TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute all documents necessary to amend Contract No. 30939 with West Coast Arborists, Inc., for the furnishing of tree trimming maintenance and related services in an additional amount of $690,000 for the current renewal term, and reduce the contingency from 25 percent to 10 percent. The amended contract amount of $1,750,000 plus a 10 percent contingency of $175,000, if necessary and if funds are available, results in a total amount not to exceed of $1,925,000. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
On October 7, 2008, the City Council approved the existing contract with West Coast Arborists, Inc., for a not to exceed annual amount of $1,060,000 plus a 25 percent contingency if necessary and if funds are available, for a three-year period with the option to renew for two additional one-year periods. The cost per tree in the current contract is $55. For FY12, The Public Works Department has $715,000 budgeted to provide contract tree trimming and related services citywide, which allows for approximately 13,000 trees to be trimmed annually. The balance of the contract authority is used as necessary by other departments. Prior to the current contract, the cost per tree was $45, which allowed for approximately 16,000 trees to be trimmed annually, thereby maintaining an approximate five-year trim cycle.
A recent grant-funded Urban Forestry Tree Inventory determined that the City's street tree population is 92,771. As a result, it has been determined that, at the current trimming rate of $55 per tree and the current budget of $715,000, the tree trimming cycle is approximately seven to eight years. In an effort to move in a direction to recapture a five-year trimming cycle, on October 4, 2011, the City Council allocated $565,000 of one-time Uplands Oil revenue for the Public Works Department to address additional trees in FY12. While these additional funds will enable approximately 10,000 more trees to be trimmed in FY12 and bring the tree trimming cycle closer to a five-year cycle, in order to maintain a five-year trim cycle, at the current trimming rate, an ongoing budget of approximately $1 ,020,000 would be necessary.
In addition to the $565,000 for Public Works tree trimming and related services, the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department requests an increase in contract authority by $125,000 to supplement existing efforts to trim an estimated 250,000 park trees. On October 4, 2011, the City Council allocated $500,000 of one-time Uplands Oil revenue for the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department for tree trimming and maintenance.
PRM will use the requested $125,000 in contract authority to trim or remove trees that present the highest potential risk to public safety in high traffic park areas. Total contract authority would increase to $1,925,000, including the 10 percent contingency.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Linda Trang on October 20, 2011 and Budget Management Officer Victoria Bell on November 3, 2011.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action on this matter is requested on November 15, 2011 to ensure the additional tree trimming efforts can get underway.
FISCAL IMPACT
This action will increase the annual contract authority by an additional $690,000, from $1,060,000 to $1,750,000, plus a 10 percent contingency of $175,000, if necessary and jf funds are available for a total contract authority of $1,925,000. On October 4, 2011, the City Council allocated Uplands Oil Fund revenue for the additional tree trimming services. A request to increase appropriations in the General Fund (GP) in the Department of Public Works (PW) and Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine (PR), for the contract increase amount will be requested in a future CityCouncil.action.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
MICHAEL P. CONWAY
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
JOHN GROSS
DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT/CFO
GEORGE CHAPJIAN
DIRECTOR OF PARKS, RECREATION & MARINE
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER