In accordance with the Sugar Land Way, maintaining and operating safe, clean, orderly, and attractive parks and open spaces is a vital service the City of Sugar Land (“City”) Parks & Recreation Department (“Department”) provides to residents.

Department staff manage a landscape maintenance services contract to offer the residents professional services in line with the Sugar Land Way and to promote optimal utilization of the City’s park system. The Department manages 29 parks with approximately 915 developed acres, 60.9 power line easement acres, and 1,280 undeveloped acres. These sites are prioritized and maintained at a high quality based on their usage levels. The properties should reflect an overall appearance of aesthetic quality and care with attention given to every detail of the maintenance program. Overall, the Park Landscape Services Contract includes all park finish mowing, landscape bed maintenance including pruning and weed control, and litter and debris removal, and the budget for the contract is $586,916 - with the addition of a 25% funding increase included in the FY20 budget in anticipation of its renewal.

The Invitation to Bid was advertised on www.publicpurchase.com beginning November 6, 2019. On December 12, 2019, five bids were received. The companies that submitted were Seril, Inc. dba Houston Grotech Services (“Grotech”), Westco Grounds Maintenance Co., Inc. (“Westco”), Yellowstone Landscape – Central, Inc., Maldonado Nursery & Landscaping, Inc, and Ambassador. Ambassador did not include a bid bond and was deemed non-responsive.

*Disqualified; See Below

The apparent low bidder (Grotech) was disqualified based on current performance with the City and as a result of the outcome of the reference check process.  With that said, the recommended lowest, responsible bidder is Westco. Westco has an existing landscape contract with the City’s Public Works Right-of-Way division. Westco is currently in very good standing with their existing contract. Staff performed reference checks with two other organizations that were also very positive. The Department believes that Westco will assist the Department with improvements to the parks in a way that will achieve the Sugar Land Way initiative. Westco’s bid, including the add alternates, of $555,387.81 is below the budgeted amount for FY20 Landscape Services Contract of $586,916.

The contract is for a period of one year beginning March 1, 2020 through February 29, 2021, with an option of four additional one-year terms. Prices must be firm for a period of one year from the date of contract award. Any request for price adjustments will be based upon the annual percentage change in the Houston CPI.  The maximum annual adjustment will not exceed +/- 2.5% for any individual year.  The change will be determined annually at the renewal date.  

Staff recommends the City Council approve a contract with Westco Ground Maintenance Co., Inc. in the amount of $555,387.81/year for the Parks & Recreation Department’s landscape maintenance services.