.0 Custodial Lead positions and 35.0 Custodian
positions. If the City were to provide the same level of custodial services using in-house
personnel, staff estimates that staffing costs alone over two years would require an
additional $1.6 million compared to utilizing UNISERVE’s contracted services. This cost
increase excludes investments for additional vehicles, office equipment, cleaning
equipment, and uniform purchases, as well as ongoing expenses in City overhead,
training, and overtime incurred by backfilling vacation and sick leaves.
On January 13, 2015 (Attachment A), staff presented the Contract and As-Needed
Staffing Review: Policy, Practice, & Recommendations report. As part of the approved
policy (Attachment B), City Council approved custodial and building maintenance
services as meeting the criteria for contractual services under the categories of space
required, equipment required, and workforce flexibility as part of the comprehensive
report.
Vendor Selection
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Bidder Recommendation
Best Bidder UNISERVE Facilities Services
Evaluation Criteria Bid evaluated on contracted custodial services experience with
cities/municipalities, pricing, renewal options and requested
increases.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.180
Bid Data
Date Posted Posted On Advertised in (City
Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
06/12/2023 City’s Online
Bidding Site
Santa Monica Daily
Press
35 08/17/2023
Best Bidder Justification
Staff determined UNISERVE as the best bidder based on the following criteria: 1)
general custodial services municipal experience, 2) pricing and 3) renewal options and
requested increases. UNISERVE has been delivering custodial services to Fortune
1000 companies, airports, museums, and government entities for over six decades.
The company has large, long-term custodial accounts with FedEx, the Getty Center,
and the City of Los Angeles. Additionally, a committee, of five
staff, assessed ability, capacity, and skill of all bidders and decided to conduct
interviews with the top two bidders (CCS and UNISERVE). CCS was unresponsive to
staff’s multiple communication efforts to schedule an interview. LGC Global Energy FM
LLC was not considered because their bid submittal included hourly rates below the
current established Living Wage rate. UNISERVE attended the scheduled interview
and was deemed the best bidder based on the criteria stated above.
Submittals Received
Vendor First Year Contract Amount
Base Hill Inc. $2,879,573
BBB-CA, Inc. dba Block by Block California $2,923,924
CCS $2,408,467
LGC Global Entergy FM LLC $2,558,619
Sea Crest Facilities Services $2,783,239
Servicon Systems, Inc. $2,803,478
Ultimate Maintenance Services $2,876,697
UNISERVE Facilities Services $2,685,170
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Environmental Review
The award agreement is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section
15061(b)(3), Section 15301, and Section 15324 of the CEQA Guidelines. The award
agreement is covered by the common sense exemption which states that CEQA
does not apply, “where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the
activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” The award
agreement will provide continued contractual custodial services to the City. Therefore, it
can be seen with certainty that the agreement would not result in adverse physical
impacts on the environment, and as such, is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant
to Section 15061(b)(3). Section 15301 (Class 1 – Existing Facilities) exempts projects
that consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or
minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment,
or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use.
The provision of contracted custodial services would provide for continued maintenance
of existing facilities. Furthermore, the establishment of Living Wages and health
insurance requirements for contracted custodial staff as set forth in the agreement are
categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15324 (Class 24 - Regulations of Working
Conditions) of the CEQA Guidelines. Class 24 consists of actions taken by regulatory
agencies to regulate employee wages, hours of work or working conditions where there
will be no demonstrable physical changes outside the place of work. Therefore,
agreement is also exempt from CEQA pursuant to Sections 15301 and 15324.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
01/13/15 (Attachment A) As-Needed and Contract Staffing Review Report
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to award an agreement with UNISERVE for citywide contracted
custodial services. Funds are available within existing budgets and would be charged to
the appropriate division or project account based on usage. Future year funding is
contingent on Council budget approval.
Contract Request
FY 2023-24
Request Amount
Future Years
Amount
FY 2023-24 Budget
Account #
Total Contract
Amount
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$447,528 $33,413,183 Various $33,860,711
Prepared By: Kyla Johnson, Senior Administrative Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. January 13, 2015 Staff Report
B. Policy for Hiring Contracted Staff (January 13, 2015 Staff Report_Attachment D)
C. Oaks Initiative Form - UNISERVE
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Packet Pg. 208 Attachment: January 13, 2015 Staff Report (6116 : Award Agreement for Citywide Contracted Custodial Services)
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Packet Pg. 209 Attachment: January 13, 2015 Staff Report (6116 : Award Agreement for Citywide Contracted Custodial Services)
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Packet Pg. 210 Attachment: January 13, 2015 Staff Report (6116 : Award Agreement for Citywide Contracted Custodial Services)
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Packet Pg. 211 Attachment: January 13, 2015 Staff Report (6116 : Award Agreement for Citywide Contracted Custodial Services)
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Packet Pg. 212 Attachment: January 13, 2015 Staff Report (6116 : Award Agreement for Citywide Contracted Custodial Services)
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Packet Pg. 213 Attachment: January 13, 2015 Staff Report (6116 : Award Agreement for Citywide Contracted Custodial Services)
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Packet Pg. 214 Attachment: Policy for Hiring Contracted Staff (January 13, 2015 Staff Report_Attachment D) (6116 : Award Agreement for Citywide Contracted
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Packet Pg. 215 Attachment: Policy for Hiring Contracted Staff (January 13, 2015 Staff Report_Attachment D) (6116 : Award Agreement for Citywide Contracted
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Packet Pg. 216 Attachment: Oaks Initiative Form - UNISERVE (6116 : Award Agreement for Citywide Contracted Custodial Services)
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Packet Pg. 217 Attachment: Oaks Initiative Form - UNISERVE (6116 : Award Agreement for Citywide Contracted Custodial Services)