DEPARTMENT: Parks
FILE TYPE: Consent Action
TITLE
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Authorization To Award Bid And Execute Contract With RES Great Lakes For Vegetation Management At Whitetail Woods Regional Park
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Authorize the award of bid and execute contract with RES Great Lakes for restoration and enhancement at Whitetail Woods Regional Park.
SUMMARY
Background:
Dakota County's Natural Resource Management System Plan (NRMSP) was adopted by Resolution No. 17-274 (May 9, 2017). The NRMSP identifies the need to maintain restored areas perpetually to protect the initial investment made to restore the area and to "ensure that the plant community and wildlife continue on a trajectory toward greater ecological health." Dakota County utilizes a robust volunteer force as appropriate and also hires contractors to maintain restored areas in parks via tasks such as removal of invasive species and prescribed burns to meet NRMSP goals.
Funding for this work comes from the Environmental Legacy Fund (ELF).
Contract information:
A request for proposal (RFP) was prepared and released on March 11, 2026, to six vendors. Five proposals were received, as follows:
Bidder Single Year Proposal Amount Three-Year Proposal Amount
RES Great Lakes $217,411 $362,011
Landbridge Ecological, Inc. $219,402 $363,702
Minnesota Native Landscapes, Inc. $182,124 $409,324
Edge Ecosystems LLC $247,461 $426,611
Native Resource Preservation LLC $280,301 $488,801
A staff panel evaluated all proposals and the RES Great Lakes proposal scored highest. While this is not the lowest single-year cost, it was the lowest cost over the anticipated three-year lifespan of this contract.
The RFP stipulated that bidders provide rates for restoration tasks to be performed at the direction of Dakota County, as needed. The RFP stated: "Preliminary task estimates have been made in the Anticipated Schedule for evaluation purposes only. This estimate is not to be int...
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