A resolution approving a proposed Contract between the City and County of…

This resolution authorizes the City and County of Denver to enter into an on-call professional services contract with Stream Design, LLC, doing business as Stream Landscape Architecture and Planning. On-call contracts are a common municipal procurement tool that allow city departments to draw on specialized expertise as needed, rather than hiring full-time staff or going through a separate bidding process each time a project arises. The contract is valued at up to $1.2 million over its initial three-year term, with an option to extend to five years, making the total potential commitment span to 2030.

The contract falls under the Denver Office of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), as indicated by the project code DOTI-202580816. DOTI manages a broad portfolio of public works, including parks, streetscapes, rights-of-way, and transportation corridors, all areas where landscape architecture services are routinely needed. On-call arrangements like this one give city project managers flexibility to deploy contracted expertise quickly without repeated procurement delays.

From a fiscal standpoint, $1.2 million over three to five years represents a relatively modest expenditure for a major city like Denver, particularly for a contract intended to cover citywide needs. The funds would be drawn incrementally as specific task orders are issued, meaning the full amount may or may not be spent depending on project demand. This structure limits financial risk to the city while ensuring a qualified vendor is available on short notice.

Stakeholders affected include Denver residents who benefit from public landscape and planning projects, the local design and planning industry, and city departments that rely on outside professional expertise to supplement in-house capacity. Stream Design competes in a market with other landscape architecture firms, and this contract represents a meaningful revenue opportunity for the firm over a multi-year period.

The 30-day council review period and committee approval process reflect Denver's standard checks on executive contracting authority, ensuring legislative oversight before public funds are committed. No significant opposition has been noted in available records.

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The Denver City Council is considering a resolution to approve a contract worth up to $1.2 million with Stream Design, LLC, a firm operating as Stream Landscape Architecture and Planning, to provide on-call professional services for the city over a period of three years, with an option to extend the agreement to five years. The contract is administered through Denver's Office of Transportation and Infrastructure and would allow city departments to request landscape architecture and planning work as specific projects arise, rather than conducting a new competitive bid each time.

Supporters of the contract, including the council committee that approved advancing it on November 19, 2025, argue that on-call arrangements are an efficient and widely used tool in municipal government. By pre-qualifying a vendor, the city can deploy expertise quickly for streetscape improvements, park design, and transportation corridor planning without bureaucratic delays. Proponents also note that the task-order structure means the city only pays for work actually performed, limiting financial risk.

Critics of on-call contracting more broadly raise concerns about reduced competition once a single firm is selected. Because individual task orders are issued without rebidding, other landscape architecture firms have no opportunity to compete on price or approach for projects that arise during the contract term. Transparency advocates also point out that spending spread across many small task orders over several years can be difficult for the public to monitor in aggregate.

For ordinary Denver residents, the practical effect of this contract would be felt in the quality and pace of public space improvements across the city. Landscape architecture services shape parks, medians, trails, and streetscapes that residents use daily. Whether this particular vendor arrangement delivers good value will depend on the city's diligence in issuing and auditing individual task orders as projects emerge over the next three to five years.