District 6

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  • 1.  RFP - Ranger Service

    Posted 05-02-2025 03:33 PM

    Hello All,

    I hope you are gearing up for a great weekend!

    The City of Menlo Park has a RFP posted for park ranger services. I made contact with a few cities and found that potential contractors for this type of service is limited. 

    Please see links and information below. If you have anyone you can send to please feel free to do so. If you have any thoughts you would like to share with me, I would appreciate any feedback from this group.

    Thanks so much for your consideration!

    Tricia

    https://menlopark.gov/News-articles/City-news/20250501-Park-Ranger-RFP

    City seeks proposals for Park Ranger Services

    Published on May 01, 2025

    The City of Menlo Park is seeking a well-qualified contractor to submit proposals for ranger services at City parks. Scope of work may include, but not limited to the following tasks: perform daily patrols, enforce park regulations, collect litter, and suppress fire, if needed. The City of Menlo Park operates 14 parks of varying size and amenities. Amenities at parks vary by park and include but are not limited to: athletic fields, barbeques, basketball courts, bicycle parking, dog parks, food concession structure, gazebos, open spaces, parking areas, picnic areas, playgrounds, restrooms, skate park, tennis and pickleball courts, walking paths, water features, wooded areas.

    Visit the bid portal and submit a proposal

    Submittal process

    Electronic proposals will be received in electronic format on the City's PlanetBids Portal. Proposals will be received up to Monday June 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM. Please note that submitters must be pre-registered with the City's bidding system in order to submit an electronic proposal.

    The City aims to complete its evaluation of proposals per the tentative timeline below. A more detailed schedule will be established as the project progresses and changes may be pending. It is important to attend the mandatory preproposal meeting to assess and evaluate the project scope of work.

    Tentative RFP schedule

    Target date*

    Pre-proposal meeting at 10:00 AM

    May 26, 2025

    Questions due at 5:00 PM

    June 2, 2025

    Responses to questions issued

    June 9, 2025

    Proposals due

    June 23, 2025

    Interviews (if needed)

    July 7, 2025

    Parks and Recreation Commission review

    July 23, 2025

    City Council award of contract

    August 12, 2025

    * Dates are tentative and subject to change

    The City aims to complete its evaluation of proposals per the tentative timeline above. A more detailed schedule will be established as the project progresses and changes may be pending. It is important to attend the mandatory preproposal meeting to assess and evaluate the project scope of work.

    Visit the bid portal and submit a proposal



    ------------------------------
    Patricia Mullan
    Library and Community Services Supervisor
    City of Menlo Park - Library and Community Services Dept.
    Menlo Park CA
    (650) 330- 2225
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: RFP - Ranger Service

    Posted 05-02-2025 04:54 PM

    Hi Patricia,

    When an agency considers deploying rangers in parks - whether their own staff or contracted personnel - one of the first decisions is whether those rangers should be peace officers or non-peace officers. Each option has its pros and cons.

    The key distinction is that peace officer rangers are POST-certified (state compliance trained), can carry firearms, and have arrest authority. They also tend to be more expensive. Non-badged rangers, while typically more affordable, cannot make arrests but can still perform most other functions, such as engaging with park visitors, providing information, and requesting compliance with rules and regulations.

    In your RFP summary, you mentioned that rangers will "enforce laws and regulations." It's worth noting that non-badged rangers generally do not "enforce" in the strictest legal sense. Instead, they make contact with individuals, educate them, and request compliance. If a situation escalates or if compliance isn't achieved, they would typically call in local law enforcement-city police or sheriff's deputies-for support.

    If your agency hasn't had a ranger program before, it might be wise to start with non-badged rangers and build from there. Should you find that you need POST-certified, armed rangers later, you can revisit the decision and scale up accordingly.

    It's great to hear you're investing in enhancing your parks-congratulations to you and your team. Your community will no doubt benefit from the added support and presence.

    Best regards,

    Eric Sturm

    (Retired Ranger - 31yrs w CA State Parks)




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