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Leon County
Board of County Commissioners Agenda Item#11 January 27, 2026 |
| To: | Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board |
| From: | Vincent S. Long, County Administrator |
| Title: | Bid Award for the Maintenance of Landscaping on Portions of Capital Circle Southwest and Capital Circle Southeast |
| Review and Approval: | Vincent S. Long, County Administrator |
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Department/Division Review and Approval: |
Ken Morris, Assistant County Administrator Nawfal Ezzagaghi, Assistant County Administrator Brent Pell, Director, Public Works |
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Lead Staff/ Project Team: |
Andrew Riley, Director of Operations Dean Richards, Right-of-Way Superintendent Melanie Hooley, Purchasing Director Timothy Barden, Administrative Service Manager |
Statement of Issue:
This item seeks Board approval of the bid award to the lowest responsive bidder, Rotolo Consultants, Inc., in the amount of $173,640, for the maintenance of portions of the landscaping along Capital Circle Southwest and Capital Circle Southeast on behalf of the County.
Fiscal Impact:
This item has a fiscal impact. This item has been budgeted and adequate funding is available in the Public Works Operations budget. A portion of these costs are offset by a separate agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for financial reimbursement to the County for the costs associated with this maintenance.
Staff Recommendation:
Option #1: Approve the bid award to Rotolo Consultants, Inc., in the amount of $173,640, for the maintenance of portions of landscaping along Capital Circle Southwest and Capital Circle Southeast, and authorize the County Administrator to execute the Agreement (Attachment #1), and any amendments thereto, subject to legal review by the County Attorney.
Report and Discussion
Background:
This item seeks Board approval of the bid award to the lowest responsive bidder, Rotolo Consultants, Inc., in the amount of $173,640, for the maintenance of portions of the landscaping along Capital Circle Southwest and Capital Circle Southeast on behalf of the County.
The proposed contract for landscape maintenance includes a 2.3-mile section of Capital Circle Southwest from Cascade Drive north to Shuler Road, a ½ mile segment of Capital Circle Southeast from Tram Road south to the City limit, and a ⅓ mile segment of Capital Circle Southeast from Woodville Highway east to the City limit (Attachment #2).
During the project design phases for these sections of Capital Circle, enhanced landscaping for aesthetic purposes was approved by the Board and incorporated into the design for this state road. As a result of this supplemental landscaping and the increased cost to maintain, the County and the City agreed to assume responsibility from FDOT for the landscape maintenance of this state road within their respective jurisdictions after construction. In June and July 2018, the Board formally accepted maintenance responsibility for these segments of Capital Circle with the approval of Maintenance Agreements with FDOT. On April 23, 2019, the Board approved an Interlocal Agreement with the City of Tallahassee (City) to maintain the County’s sections for better coordination of local roadway maintenance. The Interlocal Agreement with the City expired on May 9, 2025.
On September 15, 2025, staff presented an agenda item recommending Board approval of a new Interlocal Agreement with the City to provide landscape maintenance services. These services extend beyond routine mowing and must be in accordance with FDOT’s Landscape Care Guide which encompasses turf and landscape care, tree pruning and replacement in accordance with American National Standard Institute A300 standards, landscape plantings and replacement including knowledge of FDOT’s Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council's List of Invasive Plant Species prohibited in FDOT project sites, irrigation maintenance, litter control, and maintenance of traffic in accordance with FDOT standards.
Prior to recommending execution of a new agreement, staff reevaluated the feasibility of maintaining the County’s landscaped segments of Capital Circle using Public Works employees and determined that in-house staffing did not possess the necessary qualifications nor would it be efficient to hire credentialed staff in-house to perform the work compared to the renewal costs proposed under the City’s Interlocal Agreement. Following discussion, the Board directed the County Administrator to both execute a one-year agreement with the City, subject to mutual agreement, and concurrently prepare an Invitation to Bid to competitively procure landscape maintenance services.
Subsequently, the City declined to enter into a one-year agreement, and the Invitation to Bid process was initiated immediately thereafter.
To offset landscape maintenance costs, the County has a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with FDOT that provides financial reimbursement to the County for the landscaping maintenance of select state roadways in unincorporated Leon County. For aesthetic purposes, these segments of roadways were designed by Blueprint or FDOT with enhanced or supplemental landscaping which requires the maintenance of all turf, landscaping, tree pruning and litter control. For the segments of Capital Circle which the County is responsible to maintain, a portion of the County’s landscaping costs will be offset by financial reimbursement from FDOT. The FDOT payments cover a portion of the full costs of the maintenance because FDOT only reimburses at the rate for normal routine maintenance (mow, cut and/or trim grass and litter control) rather than the enhanced landscaping selected by local jurisdictions.
Analysis:
The Invitation to Bid for Capital Circle Landscape Maintenance (BC-2026-002) was advertised through the automated procurement system OpenGov Procurement and in the Leon County Legal Notices on October 21, 2025. A total of 9,546 vendors were notified through the automated procurement system. A total of 50 bid packages were requested. The County received seven bids, however, four were deemed non-responsive because the vendors did not meet the FDOT-required contractor qualifications. The lowest responsive bid was submitted by Rotolo Consultants, Inc. in the amount of $173,640.
As described earlier, this Landscape Maintenance Bid covers services along designated FDOT roadway segments. While routine mowing is a component of the services, the scope of work includes a broader range of landscape maintenance activities associated with enhanced and supplemental landscaping. These services are required to be performed in accordance with FDOT’s Landscape Care Guide and include turf and landscape maintenance; tree pruning and replacement in compliance with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 standards; maintenance and replacement of landscape plantings, including adherence to FDOT restrictions regarding invasive species identified by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council; irrigation system maintenance; litter control; and maintenance of traffic in accordance with FDOT standards.
Accordingly, the Agreement reflects a comprehensive roadway landscape maintenance program that extends beyond routine mowing services and requires specialized technical knowledge (FDOT and ANSI landscape standards), regulatory compliance (FDOT right-of-way, environmental, and traffic control requirements), and operational capacity (specialized equipment, and certifications necessary for work within active roadways).
The Minority, Women, & Small Business Enterprise (MWSBE) Division reviewed the project and determined that aspirational goals are prohibited because the services are partially funded by FDOT using federal pass-through funds. However, consistent with Leon County’s policy of encouraging small business participation, the Purchasing and MWSBE Divisions conducted outreach efforts to ensure broad awareness of the solicitation opportunity and directly notified certified MWSBE firms of the solicitation and encouraged interested firms to compete as prime contractors. These efforts were intended to encourage participation and support the County’s MWSBE program objectives.
This item recommends Board approval of the bid award and authorization for the County Administrator to execute the Agreement. This agreement will be for an initial term of one year, with the option to renew for up to four additional one-year periods based on satisfactory performance.
Options:
Approve the bid award to Rotolo Consultants, Inc., in the amount of $173,640, for the maintenance of portions of landscaping along Capital Circle Southwest and Capital Circle Southeast, and authorize the County Administrator to execute the Agreement (Attachment #1), and any amendments thereto, subject to legal review by the County Attorney.
Do not approve the bid award to Rotolo Consultants, Inc., in the amount of $173,640, for the maintenance of portions of landscaping along Capital Circle Southwest and Capital Circle Southeast.
Recommendation:
Option #1
Attachments: