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Radio Road Beautification MSTU Minutes 02/11/2013February 11, 2013 Radio Road Beautification M.S.T.U. Advisory Committee 3299 East Tamiami Trail Suite 103 APR 1 Zdli3 Naples FL 34112 February 11, 2013 MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chairman Dale Lewis at 2:10 PM. II. ATTENDANCE: Members: Dale Lewis, Chairman Helen Carella, Jerry Parillo, Fred Rogers, John Weber County: Darryl Richard — MSTU Project Manager Michelle Arnold — Director, ATM Department Pam Lulich — Land Operations Manager Roger Dick — Project Manager, Road Maintenance Irrigation Others: Albert Benarroch — Affordable Landscaping Service & Design, LLC Scott Windham — Windham Studio, Inc. (Anne Iacuzzo — JuriStaff ) III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chairman Lewis moved to approve February 11, 2013 agenda as presented. Second by Fred Rogers. Carried unanimously, 5 — 0. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: January 14, 2013 Correction: • Page 3 (second paragraph): "Hunnula" was changed to "Hannula" Fred Rogers moved to approve the Minutes of the January 14, 2013 meeting as amended. Second by Chairman Lewis. Carried unanimously, 5 — 0. V. TRANSPORTATION SERVICES REPORT A. Budget Report — Darryl Richard (Report attached: "Radio Road MSTU— Fund 158, February 11, 2013 ") • Current Ad Valorem Tax: $ 308,200.00 • Received to Date: $ 246,405.22 • Available Total: $ 61,794.78 (not received) February 11, 2013 Darryl Richard referred to Line 16 ( "Other Contractual Services ") and stated: • $55,000 had been budgeted initially for maintenance services • Open Purchase Orders in the amount of $1,450.00 • $30,550 has been spent to date • The Report indicates $23,000 is "available" Mr. Richard noted the Report had been prepared approximately six days earlier and did not include additional billings from the Maintenance Contractor which were to be submitted by the end of the January. The invoices have been received and were recently entered into the system. He stated manual hand weeding performed by the Contractor has been very costly. The adjusted figure for Line 16 is a negative balance of $2,000. He explained the manual hand weeding, the major contributor to the deficit, required four workers to be on site for three, eight -hour days. • Operating Expense: $ 160,000.00 • Open Purchase Orders: $ 47,731.90 • Spent to date: $ 39,522.16 • Operating Funds Available $ 47,745.00 ** * * Includes all payments to the Contractor to date (January) It was noted Caroline Soto has been requested to email an updated revised Budget Report to the Committee members. Mr. Richard stated the Report illustrates the need to move funds from "Capital Improvement" and "Operating." He explained if line item allocations are exceeded prior to the end of a Fiscal Year, the Budget should accommodate the additional monies that will be needed for the remainder of the Fiscal Year. He further stated Caroline Soto recommended a Budget Amendment of $20,000 (minimum) to cover maintenance. • Capital Outlay (available): $ 390,300.00 • Reserves: $ 3,200.00 • Total Budget: $ 498,271.48 B. Project Manager Report Darryl Richard stated he has received quotes for maintenance. Chairman Lewis asked if the County had any suggestions to prevent the situation from occurring in the future. He expressed concern that $23,000 was spent plus an additional $2,000 for grounds maintenance when several Committee members doubted the Contractor's workers had been on site as often as was indicated. He further stated, "We are paying this guy for nothing. He stole from us." Darryl Richard stated he could not be present every day to check and acknowledged the "cat and mouse" game was frustrating. He concurred hand weeding was very expensive February 11, 2013 Chairman Lewis stated the Committee could "police" the Contractor because Fred Rogers is a full -time resident. Darryl Richard stated he contacted Hannula Landscaping to follow -up on complaints that workers were not present and was told the "make up day is tomorrow." Fred Rogers noted the statement that the Contractor's workers had been present on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday for eight hours a day with three or four men was not true. Chairman Lewis asked if there was reasonable doubt to contest the billings presented by the Contractor. Scott Windham noted some time was lost while trying to develop a mulching proposal and obtaining approval. He stated he had offered some ideas but the difficulty was the hand weeding. The goal of the mulching project was to expend funds only once. Chairman Lewis supported mulching as a way to stop the financial "bleeding." Darryl Richard stated two proposals had been received in response to RFQ #032 ( "Request for Quote ") for the Devonshire Blvd. Roadway Grounds Maintenance contract. Base bids: • Hannula Landscaping - $68,585.33 • Commercial Land - $55,978.65 He explained a number of miscellaneous line items were factored into the bids which brought Hannula's Total Base Bid to $79,214.08 and Commercial Land's Total Base Bid to $65,633.45. Chairman Lewis stated Commercial Land had been contracted by the MSTU previously and the work was "fantastic." He objected to the County's policy of always accepting the lowest bid regardless of the bidder's qualifications. The entire Committee had protested to the Board of County Commissioners because "we wanted to keep Commercial Land in the worst way." He further stated "every time we are forced to use the lowest bid, we get burned." Darryl Richard stated he had spoken to Bob at Commercial Land and was told hand weeding was "ridiculous" and the issue could have been addressed by the use of a herbicide. He noted any treatment should be applied gingerly so as not to affect the plants. Chairman Lewis asked if $50,000 had been spent on weeding and the response was "yes." Chairman Lewis moved to approve accepting the bid from Commercial Land Second by pied Rogers. Carried unanimously, S — 0. Chairman Lewis asked how much money should be moved over to cover the short fall in the Budget. Darryl Richard suggested $60,000 to be prudent since the Budget authorization for the line item had been exceeded. February 11, 2013 Q. What is the procedure? Do we have one? If someone says they are doing extra work but there's no one there to verify." A. (Chairman Lewis) As Darryl said, it "he said — he said." I believe Fred. Fred Rogers stated he could produce witnesses who were also watching Chairman Lewis noted Hannula claimed his workers were not available on a particular day but they made up for it by working another day. He stated he had seen the workers hand weeding as well as not seeing them on certain days. Darryl Richard will consult his notes, stating it may be possible to "ding" them for a few days but it would be difficult to verify when or if the equipment broke down (the excuse offered). He stated there was a procedure to address the issue through the County's Purchasing Department. Q. "Is there any way to verify that they showed up? Do they call you to say `we're here today' ?" A. (DR) Yes. Q. "And then `we're leaving now — its 4:00 and we're done weeding for the day.' Is there something like that ?" A. (DR) Yes. Q. "But for special projects — obviously we know when the grass is cut — but for special projects like that when they're saying they were here for three or four days ..." Chairman Lewis: "We were paying extra money outside the Budget to try to fix a problem. I agree that someone should have been here." John Weber: "I don't think it should be incumbent on us to police them. I think it has to be incumbent upon them to prove that they were here." Darryl Richard suggested contacting the Purchasing Department who can request documentation such as log sheets from the Contractor. A suggestion was made to reject payment of the invoice. Chairman Lewis suggested that, for special projects in the future, the MSTU should hire Scott Windham to supervise who will represent the MSTU. He stated he would rather pay the Landscape Architect $3,000 to $5,000 rather than waste $50,000. Darryl Richard stated he would like to schedule a pre -kick off meeting with Scott Windham and a representative from the Committee to discuss the MSTU's expectations with Commercial Land. He stated he respected Commercial Land's qualification but wanted to ensure that the MSTU's money is well spent. Scott Windham concurred stating the weeding project was beyond the specific type of oversight. He agreed scheduling a big kick -off meeting where all expectations could be discussed could be beneficial, especially with weekly follow -up. Chairman Lewis agreed and asked if more than one representative from the MSTU could be present. He suggested including Jerry Parillo in addition to himself. Darryl Richard replied a special field meeting could be held. He suggested starting with Devonshire and later expanding to include Radio Road. February 11, 2013 It was noted that Affordable Landscaping had begun working on Radio Road. Chairman Lewis noted improvements in the property's appearance have occurred recently and stated "everything looks nice and neat." Mr. Benarrock stated his company was in the process of finishing the last few loose ends left by the previous contractor. He stated he would welcome updates and suggestions from the Committee. Darryl Richard stated Commercial Land was confident the weed issue could be addressed through the appropriate use of herbicide and would not necessitate his workers being on site three days per week. He will set up an initial meeting to begin the project and confirmed the Purchase Order would be sent within the next two days. Mr. Richard noted he was waiting for a quote for the memorial for Betty Schudel. A plaque had been purchased. He stated if the quote was less than $3,000, he could issue a Purchase Order immediately. It was noted rocks were not allowed in the right of way. The rock that was chosen to display the plaque could be moved to any location on property. John Weber moved to approve transferring $60,000 from Capital Improvements to Line 16, "Other Contractual Services." Second by Fred Rogers. Discussion: • Chairman Lewis expressed his frustration and concern stating "This slipped through our fingers — should have stopped it when it was only $20,000. We let this happen to us. Not again — it won't happen again." • He stated parameters would be placed in motion to ensure it would not happen again. Chairman Lewis called for a vote and noted the motion was made "under protest." Motion carried unanimously, S — 0. John Weber moved to approve requesting the County's Purchase OKIce investigate the bills from Hannula Landscaping and that documentation is submitted to prove their claims. Second by Chairman Lewis. Carried unanimously, S — 0. VII. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT REPORT A. Windham Studio, Inc. — Scott Windham The "Radio Road Monthly Maintenance Report" which was previously submitted to the Committee detailed plans regarding weeding on Devonshire and trimming on Radio Road. He stated he would continue to research herbicide applications while waiting to receive the Purchase Order to use mulch. He noted it may not be necessary to apply mulch if the herbicide is successful. He stated he would be interested to hear Commercial Land's opinion concerning herbicide versus mulch. February 11, 2013 Darryl Richard noted a R -O -W inspector had contacted him regarding the level of fill material in the beds and he suggested increasing it. Pam Lulich cited a drop -off along the sidewalk which is a hazard ( "tripping ") and does not meet the MRP standards of less than one inch. She suggested adding plants along the edge or using soil/mulch which must be maintained. She stated there were other concerns about drainage — water appears to "sit." Darryl Richard noted soil does compact. He stated if there was a washout due to storms during the rainy season and mulch travels into the median, it may be necessary to clean the streets as well as the culverts. It is a maintenance obligation which had been acknowledged at the beginning of the project. He concluded that swapping sod for the Asian Jasmine plants was "a better deal" for the community and may reduce costs considerably in the future. (Michelle Arnold arrived at 3:00 PM.) Pam Lulich noted Affordable, not Hannula, had trimmed the shrubs and removed the dead "Crown of Thorns" as requested. She noted there was an open P.O. for fertilizing in February (approximately $9,000). She will concentrate the funds on supporting the health of the palms. She stated dead "Crowns" will be replaced with blueberry plants as necessary. She also noted bids received have increased by 25% from last year. A question was asked concerning the cost to mulch Radio Road in previous years. Pam Lulich replied that last year there was a "blanket" P.O. of approximately $25,0000. She suggested fertilizing before mulching. Discussion ensued regarding the accident that happened that morning (pick -up truck in the median). The sprinkler head will be repaired before watering is resumed in order to avoid flooding the area. Chairman Lewis suggested before any mulching occurs that the entire Committee walk the roadway with Scott and Darryl. Darryl Richard suggested allowing Commercial Land approximately two months to "get on track" on Devonshire. He further suggested scheduling two meetings in May, i.e., the regular monthly meeting and a second for a walk through on Devonshire and Radio Road. Chairman Lewis moved to approve scheduling two meetings in May. Second by John Weber. Carried unanimously, S — 0. VI. LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE REPORT A. Affordable Landscaping — Al Benarroch Mr. Benarroch stated his company began work last Tuesday afternoon and finished at 4:00 PM on Wednesday. He noted every bush from Santa Barbara to Radio Road had been trimmed and the tall weeds were removed by hand while the smaller ones were sprayed. February 11, 2013 He observed: • Some of the Lantanas were dying. • There were some bare spots on the turf. • The orange "Birds of Paradise" are infected with `white fly.' • Mulch is needed in several areas. Suggested plan of action: • Spray all bushes to prevent `white fly' infestation. • Royal Palms — must be injected — not sprayed — against `white fly.' • Sprinkler system was checked and appears to be in working order. • Trim palms as necessary • Saw Palmettos are too thick and should be thinned out — too tall He asked for direction concerning the bushes near the mixing tank. Darryl Richard stated a Purchase Order is in the system concerning replacement of the control system ( "VFD" — Variable Drive Frequency). It had been suggested to substitute a simpler system ( "on/off'). The quote presented at the last meeting was for $2,700 while the Purchase Order alternate is approximately$800. Darryl Richard stated the new contractor will be instructed on oiling the split switches in the vat. Roger Dick explained that periodic adjustments are needed. He stated when the pressure was reduced from 60 psi to 20 psi, the water was directed to Devonshire which resulted in bald spots elsewhere. Darryl Richard confirmed the County will work with the new contractor to optimize the float switches. Pam Lulich noted the Fire Bush around the mixing chamber was very tall and needs to be trimmed in addition to trimming the Viburnum shrubs. Chairman Lewis stated the residents do not want the box to be visible. Scott Windham suggested a stair -step approach, i.e., residents leaving would not see the box but visibility would not be blocked. Al Bennaroch stated he also noticed evidence of sooty mold on some plants. Darryl Richard noted he will obtain a quote to install the memorial plaque. Al Bennaroch asked to see the plaque and stated he could install it at the located chosen by the Committee. Pam Lulich reminded the Committee that a contract has been presented to the Board of County Commissioners. Darryl Richard pointed out as long as the amount was less than $3,000, a P.O. was sufficient. Mr. Bennaroch confirmed he could install the plaque for $750 plus 20% within a week after the rock was selected. Consensus: Mr. Bennaroch will work with Scott Windham to complete the project. Suggestion: Schedule the dedication ceremony prior to the end of March. February 11, 2013 B. Rich King Greenway Darryl Richard stated the County's in -house surveyor has been contacted and the survey should be completed within 30 days. The surveyor indicated the cost will be approximately $1,300. The lowest bid submitted previously was for $4,500. After the survey data is received, he can contact the County Attorney's Office to draft the Amendment to the Ordinance. A R -O -W permit is not required. He will schedule a meeting with Parks and Recreation to review the overall details. Chairman Lewis suggested tabling the project until Radio Road and Devonshire are "up to snuff." He cautioned against mining out of funds before both areas were finished to the residents' satisfaction. VIII. OLD BUSINESS • Chairman Lewis requested an update on the motion made at the January meeting to approve $5,500 for the application of mulch and top soil beneath the Clusia hedges from Belville to Santa Barbara. He asked if the funds had been expended. • Darryl Richard verified the mulching had been completed and he would review the bill to verify the exact amount charged to the MSTU. IX. NEW BUSINESS Other Landscape Maintenance Contracts • Darryl Richard confirmed the Golden Gate will be bid out — a new RFP ( "Request for Proposal ") will be issued for Sunshine, Tropicana, Coronado, and Golden Gate Boulevard. • Michelle Arnold noted there had been different issues concerning the roadways in the MSTU. • Pam Lulich stated the landscape contractors will be required to prove they have obtained a pesticide license and staff will undergo continuing education. X. COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS • Chairman Lewis stated a safety net has been put in place. Scott Windham will monitor the weeding situation and the use of herbicide. XI. PUBLIC COMMENTS (None) NEXT MEETING: March 11, 2013 — 2:00 PM. Berkshire Lakes Master Association Clubhouse 495 Belville Blvd., Naples, FL 34104 There being no further business to come before the Committee, the public meeting was concluded at 3:20 PM. February 11, 2013 RADIO ROAD BEAUTIFICATION MSTU ADVISORY COMMITTEE DALE LEWIS, CHAtAMAN The Minutes were approved by the Committee Chair orL j,C , 2013 "as presented" " OR "as amended" [-XI.