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Denver Parks and Recreation asks council to approve 19 on‑call landscape design contracts; 10 ecological contracts presented for information
Summary
Denver Parks and Recreation presented 19 proposed on‑call landscape architecture contracts (to be voted on at the council floor) and described 10 ecological restoration contracts that were informational only; DPR officials said the on‑call lists speed project starts and prevent procurement gaps when existing contracts expire in June.
Denver Parks and Recreation asked the Parks, Arts and Culture Committee to send 19 on‑call landscape architecture design contracts to the city council floor for approval and outlined a separate list of 10 ecological restoration contracts that will be brought forward when finalized.
Kristen Beard, design and construction supervisor for DPR, told the committee that on‑call contracts create a pre‑approved pool of consultants familiar with DPR standards and “condense timelines and provide more efficient project starts,” allowing the city to encumber funds and reduce repeated procurement steps. Jessica Anderson, DPR’s Urban Ecology Supervisor, said the ecological restoration on‑call list includes 10 firms and that each restoration contract has a maximum capacity of $3,000,000 over four years, with an option for a one‑year extension.
Committee members pressed DPR on oversight and community input for strategic planning work placed on on‑call contracts. Councilmember Hines asked about the time sensitivity; Beard replied, “our existing on call contracts, they are expiring in June,” and the department wants the new contracts executed to avoid a gap that would slow bond and CIP projects. Members also asked whether on‑call work would be used for both operational tasks (sprinkler repair, mowing) and higher‑level vision planning; DPR staff said both types of work are anticipated but described procedures that limit disproportionate allocations to a single consultant and require competitive mini‑bids for larger projects.
DPR described the proposed contract structure: 19 firms for landscape architecture planning and design, split into pools that include 14 MWBE‑designated consultants (each with a $2,500,000 contract capacity over four years) and five SBE firms (each with a $1,500,000 capacity). DPR said the pools are designed to support bond, CIP and legacy projects and to expand opportunities for small and minority‑ and women‑owned businesses. Jessica Anderson also listed selected ecology firms (including Aloterra Restoration Services, Biohabitats, ERO Resources, GEI Consultants, LandTech, Matrix Design Group and Stantec) and cited example scopes such as habitat connectivity work, Sloans Lake assessment, and prairie dog/beaver management.
Chair Flora Alvarez called for a committee motion; Councilwoman Shantel Lewis moved and Councilmember Hines seconded advancing the on‑call contracts to the council floor. The committee approved sending the item to the floor (no roll call was recorded in the transcript).
DPR staff said they will follow up to provide committee members with project lists, expenditure history from the prior on‑call tranche, and additional details about water‑use coordination with Denver Water for native‑landscape conversions. The committee moved to the next presentation.
