DEPARTMENT: Development Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Michael Shannon, Interim Director
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Dangerous Premises Abatement Lot Clearing and Securing of Structures - Contract Award
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes contracts with Big Tex Lawn Service, Top Notch Services, La Med Facility Maintenance, and A+ Lawn Service to provide Dangerous Premises Abatement Lot Clearing and Securing of Structures for the Development Services Department in a cumulative amount not to exceed $325,583.00, annually.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Submitted for Council consideration and action are the proposals submitted by Big Tex Lawn Service, Top Notch Services, La Med Facility Maintenance, and A+ Lawn 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, remove 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 six responses were received.
The City issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for “Dangerous Premises Abatement Lot Clearing and Securing of Structures” (RFP 6100008531) on March 12, 2017, with a submission deadline of April 11, 2017. The City evaluated each of the six eligible responses that the City received based on the published evaluation criteria in the RFP which included Background, Experience and Qualifications, Proposed Plan, Price Schedule, Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Prime Contract Program, Minority/Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Prime Contract Program, Local Preference Program and the Veteran-Owned Small Business Preference Program. The selection committee consisted of representatives from the Development Services Department.
City staff recommends approval of four contracts with Big Tex Lawn Service, Top Notch Services, La Med Facility Maintenance, and A+ Lawn Service. The scope of work for this contract allows 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 initial term of the agreement shall be for a period of July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018. Four additional one-year renewal options shall also be authorized by this ordinance.
This contract will be awarded in compliance with the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Program, which requires contracts be reviewed by a Goal Setting Committee to establish a requirement and/or incentive unique to the particular contract in an effort to maximize the amount of small, minority, and women-owned business participation on the contract.
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.
This contract will be awarded in compliance with the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Program, which requires contracts be reviewed by a Goal Setting Committee to establish a requirement and/or incentive unique to the particular contract in an effort to maximize the amount of small, minority, and women-owned business participation on the contract. The Goal Setting Committee applied the Small and Minority/ Women-Owned Business Enterprise Prime Contract Program with twenty (20) evaluation preference points awarded to Big Tex Lawn Service, Top Notch Services, La Med Facility Maintenance, and A+ Lawn Service, as they are certified SBE and M/WBE firms located within the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.
In accordance with Local Preference Program, two of the recommended respondents received 10 points for being headquartered within the incorporated San Antonio city limits.
The Veteran-Owned Small Business Preference Program was applied in the evaluation of responses received for this contract; however, none of the recommended respondents are veteran-owned small businesses.
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 even 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 would likely increase the cost of services due to non-contract pricing and will negatively 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 $325,583.00, 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, Top Notch Services, La Med Facility Maintenance, and A+ Lawn Service to provide the 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 $325,583.00, annually.
These contracts are procured by means of Request for Proposal and Contracts Disclosure Forms are required.