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APPROVE A CONTRACT WITH SOLITUDE LAKE MANAGEMENT LLC, DBA AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS FOR ANNUAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT POND WEED CONTROL SERVICES
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve a motion to:
1. Approve the Specifications and Addenda for Annual Pond Weed Control Services (PUR 18-014), and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute a five-year contract for Annual Pond Weed Control Services, with Solitude Lake Management LLC, dba Aquatic Environments of Benicia for a total contract amount of $381,589.
It is also recommended that the motion authorize the City Manager to take appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and the motion.
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Summary
The Municipal Utilities Department’s (MUD) wastewater treatment plant utilizes several ponds and wetlands to treat wastewater adjacent to its Tertiary Plant (T-Plant). Due to the prevalence of vegetative growth in and around the ponds, it is necessary to contract for annual chemical spraying and weed removal services. If approved, this action will provide the necessary regular maintenance services, including two chemical weed spray/control applications each year in conjunction with mechanical removal when necessary.
By this action, the City Council will authorize the City Manager to execute a contract for chemical and mechanical landscape maintenance services to the lowest, responsive, responsible vendor. The term of the contract is for a five-year period.
DISCUSSION
Background
The MUD wastewater treatment plant utilizes nearly 600-acres of ponds and wetlands to treat wastewater adjacent to its T-Plant. Due to the prevalence of weeds in and around the ponds, it is necessary to obtain the services of a contractor to provide annual pond weed spraying and removal. Over the past five fiscal years (FY 2013-14 to FY 2017-/18), the MUD contracted with companies annually, at a cost of approximately $61,000 per year.
Present Situation
An Invitation to Bid was publicly advertised on August 30, 2018, in the Legal Notice Section of The Record and on the City’s BidFlash webpage. The MUD used a conventional bid process, including specifications for pond weed spraying/control and mechanical removal, as necessary. The total acreage was broken into 10 distinct areas to make the work more manageable.
The level of maintenance and scope of work was identified for each of the 10 areas for full disclosure to proponents. In addition, each bidder was required to provide a cost for services rendered to establish a quantitative method for calculating the correct fees for additional services. All responsive bidders were required to hold a valid C-27 specialty license (Landscaping Contractor) and a private applicator’s license with an active restricted material permit with the County.
A mandatory pre-bid conference was held on September 10, 2018, with eight prospective bidders attending. On Thursday, October 4, 2018, one sealed bid was received with the following results:
Company Location Bid Amount
Solitude Lake Management LLC dba Benicia, CA $381,589
Aquatic Environments
The amounts shown on the bid schedule reflect the five-year total fee for providing chemical and mechanical landscape maintenance services. The bid was determined to be responsive as specified in the bid documents and consistent with the fair and reasonable average cost of approximately $61,000 per year from previous contracts.
Staff recommends awarding the contract to Solitude Lake Management LLC dba Aquatic Environments of Benicia as the lowest responsive bidder (Attachment A). The bid is regular in all respects, meets the City’s requirements, and includes proper licensing.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The estimated not-to-exceed cost for FY 2018-19 is $65,078 for the annual maintenance cost and $56,199 for a one-time initial clean-up cost. The FY 2018-19 Annual Budget has sufficient funds available in 431-4331-574, Wastewater Operations to award the contract to Solitude Lake Management LLC dba Aquatic Environments of Benicia. Costs for the subsequent years will be budgeted in the same account and subject to Council approval during the annual budget development process. The total not-to-exceed cost of this contract for the five-year term is $381,589.
There is no impact to the General Fund, or any other unrestricted fund, from this action.
Attachment A - Contract with Solitude Lake Management LLC dba Aquatic Environments