SANCA chooses not to choose a landscaper for Sarasota's Benderson Park

UNIVERSITY PARK -- Nathan Benderson Park will go without a landscaper for a little while longer.

The Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates Evaluation Committee met Wednesday to review the five bids submitted for the exterior landscape and irrigation maintenance request for proposal.

Since the three-person evaluation committee's scores of the companies were so different, a landscaper was not selected and all five companies must return Tuesday for closed individual presentations. It will be followed by an afternoon public evaluation and selection of a company.

"It bothers me that we are kind of across-the-board on some of these," SANCA operations manager Bob Whitford said Wednesday. "It seems that we need to do some more discussion and find out the next direction we want to go. ... I don't like where we are at right now. We need to discuss how we came up with pretty big diversity."

SANCA event coordinator Sarah Kupiec, business administrator Brenda Ward and citizen Bill Johnson comprise the evaluation committee. Representatives from the five companies were also present for Wednesday's discussion.

The five bidders are: ValleyCrest Landscape, Your Green Team, Total Landscape Care, Buccaneer Landscape Management and Wilhelm Brothers.

SANCA attorney Mark Barnebey of Blalock Walters advised the committee to hear company comments

to "get a better feel for what they are doing."

The previous landscaping company's annual contract was supposed to end July 6, but SANCA elected to end the contract early effective Dec. 31, which was in the rights of the contract, Whitford said.

During Wednesday's committee meeting, each committee member expressed concerns with some of the bids. Staffing, qualifications and costs were among the concerns.

Kupiec also noted only one of the companies included its certification to maintain the aquatic side of the park.

The ability to "get down along that shoreline and maintain the weeds and the control over the grass there" is important, Kupiec said.

"I know it is a big plus because that really needs attention," Kupiec said.

Claire Aronson, University Parkway/Sarasota reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024 or at caronson@bradenton.com. Follow her on Twitter @Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published February 5, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "SANCA chooses not to choose a landscaper for Sarasota's Benderson Park ."