Title
Resolution - A Resolution to Award a Mowing Contract to VMC Landscape Services for City-Wide Mowing of Medians, Parks, Rights-of-Way and Open Spaces in the Amount of $264,079 (General Fund and Half-Cent Sales Tax)
Requested Action
Approve a resolution to award a mowing contract to VMC Landscape Services in the amount of $264,079.
Recommendation
Approve a resolution to award a mowing contract to VMC Landscape Services
Description/History
The City's contract mowing program has allowed the City to increase the level of service to the citizens by using contactors to mow, edge and blow turf areas while the City staff concentrates on the high end landscape maintenance such as chemical application, fertilization, botanical and irrigation. The current contract mowing program began in 2005 with an inter-local agreement with the City of Hurst and was for a one-year period with an option to renew for four (4) additional 12-month periods. The contract was re-advertised in 2010 and re-awarded in 2011. We are presently in the third year of a potential five-year contract for mowing with TruGreen Land Care as the best value bidder which was awarded in January of 2011.
On May 25, 2013, the City of Mansfield terminated TruGreen Land Care's contract per section I, Paragraph 14 of the agreement. Although the City is not required to provide cause, some of the reasons for termination included, missed scheduled mowing cycles, poor communication, unable to satisfactorily maintain ornamental beds, not completing jobs satisfactorily, failure to remove trash and debris from mowing sites and failure to respond to complaint issues regarding their performance in a timely manner after proper notification by the City.
The City has exercised its option to move to the next qualified bidder for contract mowing with VMC Landscape Services in order to continue to provide contract mowing services to the City without a gap in service. VMC agreed to honor their original price bid for the contract with future consideration of a percentage price increase of 5% as outlined in the bid documents. Staff recommends awarding the mowing contract to VMC Landscape Services in the amount of $264,079.
Justification
Contracting with VMC Landscape Services to mow, edge and blow areas of the City will free up staff and allow them to concentrate on other high maintenance areas as well as provide a higher level of service that the City was not getting with the previous contractor. This also continues to allow the City to provide a higher level of service to the citizens without adding additional personnel and equipment.
Funding Source
General Fund $223,675
Half-Cent Sales Tax $ 40,404
Prepared By
Toby Fojtik, Park Superintendent, Community Services
817-804-5787