TO: LINDA REICH, CITY MANAGER
FROM: HYE JIN LEE, PE, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
SUBJECT
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Professional Services Agreement - Merchants Landscape Services, Inc., for Landscape Maintenance Services for City Parkways.
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RECOMMENDATION
Award a five-year Professional Services Agreement to Merchants Landscape Services, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, for a not-to-exceed annual amount of $110,000 for Landscape Maintenance Services for the City‘s Parkways and authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents on behalf of the City.
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FISCAL IMPACT
Sufficient funds are budgeted in the FY 2025-26 Budget.
CITY OF CHINO MISSION / VISION / VALUES / STRATEGIC ISSUES
The recommendation detailed above further the City’s values and strategic issues that serve as key pillars on which identified priorities, goals, and action plans are built, by fostering:
• Positive City Image
• Responsible Long-Range Planning
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Expenditure: 3607230-43580 |
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BACKGROUND
The City is currently responsible for the maintenance of forty (40) parkways throughout the City‘s arterial streets. As part of the Public Works Department routine maintenance services, the City contracts with a professional landscape maintenance provider to perform scheduled upkeep of its forty (40) parkways. These services include routine maintenance such as pruning, shaping, skirting of trees, shrubs, and ground cover plants; weed control, rodent/pest control, turf, irrigation, hardscape maintenance, and any other maintenance required to maintain the landscape areas. This proactive approach ensures that public spaces remain clean, attractive, and safe for residents and visitors.
Maintaining a healthy and well-managed landscape is essential to supporting several City goals: public safety, positive City image, and operational efficiency. With the parkways totaling 236,566 square feet (approximately 5.43 acres), outsourcing this work to a qualified contractor enables the city to maintain high-quality service while maximizing the efficient use of internal staff resources.
Establishing a formal agreement ensures continuity of service, accountability for performance, and alignment with City standards. It also allows for better cost control and long-term planning.
The continuation of contracted landscape maintenance services is necessary to preserve the integrity and safety of the City’s parkways and to support the broader goals of sustainability, public safety, and community beautification.
ISSUES/ANALYSIS
On April 24, 2025, staff solicitated a Request for Proposals (RFP#2025-0011). “Landscape Maintenance Service - Parkways” via PlanetBids, following City procurement policies. On May 22, 2025, the City received eleven (11) proposals. Cost proposals were submitted in a separate file. Staff evaluated and ranked the proposals based on the following weighted criteria:
• Experience/qualifications: 30%
• Past performance/references: 25%
• Plan methodology/project approach: 25%
• Quality of responsiveness of proposal: 10%
• Cost evaluation: 10%
As part of the RFP, proposers were asked to provide pricing for:
• Monthly routine preventative maintenance
• Emergency and unanticipated repairs (e.g. repairs due to traffic collisions, theft)
Following the evaluation of the proposals, staff selected the proposed consultant within the guidelines of the State of California Government Code and the City’s Purchasing Ordinance. The final ranking of the firms is shown below:
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Rank |
Contractor |
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1 |
Merchants Landscape Services, Inc. |
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2 |
Mariposa Landscapes, Inc. |
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3 |
New Generation Landscape Management, Inc. |
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4 |
Greenfield Landscaping & Maintenance, Inc. |
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5 |
Priority Landscape Services, Inc. |
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6 |
US Landscape Services, LLC |
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7 |
Integrity Arborist & Ecoscape, Inc. |
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8 |
JAS Landscape, LLC |
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9 |
J. Orozco Enterprises, Inc. |
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10 |
Greentech Landscape, Inc |
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11 |
Azteca Landscape |
Merchants Landscape Services, Inc., was selected as the highest-ranking proposal by the evaluation committee. The proposed agreement includes the following cost breakdown:
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Landscape Maintenance Services - Parkways |
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Service |
Annual Cost |
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Monthly Routine Preventative Maintenance |
$103,764 |
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Emergency and Unanticipated Repairs |
$6,236 |
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Total Amount |
$110,000 |
Therefore, staff recommends that the City Council award an annual Professional Services Agreement to Merchants Landscape Services, Inc., from Fiscal Year 2025-2026 through Fiscal Year 2029-2030, for a not-to-exceed annual amount of $110,000 for Landscape Maintenance Services for City Parkways.
Attachment: Merchants Landscape Services, Inc. - New Agreement