To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: JOE HOFFMAN, CHIEF OF POLICE
TITLE
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APPROVE AN AGREEMENT WITH WOODS MAINTENANCE SERVICES, INC., DBA GRAFFITI CONTROL SYSTEMS, FOR GRAFFITI REMOVAL SERVICES AND ADDITIONAL AS-NEEDED PUBLIC WORKS MAINTENANCE SERVICES, FOR A TOTAL THREE-YEAR AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $487,263 AND THE TERM NOVEMBER 1, 2025 TO OCTOBER 30, 2028, WITH TWO AUTOMATIC ONE-YEAR RENEWALS UNLESS TERMINATED
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On July 17, 2025, the Police Department issued Request for Proposals (RFP) #2526-001 for graffiti removal services on public property throughout the City. After an evaluation process conducted by staff in the Police and Public Works Departments, Woods Maintenance Services, Inc. (WMS), dba Graffiti Control Systems, was selected as the preferred vendor based on the quality of their proposal, service method, and overall cost.
The proposed Agreement with WMS would provide a seamless transition to continue the current service model that provides a dedicated graffiti removal technician for the City three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, starting in November. The service schedule can be adjusted to accommodate holidays, special events, or seasonal activity levels. WMS also offers a 24-hour response for emergency call-out when graffiti is deemed offensive, vulgar, or gang-related (however, these instances are typically handled quickly by Public Works employees).
There will be several options for residents to report graffiti, including through the City’s Comcate system, along with a direct email address and phone number for WMS. The proposed Agreement also requires that WMS maintain a database of each graffiti removal, including location, and before-and-after photos.
In addition to routine graffiti removal, WMS has the ability to provide as-needed public works maintenance services, including pressure washing, trash and vegetation abatement, and homeless encampment cleanup. This offers the Public Works Department an option to contract out work on a case-by-case basis when in-house resources are not available.
The proposed Agreement carries a cost of $5,633.50 per month, $67,602 annually, for the initial three-year term. There would be incremental increases for the fourth and fifth years, unless the Agreement is terminated, which at the City’s sole and absolute discretion. Emergency response would be billed at $275 for each occurrence, although these calls should be minimal as Public Works personnel routinely respond in these instances. The additional public works maintenance services are priced in Exhibit C of the agreement, and would only be billed on a case-by-case basis, if work is requested by the City. Staff would secure a quote prior to authorizing each work effort.
BACKGROUND
The City has contracted with Urban Graffiti Enterprises, Inc. since 2008 for graffiti removal services. The most recent Agreement was approved in 2020, for $4,050 per month, or $48,600 annually. The Agreement was set to expire in June of this year. When the City contacted Urban Graffiti regarding a potential renewal, staff were informed that Urban Graffiti would be increasing their fees. As such, staff felt it appropriate to conduct a competitive RFP process to objectively evaluate graffiti removal providers and their costs. Urban Graffiti agreed to a contract extension through October at the same pricing, allowing the City time to issue the RFP. The contract extension was approved by the City Council on June 17, 2025.
The City issued RFP #2526-001 on July 17, 2025, for graffiti removal services. A total of three proposals were received from the following companies, in alphabetical order:
• Urban Graffiti Enterprises, Inc. (Urban Graffiti)
• Vivid Accent Painting Company
• Woods Maintenance Services, Inc. (WMS) dba Graffiti Controls Systems
Below are the pricing structures submitted by each vendor:
|
Vendor |
Pricing Structure |
|
Urban Graffiti Enterprises, Inc |
$9,915.00 per month ($118,980 per year) |
|
Vivid Accent Painting Company |
$5,415.75 per month ($64,989 per year) |
|
Woods Maintenance Services, Inc. (WMS) dba Graffiti Controls Systems |
$5,633.50 per month ($67,602 per year) Years 1-3: $5,633.50 per month ($67,602/year) Year 4: $6,155.83 per month ($73,870/year) Year 5: $6,340.55 per month ($76,087/year) $275 per occurrence for emergency services |
The proposals from Urban Graffiti and WMS were selected as the most complete and thorough responses, and these firms were invited for in-person presentations.
The interviews included staff from both the Police and Public Works Departments, and provided the opportunity for each vendor to present their service model, show examples of their work, and answer questions. Both Urban Graffiti and WMS demonstrated the capability to adequately provide the service level required by the City, including available methods for reporting graffiti, providing a 3-day-a-week service model, emergency response times, quality of work, professionalism of service technicians, and database tracking. Additionally, both vendors have extensive experience in providing services for various municipalities and public agencies.
Ultimately, given that both vendors demonstrated sufficient capabilities, staff proceeded to evaluate overall cost, with the WMS quote being significantly less than the rate structure provided by Urban Graffiti for the three-day service model.
Based on the factors noted above, staff unanimously felt that the WMS proposal contained the best combination of service and pricing to meet the City’s needs. Staff contacted references, including the cities of West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Los Angeles, and each city indicated that they are completely satisfied with WMS’s level of service and technicians. As a result, staff selected WMS as the preferred vendor for graffiti removal services and recommends that the City Council approve the proposed Agreement.
COORDINATION
The RFP and subsequent evaluation process were coordinated with the Public Works Department. Preparation of the proposed Agreement was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed Agreement carries a cost of $67,602 annually for the first three years. Funding for the agreement is available in the Police and Public Works Department operating budgets.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
• Agmt - Woods Maintenance Services, Inc. dba Graffiti Control Systems
• Proposal - Woods Maintenance Services, Inc. RFP #2526-001, August 13, 2025
• RFP #2526-001 Graffiti Removal Services