DEPARTMENT: Finance
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Troy Elliott
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Dangerous Premises Abatement Lot Clearing and Securing of Structures
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes a contract with Big Tex Lawn Service, Daniel Gomez d/b/a Gomez Shredding, La Med Facility Maintenance, and Raul's Landscape Service to provide Dangerous Premises Abatement Lot Clearing and Securing of Structures for the Development Services Department in a cumulative amount not to exceed $360,000.00 annually.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Submitted for Council consideration and action are the proposals submitted by Big Tex Lawn Service, Daniel Gomez d/b/a Gomez Shredding, La Med Facility Maintenance, and Raul's Landscape Service to provide Dangerous Premises Abatement Lot Clearing and Securing of Structures for the Development Services Department on a rotating basis. The contractor will furnish all labor, equipment and materials to mow grass and weeds, removal of all brush, rubbish, rocks, bricks, dirt piles, graffiti and trash as required. Additional requirements shall include the securing of unoccupied/unsecured structures and premises when they are declared to be a danger to public health and safety under Chapter 6-172, City Code of Ordinances.
These services are being procured through a Public Health or Safety Exemption to Texas Local Government Code Chapter 252. State statute indicates that competitive bidding is not required under the Public Health or Safety Exemption which provides for the procurement to protect and preserve the public health or safety of the City's residents. To allow for multiple contract awards, a Request for Proposals was issued and seven responses were received.
The City issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for "Dangerous Premises Abatement Lot Clearing and Securing of Structures" (RFP 6100005732) on February 25, 2015, with a submission deadline of April 1, 2015. Seven proposals were received and reviewed by the evaluation committee established for this contract solicitation. Big Tex Lawn Service, Daniel Gomez d/b/a Gomez Shredding, La Med Facility Maintenance, and Raul's Landscape Service were selected based on the RFP evaluation process.
The evaluation committee consisted of representatives from the Development Services Department. The Finance Department, Purchasing Division assisted by ensuring compliance with City procurement policies and procedures. The proposals were evaluated based on the firms' qualifications, quality of service, experience, previous performance, proposed plan, and price schedule. Additional categories of consideration included references and financial qualifications.
The scope of work for this contract has been revised allowing Development Services to issue work orders to four awarded contractors on a rotating basis, thereby ensuring continuous, prompt attention to deficient properties as they are identified throughout the City.
The evaluation of each proposal response was based on a total of 100 points; 30 points allotted for experience, background, qualifications; 30 points allotted for proposed plan; and 10 points allotted for respondent's price schedule. Fifteen preference points were allotted for the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Program, SBE Prime Contractor Program Affirmative Procurement Initiative. Ten points were allotted for Local Preference (LPP) Ordinance and five points were allotted to Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) Preference Program.
The evaluation committee met on May 4, 2015 to evaluate the seven responsive proposals received. After committee review and discussion, individual technical scores were submitted and the aggregate scores were presented. After the recommendations for award were agreed upon by the selection committee, the pricing scores, VOSB, LPP and SBEDA scores were revealed. As a result, Big Tex Lawn Service, Daniel Gomez d/b/a Gomez Shredding, La Med Facility Maintenance, and Raul's Landscape Service were ranked as the four highest rated firms and were recommended for contract award by the evaluation committee.
The initial term of the agreement shall be for a period of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016. One additional one-year renewal option shall also be authorized by this ordinance.
ISSUE:
This contract will provide the Development Services Department with four contractors to provide dangerous premises abatement lot clearing and securing of structures to properties identified as a danger to the public health and safety or has been vandalized by graffiti. At the owner's expense, the City may have the structure or premises declared as a dangerous property and/or structure, unoccupied/unsecured structure and have the premises cleared and secured and/or the graffiti abated.
The Development Services Department follows a process to identify dangerous properties and structures, to notify property owners that premises must be cleared, and structures must be repaired or demolished as necessary. If a property owner fails to abide the City's notification, the Development Services Department, following due process, will take the necessary action to remove debris from the premises and secure any buildings that are determined to be a hazard to the community. The description of these services includes mowing the grass and weeds, removal of all brush, rubbish, rocks, bricks, dirt piles, graffiti and trash as required. In addition, the contractor is responsible for covering the doors and windows on the first floor of dangerous structures with plywood as stipulated by the Development Services Department.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should this contract not be approved, Development Services Department would be required to process individual procurements to provide the lot clearing and securing of structures as needs arise due to the fact that the department does not have the staff to perform these services in-house. Processing individual procurements could affect the cost of services due to non-contract pricing and will affect the timeliness of response to requests for services.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes contracts for Dangerous Premises Abatement Lot Clearing and Securing of Structures in a cumulative amount not to exceed $360,000.00 annually. All expenditures will be contingent upon available funding in the Development Services - Code Enforcement Services Division General Fund Budget as approved by City Council.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the approval of this contract with Big Tex Lawn Service, Daniel Gomez d/b/a Gomez Shredding, La Med Facility Maintenance, and Raul's Landscape Service to provide Development Services Department with Dangerous Premises Abatement Lot Clearing and Securing of Structures services for structures that are determined to be a hazard to the community in a cumulative amount not to exceed $360,000.00 annually.
This contract is procured by means of Request for Proposal and a Discretionary Contract Disclosure Form is required.