RFP - Landscape Maintenance for Downtown Maintenance District

The City of Seaside, Oregon, operating as Benton County, has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for comprehensive landscape maintenance services in the Downtown Maintenance District under Project 2026-019. The procurement seeks qualified landscape contractors to provide maintenance services across nine designated areas including Broadway, Avenue A, Columbia Street, Downing Mall, Franklin Street, Holladay Drive, five pocket gardens on 1st Avenue, Quatat Park planting areas, and all trees in grates throughout the Downtown Core Area. The primary objective is to maintain creatively landscaped, well-groomed planting areas consistent with good landscape design and horticultural practices, with an emphasis on providing maximum color throughout the year while ensuring plant materials do not obstruct business fronts, signage, or sightlines. Required deliverables include comprehensive maintenance of planting beds, trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, and ornamental plantings, with performance standards mandating weed-free planting beds, response to maintenance deficiencies within three business days, and replacement of failed plant material within thirty days during appropriate planting seasons. Qualified contractors must be licensed as landscape contractors by the State of Oregon and maintain a business license with the City of Seaside, carry general liability and automobile liability insurance with a combined single limit of at least $2,000,000 per occurrence, and maintain workers' compensation coverage. Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria: Experience and Qualifications (25%), Technical Approach and Maintenance Plan (20%), References (10%), Project Management and Staffing (10%), and Price Proposal (35%). The contract term extends from April 1, 2026 through December 31, 2030, with the RFP posted on February 27, 2026, questions and protests due by March 9, 2026 at 4:00 PM, a proposal deadline of March 18, 2026 at 3:00 PM, responses to questions posted by March 13, 2026, and a Notice of Intent to Award issued by March 20, 2026.

No set-asides or restrictions targeting disadvantaged enterprises, minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, or other designated organization types are mentioned in the RFP documentation. No incumbent contractor or current service provider information is identified in the available solicitation materials. The contract does not require integration with existing infrastructure or technology systems. Compensation will be paid in equal monthly installments, with 2026 monthly payments calculated by dividing the annual price by nine to reflect the nine-month service period beginning April 1, 2026, and subsequent year payments calculated by dividing annual prices by twelve. Bidders are required to submit itemized annual pricing for each of the five contract years and calculate a Not-To-Exceed Total Contract Price representing the sum of all annual totals across the five-year contract period; however, specific budget ranges or estimated award values are not disclosed in the RFP documentation. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and is not obligated to award to the lowest-priced bidder.