File #: 17-505    Version: 1
Type: BID, RFP, RFQ, COOP, SOLE SOURCE, OPTION YEAR Status: Passed
File created: 6/12/2017 In control: City Council
On agenda: 9/19/2017 Final action: 9/19/2017
Title: Approve the Award of RFP 17-097, Holiday Lighting and Decorations, to Holiday Creations Pro, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $195,500 and for a two-year term.
Related files: 22-1101, 19-625, 20-617, 21-0722, 18-874, 23-0919

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM

 

ACTION REQUESTED:
title

Approve the Award of RFP 17-097, Holiday Lighting and Decorations, to Holiday Creations Pro, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $195,500 and for a two-year term. 

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DEPARTMENT:                     Department of Public Works

 

SUBMITTED BY:                     Richard Dublinski, Director of Public Works                     

 

BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A                     

 

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Public Works (DPW) is responsible for holiday lighting and decorations in the Central Business District (CBD).  In the past, this has consisted of holiday lighting for approximately 200 trees, rooftop lighting, and lit garland on streetlight poles.  The holiday lighting for the trees has traditionally been completed in-house while the installation and maintenance of existing lights on the front façade of the CBD businesses and the streetlight pole garland has been contracted out.

 

Over the past few years, DPW staff has worked closely with the Downtown Naperville Alliance to examine the holiday lighting and decoration program and to develop a specification for an improved, environmentally friendly, and cost effective program that will attract patrons to the CBD during the holiday season and winter months.   The rooftop lighting had been installed and maintained gradually over time, and the condition of the rooftop lighting has been quickly deteriorating, resulting in the need to develop a multi-year program to replace this lighting.  The DNA was interested in not only updating and improving the rooftop lighting and tree lighting, but also in supplementing that lighting with additional seasonal street level displays.  The goal of this procurement is to develop a cohesive holiday lighting program, where all elements of the seasonal lighting complement each other and create a beautiful atmosphere for the downtown. In addition, through the discussions with the vendors it was found that the LED lighting will last for multiple years and will result in future savings in material and energy costs.

 

The holiday lighting and decoration program will include the following:

 

                     In year one of the contract, tree lighting will continue to be completed in-house with incandescent bulbs. These bulbs are disposed of at the end of every season as their useful life is not long enough to last more than one season. In-house crews will also be installing LED lighting on Water and Webster Streets as a pilot program so that staff can examine whether or not the LED lighting will be contracted out in the future.  The LED lights are expected to have a life of 8 years, and would need to be carefully taken down and stored at the end of each season.  A program of LED tree lighting is expected to result in long term savings on the cost of the lights.  Tree lighting will run from mid-November through Mid-March.

                     Roof top Lighting - The existing lighting will be evaluated and a program will be established to replace the roof top lighting with LED lighting over a period of two years.  In 2017, new lights will be installed on Water Street and Chicago Avenue. The condition of all of the roof top lighting will be analyzed and prioritized for replacement.  This will result in consistently lit rooftop lighting, and maintenance costs will decrease in future years.

                     Garland:  The existing garland will be reused and installed by the vendor with replacements provided as needed.

                     Other holiday displays:  Staff is currently working with the vendor to develop a program that will add festive holiday displays throughout the downtown as the budget allows.  These items will add a street level element to the holiday lighting program. 

 

DISCUSSION:

In June 2017, DPW issued RFP 17-097 soliciting proposals for the purchase, installation, maintenance and project management of the Central Business District (CBD) holiday store front lighting and holiday decorations.

 

Advertisement Date:                      07/14/17                                          Notices Sent:                                          110

Opening Date                                          01/30/17                                          Planholders:                                              6

                                                                                                                                                   RFP Responses:                         5

 

Proposals were received from the following vendors:

American Holiday Lights

Holiday Creations Pro, Inc

Landscape Illumination/DLS Illumination Inc.

McFarlane Douglass & Companies

Temple Display, Ltd.

 

A selection team consisting of staff from DPW and the Downtown Naperville Alliance reviewed the proposals. Proposals were scored with staff reviewing holiday lighting options for Central Business District building and trees, as well as other decorations during the holiday season and winter months. 

 

Proposals were scored based on the following criteria set forth in the RFP:

 

                     Capability, Capacity and Qualifications of the Proposer (25%)

                     Quality of Products and Concepts (30%)                     

                     Quality of the Service Approach/Methodology (20%)

                     Achievement of Outcomes (25%)

 

After review and scoring of the proposals, the selection committee invited the top three firms, American Holiday Lights, Holiday Creations Pro, Inc and McFarlane Douglass & Companies, for interviews. Following completion of interviews, the selection team rescored the firms. All three firms were invited to attend a scoping meeting and were given an opportunity to complete cost proposals for holiday lighting and decorations.  The firm with the lowest adjusted fee, Holiday Creations Pro, Inc., is recommended for the award.  The table below provides a summary of the final scores.

 

 

NAME OF FIRM

PROPOSED FEE

QUALIFICATION SCORE

QUALITY ADJUSTED FEE

Holiday Creations Pro, Inc.

$103,603.10

93.85

$110,392.22

American Holiday Lights

$129,252.00

72.40

$178,524.86

McFarlane Douglas Co

$122,394.75

89,25

$137,136.97

 

As part of the cost proposals, the firms were asked to submit pricing for the same sample holiday displays as a means to fairly compare pricing.  The award amount is based on budget and final seasonal display options negotiated with the recommended vendor for a two-year period.

 

The term of this contract is for two years from date of the award through April 30, 2019, with six, one-year extensions available.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

CIP #: N/A

 

Holiday lighting and decorations are expensed to the support services and supply accounts below.  A total of $72,500 is budgeted in CY2017 for holiday lighting.  Additional funding needed for the first year of the contract will be available through savings in other programs such as winter operations in the SSA 26 Fund.  The budget for CY2018 will be increased to reflect the additional cost needed for the second year of the contract.

 

The total contract cost will be split as follows, $79,500 in year one and $116,000 in year two.  The increased year two cost reflects the incorporation of contracted tree lighting service. 

 

The first two years of the contract involve the purchase of LED lighting.  It is expected that for years 3-8 of the contract, the total cost of the contract will be reduced, as this material will not need to be repurchased as it was in the past.

 

Account Number

Fund Description

Total Amount

136-4010-566.30-29

S.S.A. 26 Fund

$435,178

136-4010-566.60-63

S.S.A. 26 Fund

$61,750