For the first time in years, the Rossmoor Community Services District is trusting its prized landscapes to a new contractor as the RCSD board approved a new vendor 4-1 at its March Board of Directors meeting.
“This is a very big step for Rossmoor,” said RCSD General Manager Joe Mendoza. “We have not had a change in a contract for landscaping in years,” he said.
Following a long discussion about its landscaping needs, Mendoza told the board it was his recommendation to switch from long-time vendor Brightview Landscape Services to LandCare USA, LLC.
After numerous months of discussion with Brightview, said Mendoza, “I could not negotiate a comparable price that would best fit our needs and our district.”
Bree Lashmet, a former Brightview employee and now with LandCare, told the board she will act as the Account Manager for RCSD.
“I’ve been in the industry forever and I’ve been planting plants with my family also before that, so it’s kind of like a family, industry,” she said.
“I left Brightview and came to LandCare as I was used to more of the Valley Crest (before being acquired by Brightview) way that they did things because I was integrated at that time. So I wanted to go somewhere where it wasn’t publicly traded and you felt like a number so I wanted to go somewhere where it felt more like a family,” she told the Board.
“I feel that where I’m at now so we kind of get to make decisions and stuff,” she said, “and I’m an account manager so if we were awarded the contract, I would be the one taking care of the property,” Lashmet told the board.
“Basically, the boots on the ground would be my guys but I would be here weekly just to make sure that the quality control details there, so that’s essentially my job,” Lashmet told the board.
In addition, Lashmet told Board 1st Vice President Tony Demarco said the company would be in Rossmoor three days per week and that their company was conveniently located in Santa Fe Springs if ever needed outside its normal scope.
Board President Michael Maynard suggested Brightview’s bid was “outrageous” and was in his words just “a big company’s way of saying goodbye. That’s how you say goodbye with an outrageous bid like that,” said Maynard.
In addition, he said there were concerns that the lowest bidder was geographically located too far from the district so he thought LandCare USA will be a “good fit” for the district.
Director Nathan Searles also questioned Lashmet and remained skeptical of the change. The board ultimately voted 4-1 to approve the approximately $80,000 contract with LandCare, with Searles being the lone vote against making the switch.
“I hope you prove me wrong,” he told Lashmet.
For the Rossmoor Board of Directors, it was contract renewal night as the district renewed its contract with West Coast Arborists for tree services, BreaIT Solutions for internet technology support, and the Board agreed to re-engage local entertainment promoter Elite Special Events for its summer and winter festivals.
The board and Mendoza expressed satisfaction with the vendors, entertainment and organization of its hallmark events since bringing Ted Holcomb and Elite into the mix.
Finally, Mendoza also suggested, and the board approved an agreement with Enriched Farms and Avanti Harvest to continue supporting its weekly Farmer’s Market at Rush Park
In other business, during oral communications, the district heard from Michele Fieldson, who complained about the General Manager’s lack of response to her requests.
“On February 7, I made two formal record requests, one was for the AP [accounts payable] warrants for December, and one was a standing request for the AP warrants every month. To date, I have received none of that information,” she said.
“The information is literally available, easily accessible in any business accounting software program. It can be run by anyone with a minimum of computer skills and experience with this,” she said.
“It is easy information and there’s absolutely no reason at all that for March, February AP warrants couldn’t be included,” said Fieldson.
“So in short, in full transparency, Mr. Mendoza did reply to me and informed me that it would not be put on the agenda. But that is because other cities do routinely do this, the warrants would be attached to the monthly reports,” she said.
“I’m opposed to this workaround, and the circumvention of transparency,” said Fieldson.
“I will ask that at the next board meeting in the discussion section, the board explain why. When other cities such as Los Alamitos and Seal Beach which have much larger revenues and expenditures can do this. Why the RCSD cannot,” she asked.
Also, resident Sue Kaplan protested recreation statistics which showed more pickleball usage than tennis on Rossmoor courts, taking Mendoza to task on the issue.
“At the January board meeting, the general manager said the tennis reservations were decreased but were somewhat compensated by pickleball reservations. Mr. Mendoza, this is not because of a lack of interest in tennis but rather by hostile design,” said Kaplan.
Kaplan said “What else can you expect” when the tennis courts were reduced to three and four pickleball courts were created.
In addition, she argued, “no one wants to play (tennis) next to the pickleball. It’s loud and disruptive.”
In addition, she pleaded with the Board not to spend thousands of dollars to resurface the tennis courts “that don’t need resurfacing. The tennis courts do not need resurfacing and spending money to do so is an abuse of public funds.”
“The ugly truth is that pickleball was implemented at the expense of the tennis community and the community at large.”
“You board members have an obligation to spend our taxes prudently,” she told the board.
