Subject:
Title
Award of bid to Wise Hands, LLC for Trees - Planting Services and Plant Materials
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval and execution by the County Administrator of the agreement with Wise Hands, LLC for Trees - Planting Services and Plant Materials.
• This contract provides tree planting and maintenance services as well as supplying other plant materials for the Public Works Department.
• Award recommendation in the amount of $221,834.60 for this 12-Month contract. The contract has provision for four (4) twelve (12) month extensions providing for price adjustments in an amount not to exceed the Consumer Price Index or 5% whichever is less.
• This contract will replace prior contract no. 178-0359-B in the amount of $324,720.00 with an annual expenditure of $108,240.00. The increase in expenditure is due to an increase in pricing of both labor and materials since last contract.
• This competitive process yielded one responsive responsible bidder. Other prospective contractors were contacted stating lack of available personnel to perform the requirements due to market conditions.
• Funding is included in the Public Works Transportation Trust Fund in the FY23 Adopted Budget and the FY24 Proposed Budget.
Contract No. 23-0713-ITB in the annual not-to-exceed amount of $221,834.60, based on the only responsive and responsible bid received meeting specifications.
Body
Strategic Plan:
Practice Superior Environmental Stewardship
3.1 Implement green technologies and practices where applicable.
3.2 Preserve and manage environmental lands, beaches, parks, and historical assets’
Summary:
This contract provides several County departments the ability to achieve and maintain habitat management and landscaping in compliance with Chapter 166, Environmental and Natural Resource Protection of the County Land Development Code. In addition, Wise Hands, LLC. will provide or install trees for the purpose of beautifying County facilities, right of ways, medians, parks and other County properties.
Services include but are not limited to providing and installing trees and other plant materials, mulching, staking, spraying of herbicides/pesticides and watering as and when required annually.
Background/Explanation:
On March 29, 2023, Purchasing and Risk Division received requirements from Public Works staff. The contract was competitively bid through an invitation to bid process on April 5, 2023, on behalf of Public Works with the intent to establish a contract for planting services.
This contract contains a provision for a price adjustment for services at twelve (12) months after the date of award and thereafter annually for the life of the contract, in an amount not to exceed the average of the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers for the twelve (12) months prior or 5% whichever is less.
The contract also has a provision for four (4) twelve (12) month term extensions which allow for price adjustments (Decrease/Increase) for services only, in an amount not to exceed the average of the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers for the twelve (12) months prior or 5% whichever is less.
The county received only one response to this solicitation. Prospective contractors for this contract were contacted by phone and the solicitation was extended one week to allow opportunity for competition. The primary reason given by contractors who did not respond was a lack of available personnel to perform the contract requirements.
Public Works staff has partially filled the requirements for these services through its environmental planting and monitoring contract no. 178-0473-P since the last contract expired; however, all other planting services that could not be fulfilled by this contract have been on hold pending award of this new contract.
Fiscal Impact:
The fiscal impact of this contract is an annual not-to-exceed sum of $221,834.60, upon invoice submittal. This contract reflects an annual expenditure increase of $113,595 in comparison to the annual expenditure of the prior contract ($108,240) due to cost increases of labor and materials. Funding is derived from the requisitioning department's operating budget and is included in Public Works’ FY23 Adopted Budget and FY24 Proposed Budget. As a result, no negative budgetary impacts are anticipated.
Delegated Authority:
Authority for the County Administrator to award this bid is granted under Code Section sb 2-188(b).
Staff Member Responsible:
Kelly Hammer Levy, Director, Public Works Department
Joe Lauro, Director, Administrative Services
Merry Celeste, Division Director, Purchasing and Risk Management
Partners:
N/A
Attachments:
Agreement
Bid Tabulation