REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action to Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Colony Landscape and Maintenance, Inc. for Thatch Removal and Related Services at the Youth Soccer Park and Approve Related Budget Amendments
Report
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara (City) owns the Youth Soccer Park (YSP) located at 5020 Stars and Stripes Drive, adjacent to Levi’s Stadium. The facility consists of three fields, as summarized in Table 1 below (see Attachment 1 for the Location Map). The YSP also includes 15 dugouts, a player field building, and a maintenance service building.
Table 1: Youth Soccer Park Field Summary
|
Field(s) |
Turf Type |
Approximate Total Square Footage |
|
Field #1 and Field #3 |
Natural |
218,000 |
|
Field #2 |
Artificial |
104,000 |
On December 16, 2025 (RTC# 25-1667), the City Council approved a License Agreement (NFL License) between the City and NFL Enterprises, LLC (NFL) for use of the YSP, its facilities, and adjacent parking lots in support of Super Bowl LX operations. Under the terms of the License Agreement, the NFL agreed to facilitate certain field improvement work, as more particularly described in Exhibit B of the NFL License, which includes replacing the natural turf and installing and adjusting new irrigation heads for Fields #1 and #3 to grade (collectively, (“Field Improvement Work”), as well as paying the City for the cost of replacing fifteen existing dugouts at YSP up to the estimated total cost of $64,000.
DISCUSSION
In accordance with the terms of the NFL License, the NFL shall cause Colony Landscape & Maintenance, Inc. (Colony) to complete the Field Improvement Work. As planning for the turf replacement progressed, it was determined that removing the underlying thatch layer prior to installation would help optimize field performance and support achieving the upper end of the expected lifespan. The useful life of natural turf fields is typically 8 to 15 years, depending on the quality of the underlying construction and the level of ongoing maintenance.
While the NFL License requires the NFL to cause the replacement of the natural turf, it does not require them to remove the underlying thatch. Instead, it reserves for the City the right to implement a thatch removal program prior to the NFL’s field replacement project, with the cost of thatch removal as a City responsibility and expense.
Thatch removal is required to eliminate excessive organic buildup that can inhibit drainage, restrict nutrient absorption, and negatively impact turf health. If not addressed, these conditions may reduce the lifespan of the new turf. Fields with excessive thatch accumulation (greater than 0.5 to 1 inch), as observed at YSP, may experience extension of useful life of approximately one to two years with proper thatch removal. Removing the thatch layer will also restore proper soil conditions, promote root development, and improve the overall durability and resilience of the playing surface. This process is necessary to restore the underlying field conditions and prepare the fields for turf replacement work required under the License Agreement. The natural turf fields were last renovated in 2016 after Super Bowl 50 by the NFL. At that time, the City elected not to remove the underlying thatching. Currently, the fields are due for rehabilitation to maintain field performance and long-term usability.
The thatch removal services fall within the definition of “General Services” under Section 2.105.020(e)(1)(D) of the City Code, relating to the care and treatment of public grounds and lawns. The scope consists of soccer field surface preparation activities associated with turf rehabilitation and does not require engineering plans, specifications, or design services typically associated with capital public works delivery. Nor does the work involve “construction or improvement” as contemplated under Section 1310 of the City of Santa Clara Charter. Accordingly, the services are appropriately procured as a General Service rather than a Public Works project.
Staff is requesting City Council approval to execute an agreement with Colony for thatch removal services for Fields #1 and Field #3 (Proposed Services Agreement) pursuant to Section 2.105.280(b)(4) of the Santa Clara City Code (Single and Sole Source Procurements). This section authorizes an exemption from competitive requirements when the services are considered unique or unusual such that the requirements for competitive procurement are contrary to public interest.
The Purchasing Division Manager has determined that the proposed single source procurement is justified based on the following:
• Colony is the contractor performing the Field Improvement Work under its agreement with the NFL. Engaging Colony to also perform the thatch removal ensures a single contractor is responsible for both phases. The thatch removal process directly affects grading, compaction, and subgrade conditions, which are critical to the performance and longevity of the new turf. Utilizing a single contractor eliminates coordination gaps and ensures accountability for the final playing surface. Use of multiple contractors would make it difficult to determine responsibility for any deficiencies in grading, compaction, or turf performance.
• The City’s quoted cost of services is $2.588 per square foot of field, which equates to $0.4313 per square foot for each one-inch depth of material removed, based on a planned removal depth of six (6) inches at the YSP. Staff’s review of recent thatch removal projects completed in the region within the past two years found an average cost of $0.57 per square foot per one-inch depth of material removed. In contrast, the City has been offered a significantly lower rate of $0.4313 per square foot per one-inch depth for the YSP project. In addition, separately procuring the thatch removal work could increase overall project costs due to duplicative mobilization, site access coordination, project management, scheduling oversight, and potential rework arising from differing contractor methods or sequencing conflicts.
• Utilizing a single contractor for the Field Improvement Work and thatch removal services reduces the risk of disputes regarding responsibility of field conditions, warranties, or damages to completed improvements, which could otherwise result in change orders, administrative inefficiencies, and extended construction duration.
Based on the above, conducting a separate competitive procurement for thatch removal and awarding the work to a different contractor would introduce unnecessary risk and potential delays affecting the quality and timely completion of the Field Improvement Work. A separate solicitation for thatch removal work could also reasonably be expected to increase overall project costs. Accordingly, staff finds that separately bidding the thatch removal work would not be in the best interest of the public or the City.
Under the Proposed Service Agreement, a copy of which is included as Attachment #2, Colony will perform thatch removal for Fields #1 and #3, including removal of accumulated thatch and organic material, restoration of the underlying sand root zone, and preparation of the fields for natural turf replacement. The work will be performed in conjunction with the Field Improvement Work under the NFL License.
The cost of the thatch removal services for both fields is a not-to-exceed amount of $564,184. A 15% contingency is recommended to address any unforeseen field conditions that may increase the scope of services. Use of contingency funding is subject to review and approval by the City according to the change order process outlined in the contract and will require an amendment to the Service Agreement. The maximum allowable cost of services, inclusive of the 15% contingency funding, is $648,812. Table 2 below provides a breakdown of costs per field.
Table 2: Thatch Removal Cost Breakdown
|
Description |
Total |
|
Field #1 (approximately 114,000 sq ft; $2.588/sq ft) |
$295,032 |
|
Field #3 (approximately 104,000 sq ft; $2.588/sq ft) |
$269,152 |
|
Subtotal |
$564,184 |
|
Contingency (15%) |
$84,628 |
|
Maximum Compensation |
$648,812 |
Payment for the Services under this Service Agreement shall be made on a milestone basis as further described below and subject to review, inspection, and written approval by the City.
|
Milestone |
Amount Due |
|
Completion and acceptance of Services for Field #1 |
40% of Total Contract Amount |
|
Completion and acceptance of Services for Field #3 |
40% of Total Contract Amount |
|
Final acceptance and project close-out, including completion of Field Improvement Work, all clean-up and removal of all equipment and materials |
20% of Total Contract Amount |
Approval of the recommendations will allow the thatch removal services to be completed in advance of the turf replacement work, which is currently estimated to occur between July 2026 and October 2026. Completing this work beforehand is critical to ensuring that the fields are properly prepared to support the installation of the new turf.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This project being considered is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15301(d), “Existing Facilities,” as the activity consists of the restoration or rehabilitation of an existing facility involving no substantial expansion of existing use. The project will maintain and improve the functionality, safety, and usability of the existing recreational facility without expanding the facility footprint or introducing new uses beyond those associated with incremental population growth over time.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Service Agreement with Colony Landscape and Maintenance, Inc. has a base cost of $564,184, plus a 15% contingency of $84,628, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $648,812.
The Youth Soccer Park Improvements project in the Parks and Recreation Capital Fund has a current FY 2025/26 budget of $126,390 and supports future capital infrastructure improvements at the facility. This budget is funded from prior YSP rental revenues generated from non-youth activities, including, but not limited to, adult nonprofit, non-resident, and commercial/professional users. Staff recommends recognizing $107,913 in YSP rental revenues received from Bay Football Club during the current fiscal year and appropriating these funds to the Youth Soccer Park Improvements project, resulting in an amended project budget of $234,303.
The remaining $414,509 needed to fully fund the $648,812 not-to-exceed amount of the Service Agreement is recommended to be appropriated from the Mitigation Fee Act (MFA) fund balance.
MFA funds are used to support public recreational facilities to accommodate growth attributable to new development. In this case, the thatch removal work is not being funded as standalone maintenance activity, but rather as a necessary preparatory component of a broader soccer field rehabilitation and turf restoration effort intended to preserve and enhance the usable capacity of the YSP.
The City’s 2019 nexus analysis, entitled “Park and Recreation Facilities Development Impact Fee Update Study”, projected that the City’s population will grow by approximately 28,392 residents by 2035, increasing demand for park land, athletic fields and recreational amenities. The thatch removal effort supports this growth by restoring the field’s functionality, safety, and ability to accommodate increased recreational use.
The City is not using MFA funds for ongoing operational activities such as regular mowing, irrigation, or recurring turf care. Instead, the expenditure is limited to discrete rehabilitation-related activity directly tied to restoring the field’s functional utility and service capacity as part of a larger improvement effort. Without these improvements, field deterioration could reduce playable hours, limit programming capacity, and shift demand to other City park facilities serving existing and future residents.
Accordingly, the City may reasonably conclude that the expenditure bears sufficient relationship to the provision and intensification of public recreational facilities needed to serve growth and is therefore consistent with the purposes authorized under the Mitigation Fee Act.
The recommended budget actions are summarized below.
Budget Amendment
FY 2025/26
|
|
Current |
Increase/ (Decrease) |
Revised |
|
Parks and Recreation Capital Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Transfers from |
|
|
|
|
Transfer from the General Fund Expenditures |
$1,190,489 |
$107,913 |
$1,298,402 |
|
Youth Soccer Park Improvements |
$126,390 |
$522,422 |
$648,812 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ending Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Fund Balance - Mitigation Fee Act Fees |
$28,636,751 |
($414,509) |
$28,222,242 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
General Fund |
|
|
|
|
Revenues Rents and Royalties |
$16,952,691 |
$107,913 |
$17,060,604 |
|
Transfers To |
|
|
|
|
Transfer to the Parks and Recreation Capital Fund |
$1,190,489 |
$107,913 |
$1,298,402 |
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Finance Department, the City Attorney’s Office, and the City Manager’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute a Service Agreement with Colony Landscape and Maintenance, Inc. for thatch removal and related services at the Youth Soccer Park, for a maximum compensation amount of $564,184, in substantially the form provided in Attachment 2 and subject to the review and approval as to form by the City Attorney;
2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to take any action necessary to implement the Service Agreement and to negotiate and execute future amendment(s) to (i) increase compensation up to a maximum amount of $648,812 for authorized use of contingency funding, (ii) add or delete services associated with the original scope of services, and (iii) and make de minimis changes, provided that the total maximum compensation is not exceeded, subject to the review and approval as to form by the City Attorney; and
3. Approve the following FY 2025/26 Budget Amendments:
a. In the Parks and Recreation Capital fund, increase the transfer from the General Fund by $107,913, increase the Youth Sports Park Improvement project appropriation by $522,422, and decrease the Mitigation Fee Act Fees ending fund balance by $414,509 (five affirmative Council votes required to appropriate additional revenue and for the use of unused balances); and,
b. In the General Fund, increase the Rents and Royalties revenue estimate by $107,913 and increase the transfer to the Parks and Recreation Capital Fund by $107,913 (five affirmative Council votes required to appropriate additional revenue).
Staff
Reviewed by: Damon Sparacino, Director, Parks & Recreation
Approved by: Jovan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Location Map
2. Agreement for Services with Colony Landscape and Maintenance, Inc.