As City Council is aware, this project is included in the City's current Capital Improvement Program approved by City Council during the 2015/2016 budget process. Phase 1 design elements included the construction of landscaping improvements in selected center medians on US Hwy 19 within the City's Corporate Limits. The selected medians are located at the northern City limits from Bellview Drive to Avery Road. The southern City Limits north of Trouble Creek Road and the median located south of Main Street. The remaining center medians improvements were included in the Phase 2 portion of the project which began construction in the spring of 2017.
On Thursday, June 9, 2016 one competitive bid was submitted by Morelli Landscaping, Inc. in the amount of $265,624.00. Construction Services staff contacted the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to inquire if the City awarded a project to a lone bidder would it be allowed under the grant guidelines. FDOT staff expressed no objections to awarding the project to Morelli Landscaping, Inc. as they had worked with them on similar projects and have found them to be reliable, honest and fully committed to the installation of exceptional landscapes. Construction Services staff contacted one of the landscaping companies that had picked up a copy of the Invitation to Bid (ITB) as well. The purpose of the contact was to inquire why they did not bid on the project. The company's response was the project was too small for them to have an acceptable return on their investment.
As City Council is aware, reimbursement funding in the amount of $546,543 for the phase 2 portion of the project was approved by FDOT. Construction Services staff contacted the contractor, Morelli Landscaping Inc., to see if they were capable of performing the additional work as called out in phase 2 of landscape plantings. The contractor reviewed the quantities and agreed to the same unit pricing, terms, and conditions as under the existing contract agreement for Phase 1, ITB No. 16-014. This
agreement was executed in the form of a contract change order and approved by City Council at its regularly scheduled meeting on February 7, 2017. The FDOT was informed of the change order process and expressed to the City that they had no objections under the guidelines for grant reimbursement.