The request of staff for the City Council is to review the attached RFP #19-004 and to consider for approval and award of the sole/low bid submitted by Grow Incorporated for yard debris grinding services in the amount not to exceed $550.00 per hour. 

As City Council may recall, the current yard debris grinding contract expires on January 20, 2019.  The existing contract was executed in 2015 with pricing at $525.00 an hour for this type of service. 

As Council is aware, the City's Public Works Department collects yard debris as a service for the residents of New Port Richey.  The yard debris is collected and transported to a City owned property located at 6420 Pine Hill Road.  The processing and storage of the debris is regulated through a Florida Department of Environmental Protection Yard Vegetation Transfer Site Permit.  Once the debris is dropped off at the site, it is pushed up into a pile until grinding of the debris is scheduled.  The grinding process occurs about every six months depending on collection frequency, amount collected, and storage site capacity.  Once the grinding of the material is completed it is made available back to the residents to be used for compost in gardens and flower beds at no charge.  Through the years, staff has performed cost comparisons between purchasing equipment to perform the grinding in-house or continuing the existing contractual service for this type of activity.  The results continue to demonstrate that contractual service agreements are more financially responsible than the purchasing of the equipment for the amount of usage the City historically performs this type of activity.