26-002 Landscaping Services

The City of Flowery Branch, Georgia, in Hall County, issued an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for landscaping services at multiple municipal locations, with sealed bids due on November 18, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. EST at City Hall (5410 Pine Street, Flowery Branch, GA 30542). The procurement encompasses comprehensive landscaping maintenance and enhancement services across six designated sites: City Hall & Police Department Grounds, Amphitheater Grounds, Main Street (Railroad Avenue to Mitchell Street), Railroad Avenue Market Pavilion, Roundabout, and Jones Park. The scope of work includes mowing, edging, weed eating, tree and shrub pruning, debris blowing, weed control, scalping, winter cutbacks, leaf cleanup, trash removal, pine straw installation, mulch application, sod installation, and seasonal flower installations. Bidders must provide detailed pricing for each individual site location and indicate whether price increases are anticipated during the 12-month contract period with specification of minimum notice periods. Required qualifications include comprehensive insurance coverage (Workers' Compensation at statutory minimum of $100,000/accident, General Liability at $1,000,000, Automobile Liability at $1,000,000, and Excess Umbrella Liability at $2,000,000), evidence of relevant experience, special expertise, and portfolio examples demonstrating capability. The mandatory pre-bid meeting was held on October 21, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. EST with site visits to follow, the deadline for bid questions was October 24, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. EST, and the 90-day bid validity period commenced from the November 18, 2025 bid opening date. Evaluation criteria required bids to be responsive and responsible, with the City reserving the right to reject any or all bids and select the bid deemed most advantageous to the City.

No set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises were identified in the procurement documents. The current service providers include Twin Brothers Landscape, Turf Mark, and Tri-Scapes, with Twin Brothers Landscape holding a Right of First Refusal agreement allowing them to match any competing bid. Tri-Scapes holds a contract through August 7, 2025, at $1 per month, while Twin Brothers Landscape's contract runs from May 12, 2023 to May 12, 2024 at $875.00 monthly with automatic renewal provisions. Irrigation maintenance is limited to repairs caused by damage only, with no obligation for system failure repairs, including ten irrigation zones at City Hall and Police Department and fifteen zones at the Amphitheater serving multiple downtown locations. Yellowstone Landscape, LLC of Gainesville, Georgia, was selected as the apparent successful bidder with an award amount of $31,819.00 according to the Notice of Intent to Award posted on January 8, 2026. Bid bond requirements did not apply if the total proposal did not exceed $250,000.00 per O.C.G.A. 36-91-50; however, performance and payment bonds equal to the full contract amount were required for contracts of $100,000 or greater. Historical pricing data indicated the City paid $57.20 per cubic yard for mulch and $1,652.00 each for spring and fall seasonal flower installations, with Fiscal Year 2025 maintenance costs totaling $35,114.96 and enhancement costs totaling $30,326.25.