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Oak Park MAC forms Ad‑Hoc committee after landscaping RFP shows steep cost jump
Summary
Members voted to form an Ad‑Hoc committee and scheduled a Nov. 12 special meeting after a presentation showed landscape renewal bids rising to roughly $394,012 (from prior $128,000), with projected CSA4 costs potentially increasing $377,000–$437,000. The MAC will revisit scope and service levels.
The Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council voted Oct. 24 to form an Ad‑Hoc committee and hold a special meeting Nov. 12 to review a landscaping Request for Proposal that produced bids far higher than the current contract.
Joan Araujo, Director of Central Services for Ventura County Public Works, presented Fiscal Year 2024–25 figures for Community Service Area 4 (CSA4). She said CSA4 closed 2024 with a $9,328 surplus and a reserve balance of $2,117,114. Major revenue was listed as property tax of $954,064. Major expenses included utilities ($311,774), landscape maintenance ($170,370), landscape repair/replacement ($128,602) and crossing guards (about $264,000).
Araujo reported a current landscape bid of $394,012 compared with a prior baseline near $128,000. She said a non‑toxic pest management option raised a bid to $454,500. Countywide contract renewals average an 84% increase, she said, while Oak Park’s bids were roughly double that. Araujo warned that language in the RFP—terms such as “garden like”—and time‑and‑materials pricing drove higher estimates.
MAC members raised questions about the RFP scope and timing. J.L. Diaz asked whether the RFP had taken too long and whether the budget has enough runway; Araujo said a new scope would require a new RFP and that the county’s lead landscaper would help craft service levels. Vice Chair Michelle Santucci asked whether the RFP could separate baseline services from optional “garden‑like” add‑ons to enable clearer comparisons; Araujo said the current wording affected bidders’ cost estimates.
Chair Brian Trushinski said “words matter” in defining scope and pressed for broader MAC participation in the review. Seema Chandra moved to form an Ad‑Hoc Committee to examine the landscaping budget and scope; the motion, amended to schedule a Special Meeting on Nov. 12, 2024 at 7:00 PM, passed.
The Ad‑Hoc committee is charged with reviewing possible scope reductions, alternative service levels, and whether irrigation/drip services should be added as a separate line item. The presentation estimated that landscaping and related increases could push the CSA4 projected budget to about $1.3 million, representing a $377,000–$437,000 increase over the current baseline.
The MAC requested that the County lead landscaper provide options for scope adjustments and that the Supervisor’s office facilitate public input at the upcoming special meeting.
