DEPARTMENT: Development Services Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Michael Shannon, PE, CBO
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT: Dangerous Premises Abatement Lot Clearing and Securing of Structures - Contract Award
SUMMARY:
This ordinance is authorizing the execution of contracts with Big Tex Contractors, LLC; Ida Ponce, dba A+ Lawn Service; Maverick Turnkey Construction Group, LLC; Michael A. Ramirez, dba Top Notch Services; and Raul Cerda, dba Raul’s Landscape Service, for Dangerous Premises Abatement Lot Clearing and Securing of Structures Services for the Development Services Department in the estimated cumulative amount of $436,594.00 annually. All expenditures are contingent upon available funding in the department’s General Fund Budget. The term of the contracts is for a one (1) year period. The City shall have an option to extend the contract for four (4) additional one (1) year periods.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The contractors will furnish all labor, materials, and equipment to mow grass and weeds and remove all brush, rubbish, rocks, bricks, graffiti, and trash as required on properties identified by the City. Additional requirements shall include the securing of accessible structures and premises by attaching plywood to first floor doors and windows and clearing debris from structures as required on properties when they are declared to be a danger to public health and safety under Chapter 6-172, City Code of Ordinances.
No volume of work under this contract is guaranteed. Once the contract is executed, specific projects will be identified and may be performed under this contract on an “as-needed” basis.
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.
The City issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Dangerous Premises Abatement Lot Clearing and Securing of Structures on January 17, 2021. The RFP was identified as High-Profile due to the cumulative amount of the contract. The RFP was advertised in the San Antonio Express News, posted on the City’s Bidding and Contracting Opportunities page, the TVSA channel and the City’s SAePS e-procurement portal. An email notification was also released to a list of potential Respondents. On March 15, 2021, six (6) proposals were received and deemed eligible for review.
The proposals were reviewed by a selection committee comprised of representatives from the City Manager’s Office and the Development Services Department. The committee evaluated all proposals based on the following evaluation criteria: Experience, Background and Qualifications; Proposed Plan; Price; the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy Program; the Local Preference Program ; and the Veteran-Owned Small Business Preference Program.
The selection committee recommends five (5) respondents for award. In accordance with the Local Preference Program, three (3) of the recommended respondent’s 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, the highest ranked firms are not veteran-owned small businesses.
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 fifteen (15) evaluation preference points awarded to A+ Lawn Service, Big Tex Contractors, Maverick Turnkey Construction, and Top Notch Services as they are a certified SBE and M/WBE firm located within the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The initial term of the agreement shall be for a one-year period beginning upon award by City Council. Four additional one-year renewals at the City’s option shall also be authorized by this ordinance.
A post-solicitation briefing to the Audit and Accountability Committee was held on May 18, 2021.
ISSUE:
This contract will provide the Development Services Department with five (5) contractors to provide dangerous premises abatement lot clearing and securing of structures services to properties identified as a danger to 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, accessible 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 even demolished if necessary. If a property owner fails to abide by the City’s notification, the Development Services Department, following due process and at the owner’s expense, 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 grass and weeds, removing and legally disposing of any and all brush, rubbish, rocks, bricks, graffiti, and trash as required. In addition, the contractor is responsible for covering the first-floor doors and windows of dangerous structures with plywood and clearing debris from structures 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 department not having the staff to perform these services in-house. Processing individual procurements would likely increase the cost of services due to the non-contract pricing and will negatively affect the timelines of response to requests for services.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes contracts with Big Tex Contractors, LLC, Ida Ponce, dba A+ Lawn Service, Maverick Turnkey Construction Group, LLC, Michael A. Ramirez, dba Top Notch Services, and Raul Cerda, dba Raul’s Landscape Service, to provide Dangerous Premises Abatement Lot Clearing and Securing of Structures Services for a one (1) year period with the option to extend the contract for four (4) additional one (1) year periods. Funding in the amount of $436,594.00 is available in the FY 2021 General Fund Budget for Development Services - Code Enforcement Services Section. Funding for future years of the contract is subject to City Council approval of the annual budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the approval of this ordinance that authorizes contracts with Big Tex Contractors, LLC, Ida Ponce, dba A+ Lawn Service, Maverick Turnkey Construction Group, LLC, Michael A. Ramirez, dba Top Notch Services, and Raul Cerda, dba Raul’s Landscape Service to provide the Development Services Department with Dangerous Premises Abatement Lot Clearing and Securing of Structures Services for structures and premises that are determined to be a hazard to the community in the estimated cumulative amount of $436,594.00 annually.
These contracts are procured by means of a Request for Proposal and the Contracts Disclosure Forms are attached.