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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Award of a Service Agreement for Tree Maintenance Services to West Coast Arborists, Inc.
1. Resolution awarding a six-year agreement for tree maintenance services to West Coast Arborists, Inc., selected through a best value RFP process based on qualifications and lowest cost; dispensing with lowest competitive bid process, in the amount not to exceed nineteen million, two hundred and fifty thousand, four hundred dollars ($19,250,400).
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for March 24, 2026 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
To maintain public safety, tree health, and service levels citywide, Public Works strategically uses a combination of contractual tree maintenance services and in-house Certified Arborists. Contractor services support the city’s preventative grid maintenance program and capital improvement projects (CIPs), while Public Works staff respond to individual service requests and support young tree maintenance. The current six-year tree maintenance contract is set to expire in July 2026.
The city issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide tree maintenance services.
Following evaluation of the proposals received, staff recommends awarding a six-year contract to West Coast Arborists, Inc. to continue citywide tree maintenance operations and supporting annual pruning requirements, including expanded palm maintenance needed to meet Glendale Fire’s Vegetation Management Program. 10a2
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RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council award a six-year agreement for tree maintenance services to West Coast Arborists, Inc., selected through a best value RFP process based on qualifications and lowest cost; dispensing with lowest competitive bid process, in the amount not to exceed $19,250,400.
ANALYSIS
Glendale’s city trees are valued at $192,700,000 based on current appraisal methods and represent a long-term public asset that increases in value with age when properly maintained. Healthy, routinely maintained trees provide substantial environmental benefits including energy conservation, water retention and filtration, and interception of pollutants. Economic benefits include increased property values, higher rental occupancy rental rates, and stronger commercial activity. Ongoing care and maintenance help maximize these benefits while minimizing long-term costs to the city.
The Public Works Department maintains an established program to trim each tree approximately once every six years and prune every palm tree annually, which is consistent with tree care industry best practice recommendations. Provided adequate funding is available, the contractor will be primarily responsible for ensuring the city maintains this schedule through a citywide grid maintenance program. A six-year contract term supports the completion of a full pruning cycle without interruptions that would otherwise increase costs or disrupt service levels.
Several factors are contributing to increased service demands and associated costs under the proposed contract. These include changes to State prevailing wage regulations that affect contracted tree maintenance work across public agencies.
In addition, the city maintains a program to plant 750 trees annually. Under the proposed contract, these trees would be warrantied for three years for the first time, which increases up-front costs, but is expected to reduce long-term costs by improving survival and establishment rates and reducing the need for additional replacement and maintenance.
Over the last ten years, most palm pruning and removal of dead fronds, fruit, and flowers have been performed annually. While this has increased costs, it has also reduced risk associated with falling fronds, fronds contacting high voltage lines, storm debris accumulation after storms, and resident service requests. Due to the expanded high fire severity threat maps, Public Works must now prune approximately 5,100 palm trees annually to ensure public safety and to comply with Glendale Fire’s Vegetation Management Program. Staff also anticipate an increase in off-cycle resident service requests due to expanded fire areas and increased private insurance requirements related to tree canopy clearance.
The proposed contract includes an option for up to two, three-year extensions upon expiration of the initial term, which would allow the city to complete additional full citywide grid maintenance pruning cycles, if needed.
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In previous years, the city dispensed with the standard bid process in favor of a RFP process selection. Article VI, Section 9 of the Glendale City Charter authorizes the City Council to dispense with competitive bidding where the City Council finds that it is in the city’s best interest to do so.
The city places great value in its urban forest and faces the unique challenges of a Southern California urban environment. Due to the specialized nature of this work, it is in the best interest of the city for the City Council to dispense with competitive bidding and select its tree maintenance contractor through an RFP process. This allows the city to weigh numerous criteria other than strict contract cost, to determine which vendor provides the best overall value to the city. Specifically, with its size, scope, and complexity of needs, an outside contractor’s corporate philosophy and approach to the city’s urban forest are important factors to consider. The RFP process also allows the city to consider the following factors: ability to provide sufficient and substantial after-hours and emergency responses; usage of state-of-the-art trade techniques to maintain the city’s urban forest, including understanding of contemporary legal and industry issues, which require the ability and commitment to continuing education and training of its employees; capability to update and utilize the city’s precise and comprehensive internet-based tree database; and ability to provide qualified trade staff and resources for the wide range of species and sizes of the city’s trees. Therefore, dispensing with a competitive bidding is in the city’s best interest.
On September 15, 2025, the city issued RFP No. 4017, to provide tree maintenance services. Five companies attended the mandatory pre-proposal conference, including United Pacific Services, Greenfield Landscaping, Great Scott Tree Care, Inc., West Coast Arborists, Inc., and Mario’s Tree Service, Inc. Two of the companies subsequently submitted proposals prior to the due date of November 5, 2025.
A three-person evaluation team comprised of management staff from Public Works and Community Services and Parks reviewed and rated both proposals on the criteria below:
Evaluation Criteria Weight of Score
Qualifications and Business History 35%
Workplan, Project Approach, and Corporate Capability 30% RPF Quality and Overall Responsiveness 15%
Proposal Price 20%
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The two companies received the following cumulative and weighted scores:
Proposing Company Score
West Coast Arborists Inc. 96.60
Great Scott Tree Care Inc. 90.86
West Coast Arborists, Inc. currently holds the city’s existing tree maintenance services contract and has demonstrated experience supporting large municipal programs. Great Scott Tree Care, Inc., is primarily based in southern LA County and Orange County.
While both proposers were competitive and within staff expectations, the evaluation team determined that West Coast Arborists, Inc. demonstrated strong qualifications, staffing capacity and the best project approach. West Coast Arborists’ team demonstrated a thorough understanding of applicable industry and regulatory requirements, including tree health care, invasive pest management, accident reporting and response protocols, and wildlife protection measures. West Coast Arborists also offers enhanced emergency response capabilities and dedicated staff resources to support program implementation and, ultimately provided the lowest proposal price.
Additionally, for tree maintenance services, West Coast Arborists is well-established throughout Southern California and maintains multiple comparable municipal contracts of Glendale’s size or larger. Great Scott Tree Care, Inc. identified fewer contracts of comparable size and scope and has more limited equipment and staffing resources available for deployment. Based on these considerations, staff concludes that West Coast Arborists, Inc. is best prepared to meet Glendale’s operational needs and maintain continuity beginning day one. In addition, their proposal represented the lowest cumulative cost to the city across the range of tree services included in the scope of work.
The following table below shows the six-year funding plan for the tree maintenance contract with West Coast Arborists, Inc. Adequate funding for this contract will be requested each year as part of the annual budget process.
Cost Center
Program /Funding
Source
Account
Number FY 26-27 FY 27-28 FY 28-29 FY 29-30 FY 30-31 FY 31-32 Projects / Gas Tax 51200-4020-
PWD-0020
$610,000 $610,000 $610,000 $610,000 $610,000 $610,000
Street Maintenance
/General Fund
43110-1010-
PWD-7507-
P8022
$1,779,900 $1,779,900 $1,779,900 $1,779,900 $1,779,900 $1,779,900 10a5
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Street Maintenance
(ITO/Parks)
/General Fund
43110-1010-
PWD-7507-
P8023
$316,000 $316,000 $316,000 $316,000 $316,000 $316,000
GWP Electric OH &
UG / Elecworks
O&E
43110-5820-
GWP-4660-
P0000-
T0000-F1580
$452,500 $452,500 $452,500 $452,500 $452,500 $452,500
Street Tree
Maintenance /San
Fernando LMD
43110-2530-
PWD-7507
$50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000
FY Totals: $3,208,400 $3,208,400 $3,208,400 $3,208,400 $3,208,400 $3,208,400
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
The project was advertised on the City’s website and the Glendale Independent News Press. The City hosted a mandatory pre-proposal meeting on October 8, 2025, and attendees included representatives from five tree maintenance companies.
FISCAL IMPACT
The contract for tree maintenance services will cost $19,250,400, or $3,208,400 annually, beginning July 1, 2026. The current year’s adopted budget includes $1,076,600 in the General Fund for tree maintenance services. Entering into this contract will result in a recurring annual increase of $1,019,300 from the General Fund.
Funding for FY 2026-27, and all future years thereafter, will be requested as part of the annual budget process. The FY 2026-27 Proposed Appropriation request is outlined as follows.
Proposed Appropriation for FY 2026-27
Amount Account
String
Funding
Source
Department Cost
Center/Program
$610,000 51200-4020-
PWD-0020-
P0000
PL:
PWD01039AA
State Gas Tax
Fund
Public Works Projects
$1,779,900 43110-1010-
PWD-7507-
P8022
General Fund Public Works Street Tree
Maintenance/
Forestry
$316,000 43110-1010-
PWD-7507-
P8023
General Fund Public Works Street Tree
Maintenance/
Indigenous Tree &
Park Tree
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Maintenance
$452,500 43110-5820-
GWP-4660-
P0000
Electric Works
Revenue Fund
Glendale
Water and
Power
GWP Electric OH &
UG
$50,000 43110-2530-
PWD-7507-
P0000
San Fernando
Landscape
District Fund
Public Works Street Tree
Maintenance
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
This item is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15304 entitled “Minor Alterations to Land”, which exemption consists of “minor public or private alterations in the condition of land, water, and/or vegetation which do not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees except for forestry and agricultural purposes”, and subsection (b) “New gardening or landscaping.” The contract is for tree maintenance operations and annual pruning requirements, which are minor public alterations of vegetation that do not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees except for forestry and agricultural purposes.
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
In accordance with the City Campaign Finance Ordinance No. 5744, the names and business addresses of the members of the board of directors, the chairperson, CEO, COO, CFO, Subcontractors and any person or entity with more than ten percent interest in the company proposed for contract in this agenda item Report are attached in Exhibit
1. ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1: Do not approve the resolution which will result in the discontinuation of contractual tree maintenance operations following July 1, 2026, putting the health and safety of the city’s urban forest at risk.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Daniel Hernandez, Director of Public Works
Prepared by:
Dan Hardgrove, Assistant Director of Public Works
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1: Campaign Disclosure Form