Los Banos City Council
November 2, 2022

LOsBanos
At the Crossroads of California
www.losbanos.org
AGENDA

CITY COUNCIL MEETING

CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS
520 J Street
Los Banos, California
NOVEMBER 2, 2022 - 6:00 PM
Live stream on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3sy5 slYr3447mZsrgl5Tq [- ::.~:::~l:::~:::;::f !::;:::~:::::::;~;:~::::;:i;:,;::::
* * * * * * * ** * * * * * * *
Si requiere asistencia especial para atender o participar en esta junta por favor /lame a la oficina de la Secretaria de la ciudad al (209) 827-7000 a lo menos de 48 horas previas de la junta.

La Cuidad de Los Banos cumple con la Acta de Americanos con Deshabilidad (ADA) de 1990. : ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... :

Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the City Council regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection at the meeting and in the City Clerk's office located at City Hall, 520 J Street, Los Banos, California during normal business hours. In addition, such writings and documents may be posted on the City's website at www.losbanos.org.
* * * * * * * ** * * * * * * *
Cua/quier escritura o las documentos proporcionaron a una mayorfa de/ Ayuntamiento respecto a cua/quier artfculo en este orden de/ dfa sera hecho disponible para la inspecci6n publica en la reuni6n y en la oficina de la Secretaria de la ciudad en City Hall, 520 J Street, Los Banos,
California durante horas de oficina norma/es. Ademas, tales escrituras y las documentos pueden ser anunciados en el website de la ciudad en www.losbanos.org. · .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... :

1. CALL TO ORDER - November 2, 2022 6:00 PM

2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

3. ROLL CALL: (City Council Members)
Jones __ , Lambert __ , Lewis __ , Llamas __

4. CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF AGENDA.

Los Banos City Council Agenda - November 2, 2022 Page 1 of4 1 5. PRESENTATIONS.

A. Proclamation - Recognizing Veterans Day.

B. Proclamation - Recognizing November as Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

6. PUBLIC FORUM. (Members of the public may address the City Council Members on any item of public interest that is within the jurisdiction of the City Council; includes agenda and non-agenda items. No action will be taken on non-agenda items. Speakers are limited to a five (5) minute presentation. Detailed guidelines are posted on the Council Chamber informational table.)

7. CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA. (Items on the Consent Agenda are considered to be routine and will be voted on in one motion unless removed from the Consent Agenda by a City Council Member.) A. Check Register for #235577 - #235741 in the Amount of $688,005.12.

Recommendation: Approve the check register as submitted.

B. Minutes for the October 5, 2022 City Council Meeting.

Recommendation: Approve the minutes as submitted.

C. City Council Resolution No. 6572 - Reauthorizing Remote Teleconference Meetings of the Legislative Bodies of the City of Los Banos Pursuant to the Provisions of AB 361 .

Recommendation: Adopt the resolution as submitted.

D. City Council Resolution No. 6573 -Awarding the Bid for the Purchase of Two (2) New 2022/2023 One-Ton Model Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate; Authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to Issue the Purchase Order to Santos Ford in the Amount of $157,890.00.

Recommendation: Adopt the resolution as submitted.

E. City Council Resolution No. 6574 -Awarding the Bid for the Purchase of Four (4) New 2022/2023 Three-Quarter Ton Model Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate; Authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to Issue the Purchase Order to Santos Ford in the Amount of $309,820.00 and Amend the Budget for Fiscal Year 2022/2023 as it Pertains to Expenditures.

Recommendation: Adopt the resolution as submitted.

F. City Council Resolution No. 6575 - Authorizing the Interim City Manager to Execute a Professional Service Agreement and Authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to Administer the Professional Service Agreement with Chrisp Company for On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance.

Recommendation: Adopt the resolution as submitted.

Los Banos City Council Agenda - November 2, 2022 Page 2 of4 2 8. UPDATE ON CITY OF LOS BANOS RECYCLED WATER EFFORTS.

Recommendation: Informational item only, no action to be taken.

9. LOS BANOS URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN.

A. City Council Resolution No. 6576 - Adopting the Los Banos Urban Forest Management Plan.

Recommendation: Receive staff report and adopt the resolution as submitted.

10. PUBLIC HEARING. (If you challenge the proposed action as described herein in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described herein or in written correspondence delivered to the City at, or prior to, the public hearing.)
A. Public Hearing - To Receive Public Comment and Consideration of Adoption of the Annexation Ordinance.
1) Ordinance No. 1201 - Adopting an Annexation Ordinance and Related Amendments to Title 9, Chapter 3, of the Los Banos Municipal Code. (Second Reading & Adoption)
Recommendation: Receive staff report, open public hearing, receive public comment, close the public hearing, and adopt the ordinance as submitted.

B. Public Hearing - To Receive Public Comment and Consideration of Conditional Use Permit #2022-06 to Allow the Use of a Type 20 Alcohol License for the Off-Sale of Beer and Wine for a Convenience Market to be Located at the Northeast Corner of Ward Road and Pacheco Boulevard, APN 084-020-032.
1) City Council Resolution No. 6577 - Approving Conditional Use Permit #2022-06 to Allow for the Off-Sale of Beer and Wine Under a Type 20 Alcohol License for Legacy Realty and Development Located at the Northeast Corner of E. Pacheco Boulevard and Ward Road, APN 084- 020-032.

Recommendation: Receive staff report, open public hearing, receive public comment, close the public hearing, and adopt the resolution as submitted.

11. LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE SERVICES AND FISCAL IMPACT REVIEW.

Recommendation: Receive staff report and direction from the City Council on how to proceed.

12. PIONEER ROAD PROJECT UPDATE.

Recommendation: Receive staff report and direction from the City Council on how to proceed.

13. AG SPORTS COMPLEX RESTROOM/CONCESSION BUILDING PROJECT UPDATE.

Recommendation: Informational item only, no action to be taken.

Los Banos City Council Agenda - November 2, 2022 Page 3of4 3 14. COUNCIL MEMBER REQUEST REGARDING THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT (Council Member Lewis).

Recommendation: Discussion and direction from the City Council on how to proceed.

15. ADVISEMENT OF PUBLIC NOTICES. (Two Reports)
Recommendation: Informational item only, no action to be taken.

16. CITY MANAGER REPORT.

Recommendation: Informational item only, no action to be taken.

17. REPORT/UPDATE ON MERCED COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS (MCAG), PENINSULA CLEAN ENERGY (PCE), AND MEASURE V COMMITTEE.

Recommendation: Informational item only, no action to be taken.

18. CITY COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS.

A Brett Jones

8. Deborah Lewis
C. Refugio Llamas
D. Kenneth Lambert

19. CLOSED SESSION.

A Conference with Labor Negotiators, Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6, Agency Designated Representatives: Interim City Manager Wellman, City Attorney Vaughn, City Clerk/Human Resources Director Mallonee, Interim Finance Director Kuhn, legal Counsel Tuffo; Employee Organizations: Los Banos Police Officers Association (LBPOA}, Los Banos Police Sergeants Association (LBPSA), Los Banos Fire Fighters Association (LBFFA), Los Banos Police Dispatchers/Community Services Officers Association (LBPDCSOA), Los Banos Public Employees Union (Public Works) Local 1/AFSCME and Unrepresented Miscellaneous Employees.

8. Conference with Legal Counsel -Anticipated Litigation, Significant Exposure to Litigation Pursuant to§ 54956.9(b): (One Potential case).

20. ADJOURNMENT.

I hereby certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing \.~ po~ Hall bulletin board not less than 72 hours prior to the meeting.

Sara Blevins, Assistant City Clerk Dated this 28th day of October 2022 Los Banos City Council Agenda - November 2, 2022 Page 4of4 4 LOsBanos
I < rn -m · ?I ifm " ·

PROCLAMATION

RECOGNIZING VETERANS DAY
WHEREAS, America was founded on the principles of liberty, opportunity, and justice for all; and
WHEREAS, Veterans Day is a day in which we recognize the men and women of our Armed Forces who have valiantly defended our country's values throughout this Nation's history; and
WHEREAS, by answering the call of duty and, risking their lives to. protect their fellow oowiny,men,, these patriots have inspired us wi'th their couragel compassion, and dedication; and ·
. WHEREAS, universal.recognition is.given to the.celebrated ending of.World .War I .fighting at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 {the 11th hour of the 11th day ofthe 11th month); and
WHBRBAS,. there are currently more than 25 million .li;uing Ameriea.n veteransi· many of whom put their lives on theline: to preserve our freedoms; an.d WHEREAS~ our proud veterans· have given our.country an extraordinary legacy of patriotism and honor,, and their sen.ice represents the hiyhest form of citizenship; and Wl:lE,.RBAs., in hon.or of CJ.ll our proud veterans, the ones that are . here today and the ones that have gone before1. we invite our community to give a moment of $ilence in respect and thcmk you on November 1 t 2022. · ·
NOW, THBREFORE, BE IT . PROCLAIMBD that .the Ma:yor Pro Tem and Ctty Council Members of the City . of Los BatifJS do hereby ·celebrate the day of Nouember 11th, 2022 as VETJMMNS DAY and encourage all citizens to give thought to .the history~ ualar, and so.cri.fi;ce of our veterans through appropriate ceremonies and prayers.

In witness whereof,, I ha.ve heraunto set my hand
and ca.used to be affixed the seal. of the City of
Los 13arms, this 2nd day of No1r1ember 2022. ·
APPROVED:

Kenneth Lambe1t, Mayor Pro Tem
ATTEST:

Lucflle L. Mallonee, City Clerk
5 T Cityof B' LOs .
··. anos

PROCLAMATION

RECOGNIZING NOVEMBER AS

LUNG CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
WHB~S, lung cancer is the lea<J.,ing cause of cancer death among men and women in the United &ates, accounting/or more d;eaths than colon canceti breast cance~ and prostate cancer combined .and· according to the Centers for Disease C.ontrol,, tftere were 1,.752, 735 new lung cancer cases and 599,589 deaths because of lung cancer between 2015 and 2019 in the United States; and·
. WHE.RSAS, screening for lung cancer using low-dose computed tomography can lead to the earlier detection of lung cancer and . save. lives- · reducing the mortality rate by 20%;and
WHER.E.4S, lung cancer •incidence is decreasing twice as fast in men as. it is in women, each yew more women die .from l7.!,ng cancer than breast cancer and by 2035~ more women will die.from lung cancer than men; and
WHBREAS, lung cancer in ind.ividuals who never smok.ed is the 7th leading c«use of cancer ... related .death a.nd a.ccoun.ts for 17, 000'-26, 000 deaths· in the US every year and the proportion of lung cancers di"qgnose,d in people who never smoked is increasing in the US; and ·
WHB.REAS, lung cancer research is leading to breakthroughs in the identification of genetic alterations a,ssocia.ted with lung cancer.and in .the development of lung cancer treatments, including immunother0.pies and targeted therapies NOW; THBMFORE, BE IT PROCUIMED that the Mr;iyor Pro Tem and · City Council Members of the .City 9f Los Banos do hereby proclaim · Noveml?er 2022 as Lung Cancer Awareness Month and encourage all citizens to learn about lung cancer and early detection througfi lung can.cer screening. ·
In witness whereot J have hereunto set my hand
and cemsea to be · affixed ·the · seal of the City of
Los Banos1
, this 2nd day: of November 2022.

APPROVED:

Kenneth Lambe:rti Mayor Pro ·Tem
ATTEST:
. . . . '
Lucille L. Mallonee, City Clerk
6 CK# 235577 - # 235741 11/02/2022 $688,005.12
Checks by Date
User: jgwright
Printed: 10/25/2022 - 4:29PM
Cleared and Not Cleared Checks
Print Void Checks
Check Check Date Name
235577 10/14/2022 Halcyon Creek lnc.
235578 10/14/2022 Miguel A Morales
235579 10/14/2022 R.A.M. Farms, Jnc.
235580 10/14/2022 US Bank Corp Pymt System
235581 10/14/2022 Law Offices of William A Vaughn
235582 10/14/2022 Xerox Financial Services
235591 10/19/2022 Westamerica Bank - Cafeteria Plan
235592 10/19/2022 Aflac-Customer Service
235593 10/19/2022 AFSCME District Council 57
235594 10/19/2022 Los Banos Fitness &
235595 I 0/19/2022 Los Banos Police Assn
235596 I 0/19/2022 Los Banos Police Assn
235597 I 0/19/2022 MassMutual
235598 10/19/2022 MassMutual
235599 I 0/19/2022 MissionSquare
235600 I 0/19/2022 Nationwide Retirement Solutions
235601 10/19/2022 Professional Fire Fighter
235602 10/19/2022 State Disbursement Unit
235603 10/19/2022 Vantagepoint Transfer Agents - 801838 235606 10/21 /2022 Ad Art, Inc.
235607 10/2 J/2022 Gregory Almeida
235608 10/21/2022 KD Anderson & Associates Inc.
235609 I 0/21/2022 Anthony Gomes
235610 10/21/2022 Apex Annex Health Center, Inc.
235611 I 0/2 i /2022 Aramark Uniform Ser Inc
235612 10/21 /2022 Aramark Uniform & Career Apparel Group, Jnc. 235613 10/21/2022 AT&T Mobility
235614 10/21/2022 AT&T
235615 10/21 /2022 AT&T
235616 10/21/2022 Richard A Blak Phd
235617 10/21/2022 Brinks Inc.
235618 10/21/2022 Bruce's Tire Inc
235619 10/21/2022 BSK Associates
235620 10/21 /2022 Central Valley Cardiovascular Group Inc. 235621 10/21/2022 Cintas Corporation No.2
235622 10/21/2022 Oscar Covarrubias
235623 10/21 /2022 Manuel A Avila
235624 10/21/2022 Central Sanitary Supply
235625 10/21/2022 Coffee Break Service Inc.
235626 10/21 /2022 Comcast
235627 10/21/2022 Cook's Communications Corp.
235628 10/21 /2022 CSG Consultants Inc.
235629 10/21/2022 LN Curtis & Sons
Lityof B
os anos
Modul Void
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP Void
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
Amount
12,276.00
3,050.00
1,125.00
33,093.66
900.00
2,464.46
87,684.71
270.18
1,399.73
290.00
245.00
910.00
1,329.67
1,740.00
3,290.15
4,210.00
900.00
937.50
2,850.00
39,591.03
247.38
2,200.00
2,091.49
1,154.00
1,716.12
283.52
279.30
3,834.43

90.95 450.00
1,653.12
4,503.72
17,035.34
400.00
883.92
250.00
884.05
628.42
194.17
128.74
125.00
16,274.00
5,204.00
7 235630 10/21 /2022 Century Communities AP 170.25
235631 10/21/2022 DBT Transportation Services LLC AP 5,800.00 235632 10/21 /2022 Double D Towing, LLC AP 260.00
235633 10/21/2022 Anthony Del Franco AP 600.00
235634 10/21/2022 Margarita Donahue AP 425.00
235635 10/21/2022 Electric Drives Inc AP 127.50
235636 10/21/2022 Farmer Brothers Coffee AP 145.69
235637 l 0/21 /2022 Fast Track Car Wash AP 633.50
235638 10/21/2022 Federal Express Corporation AP 92.37
235639 10/21 /2022 Foster Bros Security Systems Inc. AP 140.00 235640 10/21/2022 Fresno City College AP 169.00
235641 l 0/21 /2022 Galvin Preservation Associates, Inc. AP 36,971.73 235642 10/21/2022 Gouveia Engineering Inc. AP 34,328.10 235643 l 0/21/2022 Hach Company AP 2,030.29
235644 1 0/21/2022 Halcyon Creek Inc. AP 13,980.91
235645 10/21/2022 Henley Pacific, LLC AP 443.85
235646 10/21 /2022 Holt of California AP 408.59
235647 10/21/2022 Home Depot AP 4,148.89
235648 10/21/2022 Info Send Inc. AP 7,043.31
235649 10/21/2022 JC's Pure Water & More AP 70.00
235650 10/21/2022 Kimball Midwest AP 50.86
235651 10/21/2022 Krazan & Associates AP 1,040.00
235652 10/21/2022 Lucas Business Systems AP 1,027.18
235653 10/21/2022 Mark Thomas & company. Inc. AP 60,593.30 235654 10/21/2022 Marfab Inc AP 298.49
235655 10/21/2022 Matson Alarm Co Inc AP 378.00
235656 I 0/21 /2022 McCrometer Inc. AP 763.44
235657 10/21/2022 Merced County Fire Department AP 22,088.00 235658 10/21 /2022 Merced County Regional Waste Management Authority AP 5,476.59 235659 10/21/2022 Merced Truck & Trailer Inc AP 481.21
235660 10/21/2022 Monument Row, Inc. AP 2,188.57
235661 10/21/2022 Patty Mariscal AP 500.00
235662 10/21/2022 O'Dell Engineering AP 1,260.00
235663 10/21/2022 The Office City AP 502.91
235664 10/21/2022 OSE AP 4,130.33
235665 10/21/2022 David Oliveira AP 793.00
235666 10/21/2022 O'Reilly Auto Parts AP 1,631.63
235667 I 0/21 /2022 PG&E Company AP 37.04
235668 I 0/21/2022 Pace Supply Corp. AP 1,432.73
235669 l 0/21/2022 Pinnacle Medical Group, Inc. AP 460.00 235670 10/21/2022 Price Paige and Company Accountancy Corporation AP 1,087.00 235671 I 0/21 /2022 Provost and Pritchard Engineering, Inc. AP 2,373.60 235672 10/21 /2022 Protech Security & Electronics, Inc. AP 180.00 235673 10/21/2022 Martina Rodriguez AP 460.00
235674 10/21 /2022 SNAPCD AP 258.00
235675 10/21/2022 Safeguard Business System, Inc. AP 258.02 235676 I 0/21/2022 Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc. AP 317.13 235677 I 0/21 /2022 Save Mart Supermarkets AP 80.37
235678 10/21/2022 Sherwin Williams Co AP 186.83
235679 I 0/21 /2022 SIJ Holdings, Inc AP 1,321.26
235680 10/21/2022 Frank Silveria AP 525.00
235681 10/21/2022 Springbrook Software, Inc. Springbrook Holding Company LLC AP 9,733.00 235682 10/21/2022 Sorensens True Value AP 736.76
235683 I 0/21/2022 Straight Edge Roofing, Inc. AP 4,200.00 8 235684 10/21/2022 Superior Pool Products, LLC AP 8,336.62 235685 I 0
/2 l /2022 Sweeper Parts Sales SPS Inc. AP 1,301.80
235686 10
/21/2022 Thirkettle Corporation AP 11,919.00
235687 10/21/2022 Tractor Supply Credit Plan AP 30.43
235688 10
/2112022 Tyler Technologies, Inc. AP 62,024.00
235689 I 0/21/2022 Troy Roofing AP 256.00
235690 10/21/2022 USA Blue Book AP 814.90
235691 10/21/2022 Coral Amezcua AP 88.79
235692 10/21/2022 Jessica Moore AP
1,263.65
235693 10
/21/2022 Houston Power AP 36.45
235694 I 0
/21
/2022 Meritage Homes AP 172.33
235695 10/21/2022 Chenhao Dong AP 36.14
235696 10
/21
/2022 RBG Construction AP 96.01
235697 10
/21/2022 RBG Construction AP 105
.17
235698 10/2 l /2022 RBG Construction AP 95.10
235699 10
/21/2022 RBG Construction AP 105.17
235700 10/21/2022 Angel Barranco AP 66
.93
235701 I 0/2 I /2022 Brent Rose AP 75.70
235702 10
/21
/2022 Duyen Vu AP 75.70
235703 I 0/21/2022 RBG Construction AP 104.37
235704 10/21/2022 Gaudeucio Balbuena AP 94.81
235705 I 0
/2112022 Marie De La Cruz AP 48.42
235706 10/21/2022 Johnny Martinez AP 131.65
235707 10/21/2022 Harnam Bhullar AP 193.45
235708 10
/21/2022 Meritage Homes AP 175.49
235709 10/2 I /2022 Joe & Margaret Gomes Jr. AP 67.01
235710 10
/21
/2022 Thomas & Karen Ovesen AP 98.13
235711 10
/21/2022 Harnam Bhullar AP

6.00 235712 10/21/2022 Lilibeth Licona AP 39.25
235713 10
/21/2022 D.R. Horton AP 38.72
235714 10/21
/2022 D.R. Horton AP 76.71
235715 10/21/2022 D.R. Horton AP 76.71
235716 10/2112022 Jinrong Li AP 15.00
235717 10/21/2022 Scottie & Robin Deges AP 70.00
235718 10
/21/2022 Westhill Property Mgmt AP 124.76
235719 10
/2 I /2022 John & Lisa Martinez AP 100
.00
235720 10/21/2022 Carmen Amparan AP 131.31
235721 10
/21/2022 April or David Gibson AP 28.70
235722 10
/2 I /2022 D.R. Horton AP 195
.26
235723 10/21/2022 Francisco Corro AP 10.94
235724 10
/21/2022 RBG Construction AP 169.27
235725 10/21
/2022 Klorissa Lujan AP 114.95
235726 10/21/2022 Artemio Castillo AP 200.00
235727 I 0
/21
/2022 Kim Burke AP 131.32
235728 10/21
/2022 Vanir Construction Management, Inc. AP 76
,472.15
235729 10
/21/2022 Verizon Wireless AP 1,144.85
235730 10
/21/2022 Westside Water Conditioning AP 249.40
235731 10/21/2022 West Publishing Corporation AP 404.20 235732 10/21
/2022 Windecker Inc AP 6,169.84
235733 10
/21/2022 Young's Air Conditioning AP 2,952.81
235734 10/21/2022 Jelene de Melo AP 108.61
235735 10
/21/2022 Mark Thomas & company. Inc. AP 10,683.15
235736 10/21/2022 MissionSquare AP
2,850.00
235737 10/2 l /2022 Miguel A Morales AP 3,050.00
9 235738
235739
235740
235741
10/21/2022 New Beginning Ministries of Los Banos
10/21/2022 State Water Resources Control Board
10/21/2022 Anthony Terranova
10/21/2022 Randy Williamson
Break in check sequence due to the following:

Check# 235583 - # 235591 (Payroll)
Check# 235604 - # 235605 (Payroll)
AP
AP
AP
AP
Total Void Check Count:

Total Void Check Amount:

Total Valid Check Count:
350.00

70.00 150.00
100.00
2,850.00
154
Total Valid Check Amount: 685,155.12
Total Check Count: 155
Total Check Amount: 688,005.12
10 CITY OF LOS BANOS

CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
OCTOBER 5, 2022
ACTION MINUTES - These minutes are prepared to depict action 'taken for agenda Items presented to the City Council. For detail o# this meeting refer to the electronlc media (CD and/or audio) kept as a permanent record.

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Pro Tern Lambert called the City Council Meeting to order at the hour of 6:01 p.m.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Police Commander Melden led the pledge of allegiance.

ROLL CALL - MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL PRESENT: Council Members Brett Jones, Kenneth Lambert, Deborah Lewis, Refugio Llamas; ABSENT: None.

STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: City Attorney Vaughn, Police Commander Melden, City Clerk/Human Resources Director Mallonee, City Treasurer/Accounting & Budget Supervisor Tomas, Community & Economic Development Director Souza Elms, Acting Fire Chief/Police Commander Reyna, Public Works Director/City Engineer Than, Interim Finance Director Kuhn
CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Motion by Jones, seconded by Llamas to approve the agenda as submitted. The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present.

PRESENTATIONS - CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 6557-A RESOLUTION OF COMMENDATION TO MANUEL THOMAS FARIA Ill: PROCLAMATION - RECOGNIZING OCTOBER 2022 AS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.

Mayor Pro Tern Lambert presented and read the proclamation recognizing October 2022 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and presented it to the members of the Los Banos Fire Fighters Association ad Los Banos Police Dispatcher/Community Services Officers Association who were present at the Council Meeting to accept the recognition.

Mayor Pro Tern Lambert read City Council Resolution No. 6557 - A Resolution of Commendation to Manuel Thomas Faria Ill. Motion by Lewis, seconded by Llamas, to adopt City Council Resolution No. 6557 - A Resolution of Commendation to Manuel Thomas Faria Ill. The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present.

PUBLIC FORUM: MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL

MEMBERS ON ANY ITEM OF PUBLIC INTEREST THAT IS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY: INCLUDES AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS. NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS. SPEAKERS ARE LIMITED TO A FIVE (5) MINUTE PRESENTATION. DETAILED GUIDELINES ARE POSTED ON 11 THE COUNCIL CHAMBER INFORMATIONAL TABLE. Mayor Pro Tern Lambert opened the public forum and asked those at the meeting if they would like to speak: RON BAILEY spoke regarding how New Beginnings Church will be re-doing the annual Halloween Harvest Fun Festival celebration that they used to do before COVD-19 and explained the event and all that will be going on that day; CLAUDIA NUNES, stated that she lives in the mobile home park next to the homeless encampment and spoke regarding all the health issues she is having because of the fires the homeless are burning, how she has spent time in the hospital, how scared they are of the homeless and what it going on there, how she will be sending her hospital bills to the City and doesn't think that Medicare should pay for her doctor's bills, how the City has not been fair to us at the mobile home park, and concerns with what if one of the homeless cause harm to someone at the mobile home park; SHANDRA LEWIS, Rancho Los Banos Mobile Home Park, spoke regarding a phone call she received from a tenant and a car the homeless had set on fire, how bad the smoke was and how she has health issues and inhaling the smoke shortens her lifespan, how she is taking this personal, she feels that the Council is afraid because of the Boise Act and other reasons, she sees a pulmonologist because of her health issues and wonders when you will respect her life as a person, how there is no law for the homeless at the encampment and she feels there are ways to getting around the Boise Act, many others have health issues and she gets many tenant complaints about how scary this situation is; TOM BALA TTI asked that you get a Mayor appointed tonight and was happy to see that Mr. Llamas supported appointing a Mayor in a local newspaper; PATRICIA McCOY, Los Banos VFW, invited and informed the City Council and community about the 7th Annual Veterans parade on November 5, 2022 and encouraged all to participate, how they are also looking for volunteers to work the event; BLANCHE JORGE, stated that she lives in downtown Los Banos, how there are many residents who live in downtown and her home was built in 1910 and spoke to when other notable buildings were built in the downtown area, spoke regarding a website that you can go to research and see what was originally downtown and to please remember that there are historical homes all around us with unique things; KATHY BALLARD, Los Banos, there are a few items for me to speak on, stated that she doesn't understand why there is a push to appoint a Mayor so quickly, she has been told that the certification of the election should be should get certified quickly, she feels strongly that our City Could can run strongly with just the 4 of you for now, the other thing I wanted to talk about is there is a need to get help for a Fire Department and they are desperately in need of help, she inquired as to why there hasn't been a Measure H Committee meeting and wants to know where that money is being spent; ROY TODD stated that he has a nexus to all four Council Members and he in Council Member Lambert's district, inquired as to what is going on with Measure H, he has an idea for the Mayor situation and he's asked the Mayor-elect what district he lived in and that blew that idea, and feels that someone that is the top person should be elected first, he inquired as to item 7D purchasing an SUV full size and how the cost seems like a lease cost when you can purchase it for cheaper, spoke to item 8 regarding a subdivision and how a few years ago they had a community meeting to speak about Pacheco Boulevard, how he would like to see medians, inquired as to what is involved in CEQA and doesn't understand the disconnect between new and old businesses, we don't need to be a Fresno, we need to be a Clovis and we certainly don't want a Compton, feels for the 12 homeless situation and would like to see an overall strategy for how to deal with the situation.

Mayor Pro Tern Lambert asked the City Clerk if she had received any comments to be read into the record. City Clerk Mallonee stated that she received the following comments that are on file with the City Clerk: MARIA SALINAS wrote that she is a resident at Rancho Los Banos Mobile Home Park, how she has been speaking before the City Council since April 2022 regarding her concerns and complaints regarding the homeless encampment, spoke regarding what they are experiencing and wonders what the City is waiting for to address the issues. No one else came forward to speak and the public forum was closed.

CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA. Council Member Lewis stated that she would like to pull items 7D - City Council Resolution No. 6559 - Awarding the Bid for the Purchase of a New 2023 Full-Size Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV); Authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to Issue the Purchase Order to Santos Ford in the Amount of $56,412.51; 7E - City Council Resolution No. 6560 - Approving and Accepting Parcel Map No. 2021-03 for the Minor Subdivision of Approximate 7.57 Acre Parcel into Three (3) Parcels within the Highway Commercial Zoning District Located at the Northeast Corner of Mercey Springs Road and Overland Avenue, Along with the Dedications of Two (2) Public Utility Easements Located South of Overland Avenue and East of Mercey Springs Road, APN 424-120-024 (Love In An Elevator, LLC); 7G - City Council Resolution No. 6562 - Ratifying the Interim City Manager's Approval of the Employment Agreement with the Fire Chief Paul Tualla from the Consent Agenda to be presented before approval.
7D - City Council Resolution No. 6559 - Awarding the Bid for the Purchase of a New 2023 Full-Size Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV); Authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to Issue the Purchase Order to Santos Ford in the Amount of $56,412.51.

Council Member Lewis inquired as to how many bids were received and period of use and mileage for the replacement vehicle for which Public Works Director/City Engineer Than explained. Council Member Llamas inquired as to if the City is going to look into leasing vehicles in the future for which Public Works Director/City Engineer Than explained.
7E - City Council Resolution No. 6560 - Approving and Accepting Parcel Map No. 2021- 03 for the Minor Subdivision of Approximate 7.57 Acre Parcel into Three (3) Parcels within the Highway Commercial Zoning District Located at the Northeast Corner of Mercey Springs Road and Overland Avenue, Along with the Dedications of Two (2) Public Utility Easements Located South of Overland Avenue and East of Mercey Springs Road, APN 424-120-024 (Love In An Elevator, LLC). Council Member Lewis noted that the staff reports states that the subject is generally located NW but the map shows SE corner for which Public Works Director/City Engineer Than explained that it is the SE corner and will make sure the resolution states the correct location.
7G - City Council Resolution No. 6562 - Ratifying the Interim City Manager's Approval of the Employment Agreement with the Fire Chief Paul Tualla. Council Member wanted 13 to clarify if the CalPERS employee contribution was 7% or 12% for which City Clerk/Human Resources Director Mallonee stated that it is 12% and will make sure the agreement states the correct percentage.

Motion by Lewis, seconded by Llamas to approve the consent agenda as follows: Check Register for #235085 - #235287 in the Amount of $2,009,119.97; Minutes for the September 21, 2022 City Council Meeting; City Council Resolution No. 6558 - Reauthorizing Remote Teleconference Meetings of the Legislative Bodies of the City of Los Banos Pursuant to the Provisions of AB 361; City Council Resolution No. 6559 - Awarding the Bid for the Purchase of a New 2023 Full-Size Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV); Authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to Issue the Purchase Order to Santos Ford in the Amount of $56,412.51; City Council Resolution No. 6560 - Approving and Accepting Parcel Map No. 2021-03 for the Minor Subdivision of Approximate 7.57 Acre Parcel into Three (3) Parcels within the Highway Commercial Zoning District Located at the Northeast Corner of Mercey Springs Road and Overland Avenue, Along with the Dedications of Two (2) Public Utility Easements Located South of Overland Avenue and East of Mercey Springs Road, APN 424-120-024 (Love In An Elevator, LLC); City Council Resolution No. 6561 - Approving the Acceptance of a $50,000 Grant (PT23126) From the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and Amending the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year Budget by Increasing the Appropriation Amount of the State Grant Fund Account for Expenditures and Revenues in the Amount of $50,000; City Council Resolution No. 6562 - Ratifying the Interim City Manager's Approval of the Employment Agreement with the Fire Chief Paul Tualla. The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present.

PUBLIC HEARING - TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT AND CONSIDERATION OF A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT #2022-09 AND A CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION FROM

THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) PURSUANT TO SECTION 15301 , EXISTING FACILITIES, TO ALLOW THE USE OF A TYPE 41

ALCOHOL LICENSE FOR THE ON-SALE OF BEER AND WINE FOR A BONA-FIDE EATING PLACE, THE ROUNDUP SPORTS BAR. LOCATED AT 830 I STREET, APN 026-143-003; CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 6563 - FINDING THE PROPOSED

PROJECT TO BE CATEGORICALLY EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15301, EXISTING FACILITIES AND APPROVING CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT #2022-09 TO ALLOW FOR THE ON-SALE OF BEER AND WINE UNDER A TYPE 41 ALCOHOL LICENSE AT 830 I STREET, MORE SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED AS APN 026-143-003.

Community & Economic Development Director Souza Elms presented the staff report, which included a PowerPoint presentation.

There was Council Member and staff discussion regarding the establishment and which area is going to be used for parking.

Mayor Pro Tern Lambert opened the public hearing. No one came forward to speak and the public hearing was closed.

Motion by Jones, seconded by Llamas to adopt City Council Resolution No. 6563 - Finding the Proposed Project to be Categorically Exempt from the California 14 Environmental Quality Act Pursuant to Section 15301, Existing Facilities and Approving Conditional Use Permit #2022-09 to Allow for the On-Sale of Beer and Wine Under a Type 41 Alcohol License at 830 I Street, More Specifically Identified as APN 026-143- 003. The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present.

PUBLIC HEARING - TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT AND CONSIDERATION OF

AN AMENDMENT TO THE CITY OF LOS BANOS BUILDING CODE ORDINANCE BY ADOPTION BY REFERENCE THE CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE 2022 EDITION AND RELATED 2022 EDITION CODES; ORDINANCE NO. 1199 - ADOPTING BY REFERENCE THE BUILDING CODE, THE 2022 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE, THE 2022 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA ENERGY CODE, THE 2022 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL BUILDING CODE, THE 2022 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA REFERENCE STANDARDS CODE, THE 2022 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA ELECTRICAL CODE, THE 2022 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA MECHANICAL CODE, THE 2022 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA ADMINISTRATIVE, THE 2022 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA EXISTING BUILDING CODE, THE 2022 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS CODE, THE 2022 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA RESIDENTIAL CODE, AND THE 2022 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA PLUMBING CODE BY AMENDMENT TO TITLE 8 CHAPTER 1 OF THE LOS BANOS MUNICIPAL CODE (FIRST READING & INTRODUCTION); ORDINANCE NO. 1200 -ADOPTING BY REFERENCE THE 2022 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA FIRE CODE BY AMENDMENT TO TITLE 4 CHAPTER 3 OF THE LOS BANOS MUNICIPAL CODE AND ADOPTION OF LOCAL AMENDMENTS THERETO (FIRST READING & INTRODUCTION). Community & Economic Development Director Souza Elms introduced Mike Brinkman the City's contract Building Official who then presented the staff report. Community & Economic Development Director Souza Elms explained the extra conditions and amendments special to the City of Los Banos.

There was Council Member and staff discussion regarding grab bars in the homes for senior for new construction and the proposal for these upgrades for our Fire Department.

Mayor Pro Tern Lambert opened the public hearing. No one came forward to speak and the public hearing was closed.

Motion by Jones, seconded by Llamas to waive the first reading of Ordinance No. 1199 - Adopting by Reference the Building Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Building Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Energy Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Historical Building Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Reference Standards Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Electrical Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Mechanical Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Administrative, the 2022 Edition of the California Existing Building Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Green Building Standards Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Residential Code, and the 2022 Edition of the California Plumbing Code by Amendment to Title 8 Chapter 1 of the Los Banos Municipal Code. The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present.
15 Motion by Jones, seconded by Llamas to introduce Ordinance No. 1199 - Adopting by Reference the Building Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Building Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Energy Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Historical Building Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Reference Standards Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Electrical Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Mechanical Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Administrative, the 2022 Edition of the California Existing Building Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Green Building Standards Code, the 2022 Edition of the California Residential Code, and the 2022 Edition of the California Plumbing Code by Amendment to Title 8 Chapter 1 of the Los Banos Municipal Code.

The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present.

Mayor Pro Tern Lambert opened the public hearing. No one came forward to speak and the public hearing was closed.

Motion by Lewis, seconded by Jones to waive the first reading of Ordinance No. 1200 - Adopting by Reference the 2022 Edition of the California Fire Code by Amendment to Title 4 Chapter 3 of the Los Banos Municipal code and Adoption of Local Amendments Thereto. The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present.

Motion by Lewis, seconded by Jones to introduce Ordinance No. 1200 - Adopting by Reference the 2022 Edition of the California Fire Code by Amendment to Title 4 Chapter 3 of the Los Banos Municipal code and Adoption of Local Amendments Thereto. The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present.

CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 6564 -

FILLING THE VACANCY OF THE OFFICE OF MAYOR BY APPOINTMENT TO SERVE THE UNEXPIRED TERM OF THE INCUMBENT. Interim City Manager Wellman presented the staff report.

Council Member Jones stated that he feels we really need to fill this seat as quickly as possible, how they waste a lot of time and don't see the need to wait until the November 8th election results are certified and would like to move forward with the appointment of a Mayor to fill the unexpired term once we hear the presentations from those interested in being appointed.

Council Member Lewis stated there were two options given to us in deciding, if the City Council does not call an election the vacancy shall be filled at the next regular election date, wondered what the urgency is, a split vote is a split vote and it happens occasionally, some of the Council Members want to appoint while others feel that there is time and no urgency, last time we made an appointment like this there was a 2-year gap, she feels we should wait until the election happens, she personally thinks there is an agenda behind this appointment, wants the public to have a clear understanding of what she is facing and if there is something that is critical and serious it can be put on a later agenda when there is a full Council.

Council Member Llamas stated that he has thought about this situation long and hard, there should be consistency and fairness in the application process, how he went through 16 this process a year or so ago in January and there was a process set forth, a 2-3 page application, interview process was published and a voting procedure was published, and none of those things are happening and compared it to if we had a sergeant position open in the Police Department would we change the process, we should not undermine the democratic process for expediency, we only have 2-3 meetings left before the election and the only pressing issue I see is our homeless situation, he is hard pressed to continue this process and would like to have a more robust interview process, what's really weighing on him is the homeless situation but then are we going to redo this to hire a former person who created this problem, we have folks that are experiencing some very traumatic times and the homeless issue is urgent.

Council Member Lambert stated that this does matter to me, whether it's for the good or bad, better or worse, we could come up with an item that we don't need to drop, we need to start moving now and we need the votes, for the good of the City we need a Mayor not a Mayor Pro Tern and we need a Mayor in this position to have the votes we need, how there is no special agenda we just need the votes, he is for appointing a Mayor for the remainder of the term and doing so is what is best for the City.

Council Member Lewis stated that if any four of us get sick and for an extended period of time, we do not lose our seats, we should be making decisions for the betterment of our community not for an agenda or personal decisions, we have been dealing with the homeless issue for some time now, she would just ask us to consider if we are making the appropriate decision with an election just 34 days away, there are no pressing issues coming forward on the agenda that she is aware of and if someone else knows of one she'd like to hear it.

Council Member Jones stated that if our former Mayor would have given us more than a 1-day notice we could have followed a process, how there is only one candidate on the ballot, and what I find is hypocritical is that you are in a rush to hire a city manager.

Council Member Lambert added that if someone becomes sick we could not have a meeting.

Council Member Llamas stated that overall, no one is rushing to fill the city manager's position, it is going through the process with established guidelines and an open period, and the only pressing issue is the homeless situation.

Council Member Jones stated that you guys want to hire a City Manager on a 4-person vote and not have a future Mayor's input and stated that he would like to have the candidate come forward and give his 5-minute speech.

Council Member Lewis inquired as to the action being decided on the process, for which City Attorney Vaughn explained and there is potentially a deadlock and you need to come to some type of concurrence on how to proceed.
17 Motion by Jones, seconded by Lambert to move forward with interviews. Motion failed by the following vote: A YES: Jones, Lambert; NOES: Lewis, Llamas.

No further action was taken on this item.

NOTICE AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES FOR THE FOLLOWING CITY COMMISSIONS/COMMITTEES: AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION - FOUR (4) VACANCIES, THREE (3) TWO (2) YEAR TERMS - EXPIRING DECEMBER 31, 2024.

ONE (1) UNEXPIRED TERM - EXPIRING DECEMBER 31, 2023; MEASURE H CITIZENS' OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE - THREE (3) VACANCIES, THREE (3) TWO (2) YEAR TERMS - EXPIRING DECEMBER 31, 2024; MEASURE P COMMITTEE - FOUR (4) VACANCIES, THREE (3) THREE (3) YEAR TERMS - EXPIRING DECEMBER 31, 2025, ONE (1) UNEXPIRED TERM - EXPIRING DECEMBER 31, 2023; PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION - THREE (3) VACANCIES, THREE (3) TWO (2) YEAR TERMS - EXPIRING DECEMBER 31, 2024; PLANNING COMMISSION - THREE (3) VACANCIES, ONE (1) VACANCY IN DISTRICT 2 - EXPIRING DECEMBER 31, 2026, ONE (1) VACANCY IN DISTRICT 3 - EXPIRING DECEMBER 31, 2026. ONE (1) ATLARGE VACANCY- EXPIRING DECEMBER 31, 2024; TREE COMMISSION -TWO (2) VACANCIES, TWO (2) TWO (2) YEAR TERMS - EXPIRING DECEMBER 31, 2024.

Informational item only, no action to be taken.

ADVISEMENT OF PUBLIC NOTICES. (One Report) Community & Economic Development Director Souza Elms reported that there will be a Public Hearing at the Planning Commission on October 12, 2022 to consider Conditional Use Permit #2022-1 O and a Categorical Exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Section 15301, existing facilities, to allow the use of a Type 47 Alcohol License for the on-sale of General Alcohol for a bona-fide eating place, Las Micheladas Bar & Grill Los Banos, located at 509 I Street, APN 025-241-003.

CITY MANAGER REPORT. Interim City Manager Wellman stated that he has Police and Fire on his mind and would like to introduce the City's new Fire Chief Paul Tualla who came to the podium to speak thanking the City for the opportunity and how he is looking forward to working with members of the Fire Department and others in the City with Interim City Manager Wellman adding how they are looking forward to getting your recommendations on the path ahead and there is no time to waste. Mr. Tualla thanked Police Commander Reyna for taking the helm through the recruitment process, and Interim City Manager Wellman asked Acting Fire Chief/Police Commander Reyna to speak to Mr. Tualla's history and background and thanked Police Chief Brizzee, Police Commander Melden and Police Services Manager Geary for taking on extra duties as he was lucky to serve as Acting Fire Chief and working with the members of the Fire department and introduced Police Officer Juan Soriano who is the new POA president who spoke regarding his experience with the City and Mr. Wellman spoke to the letter recently received from the POA. Mr. Wellman then spoke to something that is very important to him which is fresh water, wastewater, storm water availability and spoke to the importance of looking into these issues at some point we are going to have to invest in the future to get the credible information to work with the development community. 18 REPORT/UPDATE ON MERCED COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS (MCAG). PENINSULA CLEAN ENERGY (PCE), AND MEASURE V COMMITTEE. No report
CITY COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS.

DEBORAH LEWIS: Spoke regarding the company hired awhile back to look into the chrom 6 issues and reverse osmosis, she was recently made aware by MCAG that our Measure V funding for Pioneer Road and bike path to Merced College is coming close to its cycle that has been allocated to the City and if we don't use it you lose it, how it's been quite some time since we have heard about the plans for the Pioneer Corridor and is afraid that MCAG will be redirecting the funding and would like an update at a future Council Meeting, for which Public Works Director/City Engineer Than responded to. Ms.

Lewis spoke to how on West K Street coming west to 4th Street that all of the state streets do not have stop signs and how it would seem to her that there should be stop signs at some of those intersections going north to west K Street and how she would like Interim Finance Director Kuhn to review our fees to see if we are up to date and would like to hear something back soon on that, she would also like to find out if the new sign on West I Street and Pacheco Boulevard is capable of paying for themselves for which Interim Finance Director Kuhn stated the developer impact fees AB 1600 is coming to them at the next Council Meeting and the other fee request will take a while to prepare. She asked the City Manager and City Clerk to invite our county representative to the next meeting and also the County Homeless representative to see what they have proposed to help the City of Los Banos in relation to their closing up Project RoomKey, maybe we should have a task force to come up with ideas and solutions and she feels it is unfair what the homeless neighbors have to deal with. Congratulated our new Fire Chief and we are looking forward to working with you as are the members of the Fire Department.

In our country we have gotten to a point where we do not want to let processes happen, she hopes that Los Banos would be fair to their constituents and let them choose who their Council Members by election, this is not disparaging remark against anyone running now and she feels very strongly about processes, if the Council votes to bring back a former employee that is the process and she will have to accept it, live with it and work with it, we need to honor the people who take the time to vote.

REFUGIO LLAMAS: Thanked the Parks & Recreation staff for the Salute to Seniors event and feels that we need to do more of that, we need to pay homage to our senior citizens, welcome to the fire chief and look forward to great things from you, our fire fighters are operating under extreme stress, short staffed, calls all day and night, cycles are getting shorter and shorter and they are fatigued, would like a state of the Fire Department report and what we need to retain our personnel, it is way past due that we do something for our Fire Department, and that also applies to our Police Department, what needs to be done to retain our personnel, they take all of their knowledge with them, spoke to the increased rapid expansion of our city and how it is affecting our personnel and our first responsibility is public safety, he would really like to have the homeless situation brought back for further discussion and resolutions, spoke to how he was able 19 to take a tour of tiny homes for homeless, and feels that the water accountability issue has to be dealt with.

BRETT JONES: No report
KENNETH LAMBERT: Condolences to our Police Chief on the loss of his family member, welcomed aboard Mr. Tualla the new Fire Chief and he looks forward to seeing how you adapt to Los Banos, you have some wonderful fireman.

ADJOURNMENT. Motion by Llamas, seconded by Lewis, the meeting was adjourned at 8:19 p.m.

APPROVED:

Kenneth Lambert, Mayor Pro Tern
ATTEST:

Lucille L. Mallonee, City Clerk
20 LOsBanos
1/1 ,o ..,1< uh of Lal iJU' ,a
Agenda Staff Report
TO: City Council
FROM: William A Vaughn, City Attorney
DATE: November 2, 2022
TYPE OF REPORT: Consent Agenda
SUBJECT: Remote Teleconferencing - Per AB 361

RECOMMENDATION
Approve Resolution No. ___ to allow for in person, virtual, and hybrid public meetings.

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LOS BANOS

REAUTHORIZING REMOTE TELECONFERENCE MEETINGS OF THE

LEGISLATIVE BODIES OF THE CITY OF LOS BANOS PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OFAB 361

BACKGROUND
On June 1, 2022 staff brought forward a resolution for City Council consideration concerning reauthorizing remote teleconference meetings pursuant to AB361. At that meeting the city council approved Resolution No. 6494 to allow for flexibility to meet in person or virtually in response to COVID 19 changing conditions. Pursuant to AB361 the Resolution must be considered by the city council and the required findings must be made every thirty (30) days thereafter or it will expire. 21 DISCUSSION
California's Ralph M. Brown Act was amended to allow fully virtual public meetings during a state of emergency after the Governor signed Assembly Bill 361 into law on September 16, 2021. AB 361 provides that it will sunset on January 1, 2024.

AB 361 amends Section 54953 of the Brown Act to allow virtual public meetings through January 1, 2024 in any of the following circumstances:

1. The legislative body holds a meeting during a proclaimed state of emergency, and state or local officials have imposed or recommended measures to promote social distancing.

2. The legislative body holds a meeting during a proclaimed state of emergency for the purpose of determining, by majority vote, whether as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees.

3. The legislative body holds a meeting during a proclaimed state of emergency and has determined, by majority vote, that, as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees.

The Governor's state of emergency remains, and the Cal OSHA Regulations related to social distancing remain in place.

Virtual meetings are currently allowed under AB 361 because state and local officials are continuing to recommend measures to promote social distancing. In the case of the pandemic, the requisite standards for holding virtual meetings are low. The City Council would only have to find that any state or local official is recommending measures to promote social distancing. Under the plain language of the statute, there does not have to be an order requiring social distancing, and the recommendation only needs to come from a state or local official. Nothing in the bill requires that the recommendation be a formal recommendation of a local health officer or in any sort of formal guideline.

The proposed resolution provides the City Council with the flexibility to allow its commissions and committees to host virtual meetings, while still maintain the City Council's jurisdiction to require in-person meetings as warranted.

AB 361 allows the use of fully virtual meetings under the foregoing conditions, but it does not prohibit hybrid meetings. By adopting the proposed resolution, and continuing to renew it as conditions warrant, the City Council and any subordinate boards are not precluded from holding meetings that have some traditional components and some virtual or telephonic components. The City Council (and other City boards) may hold meetings where some members join in the Council Chambers and some members join virtually. The City Council may also continue to allow both live and virtual 22 public comments, together with reduced capacity in the Chambers as conditions warrant. For any hybrid meetings, AB 361 requires that members of the public be able to make live public comments directly to the Council or other board using telephonic or electronic means and that the agenda identify the means for making public comments.

As noted above, by adopting the proposed Resolution, the City Council is not prohibited from conducting in-person meetings. The Resolution is intended to provide the option to utilize the AB 361 procedures in lieu of the Brown Act's standard teleconferencing requirements. At future City Council meetings, a consent calendar item will be placed on each agenda to reconsider and potentially renew the Resolution.

FISCAL IMPACT
None.

CONCLUSION
Based upon the existing state of emergency and state officials recommendations to socially distance, the City of Los Banos has the ability to continue to meet remotely should if it so choose, assuming the City adopts the proposed resolution making the required findings. The proposed resolution does not require the City of Los Banos to hold meetings via remote teleconferencing and the City Council can continue to meet in person for the time being but allows flexibility to return to remote teleconferencing in response to changing COVID -19 circumstances.

Reviewed by:
23 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
24 RESOLUTION NO. ---

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LOS BANOS

REAUTHORIZING REMOTE TELECONFERENCE MEETINGS OF THE

LEGISLATIVE BODIES OF THE CITY OF LOS BANOS PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF AB 361
WHEREAS, all meetings of the City of Los Banos' legislative bodies are open and public, as required by the Ralph M. Brown Act (Cal. Gov. Code 54950 - 54963), so that any member of the public may attend, participate, and watch the City's legislative bodies conduct their business; and
WHEREAS, on September 16, 2021 Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 361, extending the authority of public agencies to conduct meetings by teleconference, including video conference, during the COVID-19 pandemic; and WHEREAS, in light of the on-going pandemic, AB 361 amends the Brown Act {specifically Government Code section 54953) and gives public agencies the option to continue meeting virtually under certain circumstances; and WHEREAS, Government Code section 54953(e), makes provisions for remote teleconferencing participation in meetings by members of a legislative body, without compliance with the requirements of Government Code section 54953(b)(3), subject to the existence of certain conditions; and
WHEREAS, a required condition is that a state of emergency is declared by the Governor pursuant to Government Code section 8625, proclaiming the existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the state caused by conditions as described in Government Code section 8558; and WHEREAS, it is further required that state or local officials have imposed or recommended measures to promote social distancing, or, the legislative body meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health and safety of attendees; and WHEREAS, the City Council previously adopted a Resolution 6405, on October 6, 2021, finding that the requisite conditions exist for the legislative bodies of the City of Los Banos to conduct remote teleconference meetings without compliance with paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of section 54953; and
WHEREAS, as a condition of extending the use of the provisions found in section 54953(e), the City Council must reconsider the circumstances of the state of emergency that exists in the City of Los Banos, and the City Council has done so; and WHEREAS, such conditions continue to exist in the City of Los Banos; and 25 WHEREAS, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic on March 4, 2020; and
WHEREAS, on June 17, 2021, Cal/OSHA issued new emergency temporary standards (ETS) on COVID-19 infection prevention for the workplace (subsequently revised on December 16, 2021 ). The regulations require all individuals at City worksites to abide by certain rules, including wearing face coverings and socially distancing; and WHEREAS, on November 10, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-21-21 which extended through March 31, 2022, the state of emergency in California related to the threat of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, on January 5, 2022 as mitigation for the Omicron variant, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) extended the requirement that masks to be worn by all employees in all indoor public settings, irrespective of vaccine status, through February 15, 2022; and
WHEREAS, on February 7, 2022 the CDPH announced that effective February 16, 2022: universal masking shall remain required in only specified settings; and only unvaccinated persons are required to mask in all indoor public settings; and fully vaccinated individuals are recommended to continue indoor masking when the risk may be high; and
WHEREAS, on February 28, 2022 Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N5-22, which suspends part of the Cal/OSHA Temporary Emergency Standards.

Specifically, effective March 1, 2022, unvaccinated employees are no longer required to wear a face covering in most California workplaces. Notably, however, the universal indoor mask mandate remains in place for certain high-risk settings, such as healthcare and congregate settings; and
WHEREAS, as a consequence of the declared statewide emergency; the guidance and orders of the State Public Health Officer; and the Cal/OSHA temporary standards (ETS) on COVID-19 infection prevention for the workplace, the Los Banos City Council does hereby find that the legislative bodies of the City of Los Banos may conduct their meetings without compliance with paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Government Code section 54953, as authorized by subdivision (e) of section 54953, and that such legislative bodies shall comply with the requirements to provide the public with access to the meetings as prescribed in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of section 54953.

WHEREAS, in light of the foregoing, the City Council of the City of Los Banos desires to have the flexibility to meet in person or by remote teleconferencing pursuant to Government Code section 54953(e) as changing COVID-19 circumstances may dictate.

NOW THEREFORE, the CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LOS BANOS, DOES HEREBY RESOLVE, DECLARE, DETERMINE and ORDER AS FOLLOWS:
26 Section 1. Recitals. The Recitals set forth above are true and correct and are incorporated into this Resolution by this reference.

Section 2. Affirmation. The City Council hereby finds that the requisite conditions exist for the legislative bodies of the City of Los Banos to conduct remote teleconference meetings without compliance with paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of section 54953.

Section 3. Remote Teleconference Meetings. This Resolution does not prevent or prohibit the City Council or any commission, committee or other Brown Act body of the City from holding hybrid meetings (containing both virtual and in-person components) or from meeting in-person, provided such meetings comply with AB 361 and with all state and local health orders. Commissions, committees and other Brown Act bodies shall comply with all rules established by the City Council and/or City Manager for attendance at meetings.

Section 4. Effective Date of Resolution. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption and shall be effective until the earlier of (i) 30 days from adoption, or such time the City Council adopts a subsequent resolution in accordance with Government Code section 54953(e)(3) to extend the time during which the legislative bodies of City of Los Banos may continue to teleconference without compliance with paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of section 54953.

The foregoing resolution was introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Los Banos held on the 2nd day of November 2022, by Council Member ____ _ who moved for its adoption, which motion was duly seconded by Council Member _ _____ , and the Resolution was adopted by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

APPROVED:

ATTEST:

Lucille L. Mallonee, City Clerk
27 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
28 TO:

FROM:

DATE:

LOsBanos
At the Crossroacls ~{ Ccil~fin nia
Agenda Staff Report
Mayor Pro T em and City Council Members
Soknirorn Than, P.E., Public Works Director/City Engine~ J L__ November 2, 2022
TYPE OF REPORT: Consent Agenda
SUBJECT: Authorizing Award of Bid for the Purchase of Two New 2022-2023 Model One-Ton Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate Recommendation:

That the City Council adopt the Resolution to award the bid for the purchase of two new 2022-2023 Model One-Ton Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate to Santos Ford in the amount of $157,890.00; and authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to issue a purchase order to Santos Ford in the amount of $157,890.00 for the purchase of two new 2022-2023 Model One-Ton Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate.

Discussion:

The Public Works Equipment Capital Plan includes the replacement of two one-ton medium duty utility trucks for its fleet. Bid documents for the purchase of two new 2022- 2023 Model One-Ton Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate were released on Friday, September 23, 2022. A public notice was advertised on Friday, September 23, 2022 in the Merced Sun Star. The bid opening occurred on Thursday, October 20, 2022. The Public Works Department, through the office of City Clerk, received two (2) sealed bids.

The following dealerships responded to the City's invitation:

Santos Ford, Inc.

Gilroy Chevrolet
$157,890.00
$164,453.08
After a review of the submitted bid documents, it was determined that the lowest bidder, Santos Ford, Inc., met most of the specifications as outlined in the bid documents. Santos Ford is unable to deliver the trucks in 180 days as requested in the bid documents but has noted a tentative delivery of 180 to 270 days. Therefore, staff is requesting awarding the purchase order to Santos Ford for their total bid price in the amount of $157,890.00. 29 Once the new utility trucks are put in service, unit #4301 , a 2008 Ford pickup, and unit #4303, a 2008 Ford pickup in the Public Works fleet will be prepared for public auction.

Maintenance costs, California Air Resources Board Compliance, and reliability contribute to the decision for replacement.

Fi$cal lme_act:

Funds have been allocated in the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year budget for these purchases within accounts 100-431-210-750 $80,000 and 510-490-100-750 $80,000.

Attachments:

Resolution
Public Notice
Bid Opening Sheet
Fiscal Budget Sheet
Sample Picture
Brent Kuhn
Interim Finance Director
30 RESOLUTION NO. --

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF

THE CITY OF LOS BANOS AWARDING THE

BID FOR THE PURCHASE OF TWO NEW
2022/2023 ONE-TON MODEL MEDIUM DUTY
UTILITY TRUCKS WITH LIFT GATE;

AUTHORIZE THE PUBLIC WORKS

DIRECTOR/CITY ENGINEER TO ISSUE THE

PURCHASE ORDER
WHEREAS, the City of Los Banos has the responsibility to procure, manage, and maintain the City's fleet; and
WHEREAS, the City of Los Banos received sealed bids for the purchase of Two (2) New 2022-2023 One-Ton Model Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate that were officially opened on Thursday, October 20, 2022; and
WHEREAS, it was determined that Santos Ford provided a responsive and responsible bid of $157,890.00.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Los Banos does hereby accept the bid of $157,890.00 from Santos Ford, Inc. for the purchase of Two (2) New 2022-2023 One-Ton Model Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate; authorizes the Public Works Director/City Engineer to issue the purchase order.

The foregoing Resolution was introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Los Banos held on the 2nd day of November 2022, by Council Member ___ who moved its adoption, which motion was duly seconded by Council Member ___ and the Resolution adopted by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

APPROVED:

Kenneth Lambert, Mayor Pro Tern
ATTEST:

Lucille L. Mallonee, City Clerk
31 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
32 Bid No. 2023-08-001

INVITATION FOR SEALED BIDS

CITY OF LOS BANOS

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
411 Madison Avenue
Los Banos, CA 93635
(209) 827-7056
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the LOS BANOS PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT (herein called the "Owner") invites and will receive sealed bids up to the hour of 4:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Savings Time (PDT) on Thursda y, October 20, 2022 for the purchase of Two (2) New 2022/2023 One (1) Ton Model Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate. At said time, sealed Bid Proposal (herein called the "Bid") will be publicly opened and read aloud in the City of Los Banos Council Chambers by the office of the City Clerk at:

Los Banos City Hall
520 "J" Street
Los Banos, California 93635
Questions regarding the Bid Documents are to be directed to Dan Bronson, Public Works Fleet Coordinator, by email at [email protected].

Bids shall be submitted only on forms provided in the Bid Packet. Bids shall be in the hands of the City Clerk of the City of Los Banos, 520 J Street, Los Banos, California, 93635 on or before the hour of 4:00 p.m. PDT on Thursda y, October 20, 2022. No late Bids will be accepted and will be returned unopened. No oral, telegraphic, electronic, facsimile, or telephone bid submittals or modifications will be considered. Bids received after the bid submittal deadline will be rejected and returned to the Bidder unopened.

The Bid Proposal forms can be obtained from the City of Los Banos website at www.losbanos.org.

The City of Los Banos reserves the right to reject any and/or all Bids received. 33 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
34 LOs Banos
At tht• Crossroads of California

BID OPENING
TWO (2) NEW 2022/2023 ONE (1) TON MODEL

MEDIUM DUTY UTILITY TRUCKS WITH LIFT GATE
October 20, 2022-4:00 PM

1. Gilroy Chevrolet Cadillac

2. Santos Ford
Signed:~ ~.,,._,
Sara Blevins, CMC
HR Technician/Deputy City Clerk
Carlos Granillo
Public Works Operations Manager
$ 164,453.08
$ 157,890.00
Dated: October 22, 2022
35 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
36 City of Los Banos
! reets
2022-2023
Account Number Description
2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023
Actual Actual Estimated Adopted
100-431-210-101 Salaries 506,033 540,872 562,250 698,344 100-431-210-103 Overtime 30,210 19,125 15,000 35,000
100-431-210-120 Benefits 418,201 471,668 422,700 517,112 100-431-210-121 Benefits-PERS 103,175 129,606 130,000 152,965 Personnel Services 1,057,618 1,161,271 1,129,950 1,403,421 100-431-210-201 Grounds Maintenance 496 500 500 500
100-431-210-202 Fleet Repair & Maint 41,444 41,357 37,650 34,716 100-431-210-203 Equipment Repair & Maint 3,115 4,226 5,000 4,000 100-431-210-204 Fleet Services 38,526 42,246 49,261 52,068 100-431-210-205 Facility Maintenance 7,738 4,841 5,000 5,000 100-431-210-208 Rental - Vehicles & Equip 13,802 7,833 5,000 5,000 100-431-210-210 Sidewalk Gutter Curb Mnt. 39,133 37,719 35,000 35,000 100-431-210-211 Street Repair 239,715 51,481 45,000 60,000 100-431-210-231 Professional Services 24,801 24,563 30,000 80,000 100-431-210-236 Medical Services 940 1,523 1,800 2,000
100-431-210-237 Recruitment 761 245 1,500 1,500
100-431-210-238 Technical Services 479 364 0 0
100-431-210-240 LT. Services 7,834 6,638 6,584 6,670
100-431-210-250 Insurance 36,977 41,816 47,072 58,780
100-431-210-251 Memberships & Dues 314 389 500 1,000
100-431-210-252 Communications 3,311 4,924 6,000 8,900
100-431-210-256 Permits, Fees & Charges 466 482 600 600 100-431-210-257 Travel & Training 930 1,553 1,000 5,000 100-431-210-260 Office Supplies 4,910 3,952 4,500 5,500 100-431-210-262 Uniform Expenses 9,587 9,928 10,200 10,700 100-431-210-263 Street Light Maintenance 156,003 151,771 170,000 175,000 100-431-210-264 Electricity & Gas 6,982 6,014 6,000 6,400 100-431-210-265 Gasoline & Oil 35,202 38,727 55,011 55,000 100-431-210-267 General Materials & Supplies 90,986 76,719 80,000 80,000 100-431-210-273 Special Departmental Exp. 4,654 4,677 4,000 5,000 Supplies & Services 769,107 564,490 607,178 698,334
100-4 31-210-715 Street & Road Imp-Overlay 0 376,246 200,000 1,300,000 , :_:.., 100-431-210-750 Vehicles 0 0 0 207,377 'r
100-431-210-752 Communication Equipment 93 0 257 0
100-431-210-753 Specialized Equipment 297,928 1,935 298,333 180,000 100-431-210-755 Specialized Vehicles 0 0 0 210,000
100-431-210-770 Computer Equipment 0 24,158 0 0
Capital Outlay 298,022 402,339 498,590 1,897,377
192
37 Streets

SERVICES & SUPPLIES
208-RENTAL VEHICLES & EQUIPMENT; Charges for use of equipment and tools needed for various projects that require a special tool or piece of equipment. Charges may be incurred when additional equipment or tools are needed to complete job tasks efficiently or when the item is not currently in the City's inventory. Charges also associated with the copier lease. ll!!= SIDEWALK CURB & GUTTER REPAIB; Costs having to do with the repair and/or replacement of sidewalks, curbs & gutters. The costs include concrete materials, form lumber, surface patch materials and adhesives.
ll1:. STREET REPAIR; For purchase of materials used for minor repair and rehabilitation of existing streets. Materials include fabric matting, asphalt mix, sub base mixes, crack filling, emulsions, and sand. Materials associated with the installation of speed cushions. 231-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES; Charges for services to outside engineering firms to complete street related projects and to provide updated revisions to the City's Improvement Standards.

Services may include design, drawings, and project management. The annual support services agreement with Cartegraph. Costs associated with the proper disposal of hazardous waste materials and USA tickets. Costs include all other miscellaneous professional services that may be required, including costs for negotiations with Public Works bargaining unit. 256-PERMIT FEES & CHARGES; Annual fees charged by the State and County for the Public Works Department's Spill Prevention Plan review at the "F" Street operations yard. 263-STREET LIGHT MAINTENANCE; Expenditures for the repair, maintenance, and replacement of street lights throughout the city. Costs for electricity billing for the street lights that are not in the Landscaping & Lighting Districts. Additional costs for the maintenance and repair of the City's signalized lights and controllers.
273-SPECIAL DEPARTMENTAL EXPENSES; Expenditures for miscellaneous safety gear and costs associated with providing employee longevity awards.

CAPITAL OUTLAY
715-STREET & ROAD IMP-OVERLAY; Costs associated with the 2021 SBl overlays ($1,200,000) . Costs associated for thermoplastic striping throughout the City ($100,000). 750-VEIDCLES; Purchase a¾ ton Utility Pickup Truck ($57,377) (carryover from FY22 budget), ---;/ a ¾ ton Utility Pickup Truck $70,000, a 1 ton Utility Pickup Truck ($80,000). ~ 753-SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT; Purchase a Backhoe ($165,000), Road Construction Plates (4) ($15,000).
194
38 City of Los Banos
Solid Waste ,.. 22-2023 "'
2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023
Account Number Description Actual Actual Estimated Adopted 510-490-100-IO 1 Salaries 332,736 324,607 347,499 363,950 510-490-100-102 Part Time 0 8,174 14,500 15,000
510-490-100-103 Overtime 9,020 7,941 8,500 8,500
510-490-100-120 Benefits 204,846 236,552 227,392 243,710 510-490-100-121 Benefits-PERS 105,761 106,223 104,987 114,529 Personnel Services 652,363 683,497 702,878 745,689
510-490-100-201 Grounds Maintenance 1,451 2,453 2,100 2,500 510-490-100-202 Fleet Repair & Maintenance 19,017 29,084 27,210 29,931 510-490-100-203 Equipment Repair & Maint 3,129 4,929 2,000 3,000 510-490-100-204 Fleet Services 28,311 30,284 35,601 44,762 510-490-100-205 Facility Maintenance 6,918 6,988 8,500 9,000 5 I 0-490-100-206 Property Lease 56,280 56,280 56,280 56,280 510-490-100-208 Rental - Vehicles & Equip 14,449 2,407 2,000 2,000 510-490-100-209 Alley Maintenance/Repair 4,212 5,735 3,700 5,000 510-490-100-231 Professional Services 95,550 116,463 30,000 30,000 510-490-100-236 Medical Services 798 754 500 1,000
510-490-100-237 Recruitment 459 0 500 800
510-490-100-238 Technical Services 3,779,410 3,915,898 2,900,000 3,000,000 510-490-100-240 I.T. Services 7,519 6,381 6,434 6,467
510-490-100-250 Insurance 18,613 22,173 23,771 30,713
510-490-100-252 Communications 577 1,522 2,700 4,500
510-490-100-253 Advertising 199 0 2,000 2,000
510-490-100-255 Solid Waste Dumping Fees 1,163,128 1,249,914 100,000 100,000 510-490-100-256 Permits, Fees & Charges 1,247 791 500 1,500 510-490-100-257 Travel & Training 761 961 2,000 2,500
510-490-100-260 Office Supplies 2,378 1,573 1,600 1,600 510-490-100-262 Uniform Expenses 2,775 3,104 3,800 4,000 510-490-100-264 Electricity & Gas 1,269 917 1,000 1,200 510-490-100-265 Gasoline & Oil 30,678 32,819 44,509 44,575 510-490-100-267 General Materials & Supplies 9,865 9,734 7,500 7,500 510-490-100-272 Landfill Closure 0 0 100,000 4,000,000
510-490-100-273 Special Departmental Exp. 3,901 1,929 2,300 3,000 Supplies & Services 5,252,891 5,503,094 3,366,505 7,393,828 • -7 510-490-100-750 Vehicles 0 0 0 80,000
510-490-100-752 Communication Equipment 99 0 272 0 ~
510-490-100-7 53 Specialized Equipment 268,754 337,057 0 0 510-490-100-770 Computer Equipment 0 11,750 0 0
Capital Outlay 268,853 348,807 272 80,000
510-490-100-820 Charge In 393,459 397,361 400,000 412,000 Charge Ins - Outs 393,459 397,361 400,000 412,000
266
39 Solid Waste

SERVICES & SUPPLIES
201-GROUNDS MAINTENANCE; Charges incurred for maintenance of "F" street operations yard and other Solid Waste facilities. Purchase of materials for the control of weeds on City right of ways.
206-PROPERTY LEASE; Expenditures for leasing buildings, facilities, and maintenance yards to support the Solid Waste services to the City.
209-ALLEY MAINTENANCE/REPAIR; For purchase of materials used to repair the city alleys. Expense includes additional maintenance for cleanup and weed control in alleys throughout the city.
231-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES; Charges for services to outside engineering/consulting firms to complete Solid Waste related projects. The annual support services agreement with Cartegraph. Costs associated with updating City Improvement standards estimated at $20,000.

Services may include design, drawings, and project management, as well as other miscellaneous professional services, which may be required.
238-TECHNJCAL SERVICES; Costs associated with the solid waste disposal contractor Mid Valley Disposal. The contract became effective July 1, 2021 and annual increases will result due to CPI adjustments, as per contract. Also additional fees are paid to contractor due to increase in number of residences requiring service.
~ SOLID WASTE DUMPING FEES; Costs associated with dumping costs incurred through street sweeping, homeless cleanups and other City operations. Costs reflect the dumping fees charged by Merced County Solid Waste Division.
~ PERMIT FEES & CHARGES; Annual fees charged by the State and County for the Public Works Department's Spill Prevention Plan review at the "F" Street operations yard. l,ll:LANDFILL CLOSURE; Expenses related to the closure of the City's old landfill site. The Closure Plan has been revised with a design to isolate the top of the waste units with an approved cover. The Closure Plan and its design has been approved by the CRWQCB (Board).

Construction is tentatively being scheduled for the fall of 2022. Expenses include annual maintenance and groundwater quality monitoring .
.2.Zl: SPECIAL DEPARTMENTAL EXPENSES; For miscellaneous safety equipment and employee longevity awards.

CAPITAL OUTLAY
I
_ -;r' 750-VEIDCLES; Purchase of a One Ton Utility Pickup Truck estimated at $80,000. -,,,r---1 268
40 2023 F-350 One-Ton Medium Duty Utility Truck with Lift Gate 41 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
42 LOsBanos
At tlie Crossroads ,f Calffornill
Agenda Staff Report
TO: Mayor Pro Tern and City Council Members
FROM: Soknirom Than, P.E., Public Works Director/City Engineer~/ t __ _ DATE: November 2, 2022
TYPE OF REPORT: Consent Agenda
SUBJECT: Authorizing Award of Bid for the Purchase of Four ( 4) New 2022-2023 Model¾ Ton Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate and Budget Amendment
Recommendation:

That the City Council adopt the Resolution to award the bid for the purchase of Four (4) New 2022-2023 ¾ Ton Model Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate to Santos Ford, Inc. in the amount of $309,820.00; and authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to issue a purchase order to Santos Ford, Inc. in the amount of $309,820.00 for the purchase of Four (4) New 2022-2023 Model ¾ Ton Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate and amend the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget by increasing the appropriations for expenditures in the amount of $55,066.00.

Discussion:

The Public Works Equipment Capital Plan includes the replacement of four (4) ¾ ton medium duty utility trucks for its fleet. Bid documents for the purchase of Four ( 4) New 2022-2023 Model ¾ Ton Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate were released on Friday, September 23, 2022. A public notice was advertised on Friday, September 23, 2022 in the Merced Sun Star. The bid opening occurred on Thursday, October 20, 2022.

The Public Works Department, through the office of City Clerk, received two (2) sealed bids. The following dealerships responded to the City's invitation:

Santos Ford, Inc.

Gilroy Chevrolet
$309,820.00
$321,997.40
After a review of the submitted bid documents, it was determined that the lowest bidder, Santos Ford, Inc., met most of the specifications as outlined in the bid documents. Santos 43 Ford, Inc. is unable to deliver the trucks in 180 days as requested in the bid documents but has noted a tentative delivery of 180 to 270 days. Therefore, staff is requesting awarding the purchase order to Santos Ford, Inc. for their total bid price in the amount of $309,820.00.

Once the new utility trucks are put in service, unit #4056 a 2002 Ford pickup, unit ' #4061, a 2002 Ford pickup, unit #4068 a 2005 Ford pickup, and unit #421 O a 2003 Ford pickup in the Public Works fleet will be prepared for public auction. Maintenance costs, local driving miles/idle time, and reliability contribute to the decision for replacement. .Ei§cal Impact:

Funding for the four medium duty utility trucks are as follows:

Truck #1 - Funding for a ¾ ton Medium Duty Utility Truck has been approved within account 100-431-210-750 in the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year budget in the amount of $70,000. The bid amount of $77,455 exceeds the budgeted amount.

Staff requests a budget amendment of $7,455 to account 100-431-210-750.

Truck #2- Funding for a ¾ ton Medium Duty Utility Truck has been approved within account 100-431-210-750 in the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year budget in the amount of $57,377. This amount was carryover from a truck that was ordered in Fiscal Year 2021-2022; however, was not delivered. The bid amount of $77,455 exceeds the budgeted amount. Staff requests a budget amendment of $20,078 to account 100-431-210-750.

Truck #3 - Funding for a ¾ ton Medium Duty Utility Truck has been approved within account 501-461-100-750 in the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year budget in the amount of $57,377. This amount was carryover from a truck that was ordered in Fiscal Year 2021-2022; however, was not delivered. The bid amount of $77,455 exceeds the budgeted amount. Staff requests a budget amendment of $20,078 to account 501-461-100-750.

Truck #4 - Funding for a ¾ ton Medium Duty Utility Truck has been approved within account 502-433-100-750 in the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year budget in the amount of $70,000. The bid amount of $77,455 exceeds the budgeted amount.

Staff requests a budget amendment of $7,455 to account 502-433-100-750.

Attachments:

Resolution
Public Notice
Bid Opening Sheet
Fiscal Budget Sheet
Sample Picture
Bent Kuhn
Interim Finance Director
44 RESOLUTION NO. --

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF

THE CITY OF LOS BANOS AWARDING THE

BID FOR THE PURCHASE OF FOUR NEW
2022-2023 ¾ TON MODEL MEDIUM DUTY
UTILITY TRUCKS WITH LIFT GATE;

AUTHORIZE THE PUBLIC WORKS

DIRECTOR/CITY ENGINEER TO ISSUE THE

PURCHASE ORDER AND AMEND THE
BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022-2023 AS IT

PERTAINS TO EXPENDITURES
WHEREAS, the City of Los Banos has the responsibility to procure, manage, and maintain the City's fleet; and
WHEREAS, the City of Los Banos received sealed bids for the purchase of Four (4) New 2022-2023 ¾ Ton Model Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate that were officially opened on Thursday, October 20, 2022; and
WHEREAS, it was determined that Santos Ford, Inc. provided a responsive and responsible bid of $309,820.00; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Los Banos has been presented an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Los Banos may adjust the overall appropriation levels in each fund at any time during the Fiscal Year by action to amend the budget; and
WHEREAS, the proposed budget amendment would increase expenditures for Streets Vehicle account 100-431-210-750 by $27,533, Water Vehicle account 501-461- 100-750 by $20,078, and Wastewater Treatment Vehicle account 502-433-100-750 by $7,455.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Los Banos does as follows:

1. Accept the bid of $309,820.00 from Santos Ford, Inc. for the purchase of Four (4) New 2022-2023 ¾ Ton Model Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate; authorizes the Public Works Director/City Engineer to issue the purchase order.

2. That the City Council of the City of Los Banos hereby amends the 2022-2023 Fiscal year Budget to include an increase to expenditures. 45 The foregoing Resolution was introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Los Banos held on the 2nd day of November 2022, by Council Member ___ who moved its adoption, which motion was duly seconded by Council Member ___ and the Resolution adopted by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

APPROVED:

Kenneth Lambert, Mayor Pro Tern
ATTEST:

Lucille L. Mallonee, City Clerk
46 Bid No. 2023-08-002

INVITATION FOR SEALED BIDS

CITY OF LOS BANOS

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
411 Madison Avenue
Los Banos, CA 93635
(209) 827-7056
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the LOS BANOS PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT (herein called the "Owner") invites and will receive sealed bids up to the hour of 4:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Savings Time (PDT) on Thursda y, October 20, 2022 for the purchase of Four (4) New 2022/2023 Model¾ Ton Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate. At said time, sealed Bid Proposal (herein called the "Bid") will be publicly opened and read aloud in the City of Los Banos Council Chambers by the office of the City Clerk at:

Los Banos City Hall
520 "J" Street
Los Banos, California 93635
Questions regarding the Bid Documents are to be directed to Dan Bronson, Public Works Fleet Coordinator, by email at [email protected].

Bids shall be submitted only on forms provided in the Bid Packet. Bids shall be in the hands of the City Clerk of the City of Los Banos, 520 J Street, Los Banos, California, 93635 on or before the hour of 4:00 p.m. PDT on Thursday. October 20, 2022. No late Bids will be accepted and will be returned unopened. No oral, telegraphic, electronic, facsimile, or telephone bid submittals or modifications will be considered. Bids received after the bid submittal deadline will be rejected and returned to the Bidder unopened.

The Bid Proposal forms can be obtained from the City of Los Banos website at www.losbanos.org.

The City of Los Banos reserves the right to reject any and/or all Bids received. 47 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
48 T Cityof B LOS .· .·•anos

BID OPENING
FOUR (4) NEW 2022/2023 MODEL¾ TON MEDIUM DUTY UTILITY TRUCKS

WITH LIFT GATE
October 20. 2022 - 4:00 PM

1. Gilroy Chevrolet Cadillac

2. Santos Ford
Signed: \2."-\9-. ,.~-
Sara Blevins, CMC
HR Technician/Deputy City Clerk
Carlos Granillo
Public Works Operations Manager
$ 321,997.40
$ 309,820.00
Dated: October 22, 2022
49 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
50 City of Los Banos
' Streets '
2022-2023
Description
2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023
Account Number Actual Actual Estimated Adopted
100-431-210-101 Salaries 506,033 540,872 562,250 698,344 100-431-210-103 Overtime 30,210 19,125 15,000 35,000
100-431 -210-120 Benefits 418,201 471,668 422,700 517,112 100-431-210-121 Benefits-PERS 103,175 129,606 130,000 152,965 Personnel Services 1,057,618 1,161,271 1,129,950 1,403,421 100-431-210-201 Grounds Maintenance 496 500 500 500
100-431-210-202 Fleet Repair & Maint 41,444 41,357 37,650 34,716 100-431-210-203 Equipment Repair & Maint 3,115 4,226 5,000 4,000 100-431-210-204 Fleet Services 38,526 42,246 49,261 52,068 100-431-210-205 Facility Maintenance 7,738 4,841 5,000 5,000 100-431-210-208 Rental - Vehicles & Equip 13,802 7,833 5,000 5,000 100-431-210-210 Sidewalk Gutter Curb Mnt. 39,133 37,719 35,000 35,000 100-431-210-211 Street Repair 239,715 51,481 45,000 60,000 100-431-210-231 Professional Services 24,801 24,563 30,000 80,000 100-431-210-236 Medical Services 940 1,523 1,800 2,000
100-431-210-237 Recruitment 761 245 1,500 1,500
100-431-210-238 Technical Services 479 364 0 0
100-431-210-240 LT. Services 7,834 6,638 6,584 6,670
100-431-210-250 Insurance 36,977 41,816 47,072 58,780
100-431-210-251 Memberships & Dues 314 389 500 1,000
100-431-210-252 Communications 3,311 4,924 6,000 8,900
100-431-210-256 Permits, Fees & Charges 466 482 600 600 100-431-210-257 Travel & Training 930 1,553 1,000 5,000 100-431-210-260 Office Supplies 4,910 3,952 4,500 5,500 100-431-210-262 Uniform Expenses 9,587 9,928 10,200 10,700 100-431-210-263 Street Light Maintenance 156,003 151,771 170,000 175,000 100-431-210-264 Electricity & Gas 6,982 6,014 6,000 6,400 100-431-210-265 Gasoline & Oil 35,202 38,727 55,011 55,000 100-431-210-267 General Materials & Supplies 90,986 76,719 80,000 80,000 100-431-210-273 Special Departmental Exp. 4,654 4,677 4,000 5,000 Supplies & Services 769,107 564,490 607,178 698,334
100-431-210-715 Street & Road Imp-Overlay 0 376,246 200,000 1,300,000 -7 100-431-210-750 Vehicles 0 0 0 207,377 ~
100-431-210-752 Communication Equipment 93 0 257 0
100-431-210-753 Specialized Equipment 297,928 1,935 298,333 180,000 100-431-210-755 Specialized Vehicles 0 0 0 210,000
100-431-210-770 Computer Equipment 0 24,158 0 0
Capital Outlay 298,022 402,339 498,590 1,897,377
192
51 Streets

SERVICES & SUPPLIES
208-RENTAL YEWCLES & EQUIPMENT; Charges for use of equipment and tools needed for various projects that require a special tool or piece of equipment. Charges may be incurred when additional equipment or tools are needed to complete job tasks efficiently or when the item is not currently in the City's inventory. Charges also associated with the copier lease. ll!!.: SIDEWALK CURB & GUTTER REPAIR; Costs having to do with the repair and/or replacement of sidewalks, curbs & gutters. The costs include concrete materials, form lumber, surface patch materials and adhesives.
lll: STREET REPAIR; For purchase of materials used for minor repair and rehabilitation of existing streets. Materials include fabric matting, asphalt mix, sub base mixes, crack filling, emulsions, and sand. Materials associated with the installation of speed cushions. 231-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES; Charges for services to outside engineering firms to complete street related projects and to provide updated revisions to the City's Improvement Standards.

Services may include design, drawings, and project management. The annual support services agreement with Cartegraph. Costs associated with the proper disposal of hazardous waste materials and USA tickets. Costs include all other miscellaneous professional services that may be required, including costs for negotiations with Public W arks bargaining unit. 256-PERl\UT FEES & CHARGES; Annual fees charged by the State and County for the Public W arks Department's Spill Prevention Plan review at the "F" Street operations yard. 263-STREET LIGHT MAINTENANCE; Expenditures for the repair, maintenance, and replacement of street lights throughout the city. Costs for electricity billing for the street lights that are not in the Landscaping & Lighting Districts. Additional costs for the maintenance and repair of the City's signalized lights and controllers.
273-SPECIAL DEPARTMENTAL EXPENSES; Expenditures for miscellaneous safety gear and costs associated with providing employee longevity awards.

CAPITAL OUTLAY
715-STREET & ROAD IMP-OVERLAY; Costs associated with the 2021 SB 1 overlays ($1,200,000) . Costs associated for thermoplastic striping throughout the City ($100,000). 750-VEIDCLES; Purchase a¾ ton Utility Pickup Truck ($57,377) (carryover from FY22 budget), -~ $ . ,r a ¾ ton Utility Pickup Truck $70,000, a 1 ton Utility Pickup Truck ( 80,000). '-!.. I 753-SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT; Purchase a Backhoe ($165,000), Road Construction Plates (4) ($15,000).
194
52 City of Los Banos
Water
2022-2023
2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023
Account Number Description Actual Actual Estimated Adopted 501-461-100-101 Salaries 647,099 649,917 635,037 809,108 501-461-100-102 Part Time 15,638 0 34,000 45,000
501-461-100-103 Overtime 32,897 24,802 15,000 23,500
501-461-100-120 Benefits 489,154 519,799 490,000 611,923 501-461-100-121 Benefits-PERS 166,476 179,858 173,766 201 ,105 Personnel Services 1,351,265 1,374,376 1,347,803 1,690,636 501-461-100-201 Grounds Maintenance 2,835 3,000 8,000 6,000 501-461-100-202 Fleet Repair & Maintenance 14,226 19,167 16,500 18,150 501-461-100-203 Equipment Repair & Maintenance 8,189 2,618 9,000 9,000 501-461-100-204 Fleet Services 50,980 32,472 36,543 45,947 501-461-100-205 Facility Maintenance 11,026 5,298 13,865 13,000 501-461-100-206 Property Lease 256,311 256,311 256,311 256,311 501-461-100-208 Rental - Vehicles & Equipment 17,964 11,910 12,000 12,000 501-461-100-212 Well Repair & Maintenance 29,060 64,675 94,500 100,000 501-461-100-231 Professional Services 40,618 95,995 88,000 410,000 501-461-100-236 Medical Services 1,365 1,254 1,500 1,500 501-461-100-237 Recruitment 714 32 2,000 1,000
501-461-100-238 Technical Services 66,663 112,814 90,000 90,000 501-461-100-240 I.T. Services 7,520 6,381 6,434 6,467
501-461-100-250 Insurance 50,978 61,763 86,503 94,750
501-461-100-251 Memberships & Dues 6,084 5,746 6,800 7,000 501-461-100-252 Communications 7,989 8,104 6,000 9,500
501-461-100-256 Permits, Fees & Charges 46,045 44,562 56,000 65,000 501-461-100-257 Travel & Training 1,343 2,020 5,000 6,000 501-461-100-259 Community Promotion 9,381 1,082 14,800 7,000 501-461-100-260 Office Supplies 6,510 5,850 4,600 7,500 501-461-100-262 Uniform Expenses 8,653 8,006 9,300 9,800 501-461-100-264 Electricity & Gas 726,771 826,355 890,000 950,000 501-461-100-265 Gasoline & Oil 27,604 29,592 40,133 36,625 501-461-100-267 General Materials & Supplies 196,099 245,688 250,000 250,000 501-461-100-273 Special Departmental Exp. 2,320 1,311 2,000 2,000 501-461-100-274 Books & Periodicals 75 75 75 0
501-461-100-275 Bad Debt Expense ( 198) (45) 0 0
Supplies & Services 1,597,122 1,852,035 2,005,864 2,414,550 501-461-100-710 Land Purchase 0 0 0 900,000
501-461-100-720 Buildings & Structures 0 3,990 0 10,000 501-461-100-737 Meters 139,745 230,000 245,000 250,000
501-461-100-739 Water Master Plan Improve 527,397 57,847 0 1,850,000 501-461-100-740 Miscellaneous Equipment 45,483 0 0 0
'
--;,, 501-461-100-750 Vehicles 162,191 0 0 122,377 ~
501-461-100-752 Communication Equipment 99 0 272 3,750
501-461-100-753 Specialized Equipment 29,221 33,325 0 12,500 501-461-100-755 Specialized Vehicles 0 116 235 62 959 0 Capital Outlay 904,135 441,397 308,231 3,148,627
240
53 Water (continued)
267-GENERALMATERIALS & SUPPLIES: Materials and supplies utilized by Operations personnel for the general water distribution materials and supplies including pipes, valves, fittings, service lines, meters, meter boxes, etc. Water production materials and supplies including chemicals (fluoride and chlorine), field water quality analysis supplies, materials used at the City laboratory for water quality analysis, and repair parts for pumps and electric motors for the wells & chemical feed equipment. Asphalt repair following repair of underground distribution facilities. 273-SPECIAL DEPARTMENTAi, EXPENSES: For miscellaneous safety equipment and employee longevity awards.

CAPITAL OUTLAY
710-LAND PURCHASE; Purchase land for new well (#16) estimated at $900,000. 720-BUTI,DING & STRUCTURES; Make roofrepairs to 419 Madison and floor repairs to 411 Madison $10,000 (cost shared between Water $10,000 and Collections $10,000). 737-METERS; Purchase water meters for new construction service accounts estimated at $250,000.
739-WATER MASTER PLAN IMPROVEMENTS; Upgrade water line encircling the County Fairgrounds (C, North, D, Third, and F Streets) estimated at $1,800,000 (Master Plan P-1). Valve Replacements (valve insertion method) estimated at $50,000. 750-VEffiCLES: Purchase of a¾ ton utility pickup truck estimated at $57,377 (carry over from -7 FY22).
752-COMMJJNICATIQNS EQUIPMENT; Expense related to upgrading Wifi at the Madison Office.
753-SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT; Safety Shoring (cost shared between Water $7,500 and Collections $7,500), Horizontal boring tool (cost shared between Water $5,000 and Collections $5,000).

CONTINGENCY
900-CONTINGENCY; For unexpected and unforeseen costs associated with Water activities. 243
54 Account Number
502-433-100-101
502-433-100-103
502-433-100-120
502-433-100-121
502-433-100-201
502-433-100-202
502-433-100-203
502-433-100-204
502-433-100-205
502-433-100-206
502-433-100-208
502-433-100-231
502-433-100-236
502-433-100-237
502-433-100-238
502-433-100-240
502-433-100-250
502-433-100-251
502-433-100-252
502-433-100-256
502-433-100-257
502-433-100-260
502-433-100-262
502-433-100-264
502-433-100-265
502-433-100-267
502-433-100-273
502-433-100-716
502-433-100-735
_ ~ 502-433-100-750
502-433-100-752
502-433-100-753
502-433-100-822
502-433-100-882
502-433-100-885
City of Los Banos
Wastewater Treatment
Description
Salaries
Overtime
Benefits
Benefits-PERS
Personnel Services
Grounds Maintenance
Fleet Repair & Maintenance
Equipment Repair & Maint
Fleet Services
Facility Maintenance
Property Lease
Rental - Vehicles & Equipment
Professional Services
Medical Services
Recruitment
Technical Services
LT. Services
Insurance
Memberships & Dues
Communications
Permits, Fees & Charges
Travel & Training
Office Supplies
Uniform Expenses
Electricity & Gas
Gasoline & Oil
General Materials & Supplies
Special Departmental Exp.

Supplies & Services
Street & Road Improvements
Master Plan
Vehicles
Communication Equipment
Specialized Equipment
Capital Outlay
Principal:93,97,03 Cop
Interest Debt Service
Debt Related Fees
Interest - Debt Service
2022-2023
2019-2020
254
Actual
276,577
8,720
179,885
91 ,994
557,175
5,266
9,459
27,450
32,784
5,520
427,857
216
37,542
437
312
66,801
5,986
19,461
798
1,760
34,205
574
1,486
2,496
109,598
10,687
16,386
31 ,762
848,845
0 29,468
0 93
175,156
204,718
460,000
8,433
750
469,183
2020-2021
Actual
277,767
5,269
185,287
101 ,016
569,340
9,206
9,431
30,379
27,687
6,437
427,857
216
115,609
387
0 73,996
6,759
22,160
498
2,266
36,789
1,011
870
2,573
147,330
11,616
20,438
32,394
985,908
134,582
9,264
0 0
24,964
168,809
0 0
0 0
2021-2022
Estimated
288,766
11,000
196,871
96,153
592,790
6,500
9,330
25,000
20,057
4,000
427,857
250
150,000
450
500
97,000
6,041
30,041
2,500
2,500
30,000
1,500
1,800
3,200
160,000
18,254
17,000
34,000
1,047,780
40,000
0 0
0 142,581
182,581
0 0
0 0
2022-2023
Adopted
380,484
11,000
260,671
106,687
758,842
8,000
10,263
30,000
25,219
5,000
427,857
500
2,200,000
700
500
85,000
5,938
33,287
3,000
8,000
38,000
2,000
2,000
3,300
170,000
18,250
20,000
35,000
3,131,814
0 500,000 I
70,00~ --~
45,000
615,000
0 0
0 0
55 Wastewater Treatment (continued)

CAPITAL OUTLAY
735-;MASTER Pl,AN; Construct potable water line from the City's water infrastructure, near Saint Frances subdivision, to the Wastewater Treatment Plant, estimated cost $500,000.

I
7 750::VEHICLES; Purchase of a ¾ ton utility pickup estimated at $70,000. ~ 753-SPECIALIZED EQillPMENT; Purchase a Border Maker estimated at $15,000. Purchase a Spray Rig estimated at $30,000.

CONTINGENCY
900-CONTINGENCY; Unexpected and unforeseen costs associated with Wastewater activities. 257
56 2023 F250 ¾ Ton Medium Duty Utility Trucks with Lift Gate 57 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
58 TO:

FROM:

DATE:

LOs Banos
( i11t I c 1.Uh t, .ahfm n, •
Agenda Staff Report
Mayor Pro T em and City Council Members
Soknirorn Than, P.E., Public Works Director/City Enginee~ IL__ November 2, 2022
TYPE OF REPORT: Consent Agenda
SUBJECT: On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance
Recommendation:

That the City Council adopts the Resolution entering into an Agreement for On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance with Chrisp Company to support Public Works, and authorize the Interim City Manager to execute the Professional Service Agreement. The administration of the Professional Service Agreement is to be performed by the Public Works Director/City Engineer.

Discussion:

The City of Los Banos Public Works Department is charged with oversight of all striping and marking maintenance in the Public Right of Way. In order for staff to efficiently and effectively manage these work tasks, a Request for Proposals was solicited for services of qualified contractor to supplement City staff with thermoplastic striping material and reflective markers. This service differs from our current in-house operations in that this utilizes thermoplastic material rather than paint. Thermoplastic is a material made of polymer, color pigment, and reflective glass beads. This material is design to increase reflectivity and add bulk to the marking, thus is longer lasting than paint. This material and process is widely use on high volume, high speed, and low visibility pavement. This material also offers better wet-night visibility over paint. According to a research by Auburn University, thermoplastic may last up to 10 years. For this reason, staff finds that this service is highly advantages for collector and arterial streets.

Currently, our operations rely solely on paint. This practice is acceptable for residential streets and offers an economic benefit over thermoplastic, both in equipment and material cost. However, this advantage diminishes for higher volume and low visibility streets.

Therefore, supplementing our services with this contract will provide the much needed safety enhancement for our streets.
59 For this service, a Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued on September 16, 2022.

Proposals were received at the office of City Clerk until October 18, 2022 at 4:00 PM. The City received one (1) proposal. The firm that responded to the City of Los Banos Request for Proposals was Chrisp Company.

The proposal was reviewed by a selection committee using the prescribed selection process. Staff is recommending that the services of Chrisp Company be retained to support staff with the specified work tasks, as listed in the RFP. The firm has the ability to provide the necessary services requested and has demonstrated a history of delivering quality work.

Staff is recommending entering into a Professional Service Agreement with Chrisp Company for a period of five (5) years effective November 2, 2022. During the five-year service term, striping and marking maintenance will be requested based on the needs of the City. A Task Order will be generated for specific work tasks, which will identify the scope of work, a not to exceed dollar amount, and a date when the services are due. The administration of each specific Task Order will be authorized and administered by the Public Works Director/City Engineer. Each Task Order will be completed concurrent with the terms of the Professional Service Agreement.
.Fiscal Impact:

The proposed consulting firm has submitted a schedule of fees for their services. The Task Orders will be generated for specific projects, which will be included in the funds approved in the annual adopted City budget of $100,000 in the 100-431-210-715 fund.

Brent Kuhn,
Interim Finance Director
Attachments:

Resolution
Copy of RFP, including proposed Professional Services Agreement 60 RESOLUTION NO. __

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE

CITY OF LOS BANOS AUTHORIZING THE

INTERIM CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT, AND

THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR/CITY ENGINEER

TO ADMINISTER THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
AGREEMENT WITH CHRISP COMPANY FOR ONCALL STRIPING AND MARKING MAINTENANCE.

WHEREAS, the City of Los Banos Public Works Department is charged with managing the striping and marking maintenance for all City pavement; and WHEREAS, additional services are needed to supplement City staff in applying thermoplastic striping material and marker; and
WHEREAS, the Public Works Department solicited proposals from qualified contractors to provide On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Los Banos does hereby authorize the Interim City Manager to execute a Professional Service Agreement, and authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to administer the Professional Service Agreement with Chrisp Company for On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance.

The foregoing Resolution was introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Los Banos held on the 2nd day of November 2022, by Council Member ___ who moved its adoption, which motion was duly seconded by Council Member ___ and the Resolution adopted by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

APPROVED:

Kenneth Lambert, Mayor Pro T em
ATTEST:

Lucille L. Mallonee, City Clerk
61 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
62 LOsBanos
At tl1e Cn,ssrotlds oj Ct1lifon1ia

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
for

ON-CALL STRIPING AND MARKING MAINTENANCE
Date Released: September 16, 2022
Questions with regard to submissions, process, or proposals can be emailed to:

Soknirom Than, P .E.

Public Works Director/City Engineer
[email protected]
Proposals must be received prior to 4:00 P.M. October 18, 2022 at the office of City Clerk
City of Los Banos
520 J Street
Los Banos, CA 93635
www.losbanos.org
63 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
64 NOTICE
Request for Proposals
For
On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Los Banos is seeking proposals from qualified contractors for On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance services as described in the Request for Proposal (RFP).

The City's intent is to evaluate each interested contractor's specific qualifications, experiences, and select the best qualified contractor and award a contract. Total amount payable to the contractor shall not exceed $100,000 per year. The performance period becomes effective upon execution of the Agreement by both parties and shall continue in full force and effect until October 31, 2027.

All qualified contractors interested in providing these services are invited to submit their proposals. The proposals will be evaluated and ranked according to the criteria provided in Exhibit B, "Proposal Evaluation," of this Request for Proposal.

It shall be the Contractor's responsibility to check the City of Los Banos' website (www.losbanos.org) to obtain any addenda that may be issued.

The Contractor's attention is directed to Exhibit A, "Submittal Requirements." Submit five (5) hard copies and one (1) electronic copy in PDF format on a USB flash drive of the Contractor's proposal. The hard copies and USB flash drive shall be mailed or submitted to the City of Los Banos, 520 J Street, Los Banos, CA 93635, prior to 4:00 P.M. PDST or PST on October 18, 2022.

Proposals shall be submitted in a sealed package clearly marked "Striping and Marking Maintenance" and addressed as follows:

City of Los Banos
Attention: City Clerk
520 J Street
Los Banos, CA 93635
No late submittals will be accepted. The City may conduct interviews of the top ranking contractors in order to make a final selection. The successful contractor will be recommended to the City Council for authorization to enter into a Professional Services Agreement for On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance with the City of Los Banos.

Failure to comply with the requirements set forth in this Request for Proposal may result in disqualification. Proposals and/or modifications received subsequent to the hour and date specified above will not be considered. Submitted proposals may be withdrawn at any time prior to the submission time specified in this Request for Proposal, provided notification is received in writing before the submittal deadline. Proposals· cannot be changed or withdrawn after the submittal deadline.

No handwritten notations or corrections will be allowed. The responding Contractor is solely responsible for all costs related to the preparation of the proposal.

City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance
65 The City of Los Banos reserves the right to reject all proposals and to waive any minor informalities or irregularities contained in this proposal. Acceptance of any proposal submitted pursuant to this Request for Proposal shall not constitute any implied intent to enter into a contract.

The contract award, if any, will be made to the contractor who, in the City's sole discretion, is best able to perform the required services in a manner most beneficial to the City.

The City intends to follow, but will not be bound by, the following selection timeline:

Release of Advertisement of RFP September 16, 2022
Deadline to Submit Questions/Clarifications 5:00 P.M. October 3, 2022 Addendum/Questions/Clarifications Posted 5:00 P.M. October 10, 2022 Deadline for Proposal Submittal 4:00P.M. October 18, 2022 Award Date November 16, 2022 (TBD)
Any questions with regard to submissions, process, or proposals can be emailed to Soknirom Than, Public Works Director/City Engineer at nirom.than(@.losbanos.org. Questions shall be submitted before 5:00 P.M. PDST or PST on October 3, 2022. Any response to a request for clarification, questions and answers will be posted to the City's website at www.losbanos.org no later than 5:00 P.M. PDST or PST on October 10, 2022 and if necessary, shall become a part of the proposal as an addendum.

The Request for Proposal can be viewed and/or obtained from the City of Los Banos website at www.losbanos.org.

No oral questions or inquires about the RFP shall be accepted.

City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance
2 66

PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND
The City of Los Banos (herein referred to as "City") is currently seeking a qualified contractor (herein referred to as "Contractor") with experience in striping and marking maintenance services. The Contractor will provide services that consist of localized striping and pavement marking repair, new striping and pavement marking installation, layout and other works as described in the Scope of Services. The project is estimated not to exceed $100,000 annually for a period of five years with an optional two one-year extension.

The intent of this RFP is to evaluate each interested contractor specific qualifications, experiences, and select the best qualified contractor. In addition, all interested contractors shall have sufficient, readily available resources in the form of trained personnel, support services, specialized consultants and financial resources to carry out the work without delay or shortcomings. The work will be performed according to the attached Agreement for Services.

The City intends to award a contract to a successful contractor for the services proposed by that contractor. However, all contracts are subject to approval by the Los Banos City Council, and the City reserves the right to not award any such contract at the discretion of the Council.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

PURPOSE OF WORK
The contractor shall only perform work that is assigned in an authorized Task Order. This Contract does not guarantee that a Task Order will be issued. The scope of services includes, but are not limited to, the following:
• Install new pavement striping, pavement markers and object markers per the latest California Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD), and the latest Caltrans Standard Plan and Specification
• Curb painting in various colors (red, white, blue, green and yellow) • Parking delineations and markings
• Bicycle lane delineations and markings
• Remove existing thermoplastic and/or paint
• Prepare Lead Compliance Plan ( extra work)
• Lead testing (for yellow thermoplastic - extra work)
• School Zone delineations and markings
• Furnish and install surface mounted delineators
• Install blue reflective pavement markers along centerline of road by fire hydrants • Placement of temporary No Parking Signs
• Temporary traffic control
• Project layout and Cat-tracking
• Submittals
The Initial Project Submittal Package shall address the entire project, and shall include the Pedestrian and Traffic Control Plan (typical, for a mobile operation or lane closure within the roadway) and Water Pollution Control Plan. Contractor shall not commence work in the field until Engineer has approved the Initial Project Submittal Package.

City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance
3 67
The Contractor shall allocate appropriate resources to respond to the City's requests in the following orders:

1. Emergency Response (24 hours response time)
This item is considered to be a safety concern. When notified by the City to respond to an emergency situation, the Contractor shall be at the site in twenty-four (24) hours or less from the time of notification. Examples of a situation that would require an emergency response include, but not limited to, temporary lane striping in paint for emergency lane closure, temporary intersection control striping in paint (stop bar, stop legend, and other delineations), and temporary traffic control support for City Emergency Operations. The Contractor shall maintain a local telephone number where he can be reached twenty-four (24) hours per day.

This telephone number shall be made available to the Public Works Department. The Contractor shall make IMMEDIATE maintenance calls when notified by the City and informed that the call is an emergency. In no instance shall the response time to an emergency call exceed twenty-four (24) hours from the time of notification.

2. Standard High Priority Response (5 business days response time) This item is considered high priority, but not an immediate safety concern. Maintenance and repair requests made on a high priority basis shall be responded to within 5 business days of the notification. High priority items will be determined by the City Engineer or his/her representative. A response means providing the necessary resources to perform the work as determined under this provision.

3. Standard Response ( 10 business days response time)
This item is considered important, but not an immediate safety concern. Maintenance and repair requests made on a regular basis shall be responded to within 10 business days of the notification. In no event will regular response work be considered overtime without prior approval of the City Engineer or his/her authorized agent.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES
The need for additional type services may be required during the term of the contract. The interested Contractor shall submit a fee schedule for key staff and equipment which may be directly involved in the works outside of the scope of services above. This fee schedule shall be on an hourly basis.

TASK ORDERS
All work performed under this contract will require approval by the City Contract Administrator and issued through a Task Order. A task order shall be requested from the Contractor to identify and refine the scope of services prior to the City issuing the task order. The task order shall identify and refine the scope of services for any specific project. The task order shall detail the tasks required for particular projects, schedule, and projected costs. The costs will be based on the specified rates of compensation in the contract. The Contract Administrator shall confer with the contractor to establish the maximum fee, including expenses, for the specific project and the completion date.

Pursuant to an authorized Task Order, the contractor shall provide all necessary personnel, material, transportation, lodging, instrumentation, and the specialized facilities and equipment necessary to satisfy all appropriate agencies and required to ensure compliance with all applicable Federal, State, and Local statutes, laws, codes, regulations, policies, procedures, ordinances, standards, specifications, performance standards, and guidelines, applicable to the contractor's services and work product. The City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance
4 68
contractor is responsible for supplying and providing all necessary equipment and protective clothing in accordance with City and Caltrans standards.

The potential striping projects may vary in scope and size. The project location, project limits, purpose, expected results, project deliverables, period of performance, project schedule, and scope of work to be performed shall be described in each Task Order.

The contractor shall only perform work that is assigned in an authorized Task Order and an award of a contract does not guarantee any Task Orders will be issued. Work shall not begin until the Task Order has been approved by the Contract Administrator. The contractor shall maintain a set of project files that shall be provided to the City upon request.

The contractor shall have the ability to respond in a timely and cost-efficient manner to City requests.

For Federally Funded Projects, the City will follow the Caltrans process to solicit service. A separate Bid will be issued to the preselected firms as a result of this RFP. A separate ranking and scoring criteria will be issued under this RFP and the highest-ranking firm will be selected to proceed with cost negotiation stage. The City reserves the right to issue the RFP/Bid publicly to all firms at the discretion of the Public Works Director.

GENERAL PERSONNEL REOUIRMENTS
The contractor's personnel shall be capable, competent, and experienced in performing the types of work in this contract with minimal instruction. Personnel skill level should match the specific job classifications, as set forth herein or in the contractor's Cost Proposal and task complexity. The contractor's personnel shall be knowledgeable about, and comply with all applicable Federal, State, and Local laws and regulations.

The contractor is required to submit a written request and obtain the City's Contract Administrator's prior written approval for any substitutions, additions, alterations, or modifications to the contractor's originally proposed personnel and project organization, as depicted on the proposed contractor's organization chart or the contractor's cost proposals. The substitute personnel shall have the same job classification as set forth herein or in the contractor's Cost Proposal not exceed the billing rate, and meet or exceed the qualifications and experience level of the previously assigned personnel, at no additional cost to the City.

The contractor's Contract Administrator shall have a documented minimum five (5) years of demonstrated experience acceptable to City in management and delivery of similar projects for local agencies.

In addition to other specified responsibilities, the contractor Project Administrator shall be responsible for all matters related to the contractor's personnel, subcontractors, and contractor's and subcontractors' operations including, but not limited to, the following:
a. Ensuring that deliverables are clearly defined and those criteria are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound.
b. Supervising, reviewing, monitoring, training, and directing the contractor's and subcontractors' personnel.
c. Assigning qualified personnel to complete the required Task Order work in coordination with the City Contract Administrator.
d. Administering personnel actions for contractor personnel and ensuring appropriate actions taken for subcontractor personnel.
e. Maintaining and submitting organized project files for record tracking and auditing. f. Assuring that all applicable safety measures are in place.

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g. Providing invoices in a timely manner and providing monthly Contract expenditures. h. Reviewing invoices for accuracy and completion before billing to City.

1. Managing subcontractors.

J. Managing overall budget for Contract and provide report to the City Contract Administrator. k. Ensuring compliance with the revisions in the Contract and all specific Task Order requirements.

I. Knowledge, experience, and familiarity with prevailing wage issues and requirements in the State of California.

DELIVERABLES
As agreed upon by the City and Contractor in a Task Order for each project.

SCHEDULE
As agreed upon by the City and Contractor in a Task Order for each project.

METHOD OF PAYMENT
The method of payment shall be in accordance with agreed upon unit prices and hourly rate set forth in the response to the City's RFP in Exhibit D, "Payment Schedule." The unit prices shall include direct costs and overhead such as, but not limited to, project personnel, transportation, communications, temporary traffic control plan and implementation, pedestrian detour plan and implementation, materials, equipment, and any subcontracted items of work. The unit prices shall be valid for the entire contract term.

Contractor shall be paid based on the Specific Rates of Compensation for this Contract and for the amount as agreed upon by the City and contractor in a Task Order for each project. Contractor shall submit request for monthly progress payments.

The agreement resulting from this Request for Proposals shall be in force for five (5) years. The contract may be renegotiated for two additional one-year periods by mutual agreement between the City and the Contractor for total contract duration of up to seven (7) years.

The usage of the services is on an as-needed basis, so if the demand is not there, then the services will not be requested. For each on-call service request, the contractor and the City will agree upon the specific scope of work and cost for that project using the unit costs of each traffic control device in Exhibit D. The City has the right to retain other contractors in its sole discretion when the City believes there will be an economic or other significant advantage for doing so. Services will be provided on a unit cost basis as indicated in Exhibit D, not to exceed $100,000 per fiscal year. The City is seeking to contract only with individual firms that specialize in all of the identified areas. No minimum amount of work is guaranteed under this contract agreement.

The compensation payable to Contractor will be adjusted by the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on an annual basis - Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Works for the San Francisco - Oakland - Hayward metropolitan area as of April 30th of each year, but the CPI increase will not exceed 5%. The contractor must submit a request for CPI adjustment/increase at least 30 days prior to the expiration of effective CPI, otherwise the contractor will forgo the said adjustment. The first request for adjustment is due 9/30/2023.

MATERIALS TO BE PROVIDED BY THE CONTRACTOR
Unless otherwise specified, the contractor shall provide all materials to complete the required work in accordance with the delivery schedule and cost estimated outlined in each Task Order.

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INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
Before the City executes an Agreement for services, Contractor shall provide a certificate of insurance evidencing the following:
• Workers' Compensation and Employers' Liability Coverage. Contractor shall maintain Workers' Compensation Insurance (Statutory Limits) and Employer's Liability Insurance with limits of at least one million dollars ($1,000,000). Contractor shall submit to City, along with the certificate of insurance, a Waiver of Subrogation endorsement in favor of City, its officers, agents, employees, and volunteers.
• General Liability Coverage. Contractor shall maintain commercial general liability insurance with coverage at least as broad as Insurance Services Office form CG 00 01, in an amount not less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per occurrence, four million dollars ($4,000,000) general aggregate, for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage, including without limitation, blanket contractual liability. Contractor's general liability policies shall be primary and non-contributory, and be endorsed using Insurance Services Office form CG 20 10 to provide that City and its officers, officials, employees, and agents shall be additional insureds under such policies. For construction contracts, an endorsement providing completed operations to the additional insured, ISO form CG 20 37, is also required. • Automobile Liability Coverage. Contractor shall provide auto liability coverage for owned, nonowned, and hired autos using ISO Business Auto Coverage form CA 00 01, or the exact equivalent, with a limit of no less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per accident. If contractor owns no vehicles, this requirement may be met through a non-owned auto endorsement to the CGL policy.
• Each liability insurance certificate shall state that coverage afforded therein is primary and shall bear endorsements that provide the City be given at least 30 days written notice before any material change or cancellation of such policy, for any reason.

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EXHIBIT A - SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
The guidelines are provided for standardizing the preparation and submission of the proposal by all contractors. The intent of these guidelines is to assist contractors in preparation of their qualifications, to simplify the review process, and to help assure consistency in format and contents.

Proposals shall contain the following information in the order listed:

1. Introductory Letter
The letter shall be addressed to:

Nirom Than P.E., Public Works Director/City Engineer
411 Madison Ave
Los Banos, CA 93635
The letter shall be on contractor's letterhead and include the contractor's contact name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address. The letter will address the contractor's understanding of the services being requested and any other pertinent information the Contractor believes should be included. All addendums received must be acknowledged in the transmittal letter.

The letter shall be signed by the individual authorized to bind the contractor to the proposal.

2. Contractor Information, Qualifications and Experience The City will only consider submittals from contractors that demonstrate they have successfully completed comparable projects. These projects must illustrate the quality, type, and past performance of the project team. Submittals shall include a detailed description of a minimum of three (3) projects which include the following information:

1. Contracting agency

2. Contracting agency Project Administrator/Contact Person including name, address and phone number

3. Contract amount

4. Date of Contract

5. Date of Completion

6. Contractor Project Administrator and contact information

3. Organization and Approach

1. Describe the roles and organization of your proposed team for this project. Indicate the composition of subcontractors and number of project staff, facilities available, and experience of your team as it relates to this contract. Provide an organizational chart.

2. Describe your project and management approach.

3. Describe the roles of key individuals on the team. Provide resumes and references for all key team members. Resumes shall show relevant experience, for the Project's Scope of Work, as well as the length of employment with the proposing Contractor. Key members, especially the Project Administrator, shall have demonstrated experience with this type of project, and should be committed to stay with the project for the duration of the project.

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4. Demonstrate that the contractor's Project Administrator and project staff have sufficient availability and/or that contractor has sufficient resources to timely deliver City's projects.

4. Past Experience on Municipal Projects
Include a description of past municipal projects (minimum five) in which your firm has been involved, for comparable cities including the following:
• Project Description
• Year of Completion
• Contract Cost
• City Contact

5. Conflict of Interest Statement
Conflict of Interest Statement - Contractor shall disclose any financial, business, or other relationship with the City that may have an impact upon the outcome of this contract. Particular attention should be paid to compliance with Government Code section 1090.

6. Litigation
Indicate if the proposing contractor was involved with any litigation in connection with prior projects. If so, briefly describe the nature of the litigation and the results.

7. Contract Agreement
Indicate if the proposing contractor has any issues or needed changes to the proposed contract agreement included as Exhibit C.

The contractor shall provide a brief statement affirming that the proposal terms shall remain in effect for ninety (90) days following the date proposal submittals are due.

8. Cost Proposal
The contractor's Specific Rates of Compensation are confidential and shall remain sealed. Upon completion of the contractor selection process, only the cost proposal from the selected contractor shall be opened. All other ( unopened) cost proposals shall be returned in accordance with Exhibit B. These Specific Rates of Compensation are adjustable on an annual basis ( one time per year) for the performance period set forth in this Contract. Contractor shall submit a request for adjustment to the rates 30 days prior to the expiration of the current rates. Contractor agreed to forego rate adjustment if the rate adjustment request was not received prior to the expiration of the current rates.

Cost proposal will be established separately under an RFP for federally funded project.

1. Contractor shall complete the proposed unit cost in Exhibit D in its entirety. All unit cost must be done in the form provided.

2. All bids will be compared on the basis of the Engineer's estimate of quantities of work to be done.

3. For additional works outside of the form shown in Exhibit D, contractor shall provide hourly rate sheets for all personnel and equipment proposed for this project for works.

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EXHIBIT B - PROPOSAL EVALUATION

EVALUATION PROCESS
All submittals will be evaluated by City Selection Committee. The Committee may be composed of City staff and other parties that may have expertise or experience in the services described herein. The Committee will review the submittals and will rank the proposers. The evaluation of the proposals shall be within the sole judgment and discretion of the Committee. All contacts during the evaluation phase shall be through the Contract Administrator/Project Administrator only. Proposers shall neither contact nor lobby evaluators during the evaluation process. Attempts by Proposer to contact members of the Committee may jeopardize the integrity of the evaluation and selection process and risk possible disqualification of Proposer.

The Committee will evaluate each submittal meeting the qualification requirements set forth in this RFP.

Proposers should bear in mind that any submittal that is unrealistic in terms of the technical or schedule commitments may be deemed reflective of an inherent lack of technical competence or indicative of a failure to comprehend the complexity and risk of the City requirements as set forth in this RFP.

The selection process may include oral interviews. The contractors will be notified of the time and place of oral interviews and if any additional information that may be required to be submitted. Interviews may be held with the top ranked candidates. In the event that the City receives no more than three proposals, the City may opt to not conduct an oral interview.

Upon completion of the evaluation and selection process, only the cost proposals from the top three qualified contractors will be opened to begin cost negotiations. All unopened cost proposals will be returned at the conclusion of the procurement process. Upon acceptance of a cost proposal and successful contract negotiations, staff will recommend a contract be awarded.

EVALUATION CRITERIA
Proposals will be evaluated according to each Evaluation Criteria, and scored on a zero to five point rating. The scores for all the Evaluation Criteria will then be multiplied according to their assigned weight to arrive at a weighted score for each proposal. A submittal with a high weighted total will be deemed of higher quality than a proposal with a lesser-weighted total. The final maximum score for any proposal is five hundred (500) points.

Rating Scale_
0 Not Non-responsive, fails to meet RFP specifications. The approach has no probability of success. For Acceptable mandatory requirement this score will result in disqualification of submittal. 1 Poor Below average, falls short of expectations, is substandard to that which is the average or expected norm, has a low probability of success in achieving project objectives per RFP. 2 Fair Has a reasonable probability of success, however, some objectives may not be met.

Acceptable, achieves all objectives in a reasonable fashion per RFP specification. This will be the 3 Average . baseline score for each item with adjustments based on interpretation of submittal by Evaluation Committee members.
4 Above Very good probability of success, better than that which is average or expected as the norm. Achieves Average/Good all objectives per RFP requirements and expectations. 5 Excellent/ Exceeds expectations, very innovative, clearly superior to that which is average or expected as the Exceptional norm. Excellent probability of success and in achieving all objectives and meeting RFP specification.

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74 The Evaluation Criteria Summary and their respective weights are as follows:

No. Written Evaluation Criteria Weight
1 Completeness of Response 5
2 Qualifications & Experience 15
3 Organization & Approach 10
4 Past Experience on Municipal Projects 15
5 Staff Availability 10
6 Proposal Format 5
7 References 15
8 Fee Schedule/Fee Schedule Summary 25
Subtotal: 100
No. Interview Evaluation Criteria Weight
(if interviews are necessary)
9 Presentation by Team 10
10 Q&A Response to Panel Questions 15
Subtotal: 25
Total: 125

1. Completeness of Response (5 points)
a. Responses to this RFP must be complete. Responses that do not include the proposal content requirements identified within this RFP and subsequent addenda and do not address each of the items listed below will be considered incomplete, points will be deducted for each item considered incomplete.

2. Qualifications & Experience (15 points)
a. Relevant experience, specific qualifications, and technical expertise of the contractor and sub-contractors to conduct striping and marking maintenance on an on-call basis.

3. Organization & Approach (10 points)
a. Describes familiarity of project and demonstrates understanding of work completed to date and project objectives moving forward
b. Roles and Organization of Proposed Team
i. Proposes adequate and appropriate disciplines of project team. ii. Some or all of team members have previously worked together on similar project(s). iii. Overall organization of the team is relevant to City needs. c. Project and Management Approach

1. Team is managed by an individual with appropriate experience in similar projects. This person's time is appropriately committed to the project.

11. Team successfully addresses Site Planning and Programming efforts. 111. Project team and management approach responds to project issues. Team structure provides adequate capability to perform both volume and quality of needed work within project schedule milestones.

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d. Roles of Key Individuals on the Team

1. Proposed team members, as demonstrated by enclosed resumes, have relevant experience for their role in the project.

11. Key positions required to execute the project team's responsibilities are appropriately staffed.
e. Working Relationship with City

1. Team and its leaders have experience working in the public sector and knowledge of public sector procurement process.

11. Team leadership understands the nature of public sector work and its decision-making process.
m. Proposal responds to need to assist City during the project.

4. Past Experience on Municipal Projects (15 points)
a. Contractor demonstrates experience with performance of services within the comparable cities for projects similar in nature to those related to this solicitation. b. Contractor demonstrates successful completion of said projects. c. Contractor is familiar with City standards and procedures.

5. Staff Availability (10 points)
a. Contractor demonstrates project team staff is available and able to promptly respond to requests throughout the contract duration in order to timely deliver projects.

6. Proposal Format (5 points)
a. Attractive, professional appearance. (Cover, internal layout, font type and size, and illustrations/photos)
b. Clear, concise, error-free.

7. References (15 points)
a. Provide as reference the name of at least three (3) agencies you currently or have previously consulted for in the past three (3) years.

8. Fee Schedule/Fee Schedule Summary (25 points)
a. The proposal pricing will be evaluated on the total cost of the base bid items. The lowest bidder will receive the maximum 25 points and the subsequent bidders will receive points based on the weight average as compared to the lowest bidder. b. All bids will be compared on the basis of the Engineer's estimate of quantities of work to be done.
c. For additional works outside of the form shown in Exhibit D, contractor shall provide hourly rate sheets for all personnel and equipment proposed for this project for works.

9. Presentation by Team (if necessary) (10 points)
a. Team presentation conveying project understanding, communication skills, innovative ideas, critical issues and solutions.

10. Q&A Response to Panel Questions (if necessary) (15 points) a. Proposer provides responses to various interview panel questions.

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Weighted scores for each Proposal will be assigned utilizing the table below:

No. Evaluation Criteria
l Completeness of Response
2 Qualifications & Experience
3 Organization & Approach
4 Past Experience on Municipal Projects
5 Staff Availability
6 Proposal Format
7 References
8 Fee Schedule/Fee Schedule Summary
9 Presentation by Team
IO Q&A Response to Panel Questions
City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
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Rating Weight Score
(0-5) (Rating*
Weieht)
5 15
IO
15 IO
5 15
25 IO
15 Total: 125
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EXHIBIT C - SAMPLE CONTRACT AGREEMENT
Sample Agreement - Subject to Modification

CITY OF LOS BANOS

AGREEMENT FOR ON CALL STRIPING AND

MARKING MAINTENANCE SERVICES
[INSERT NAME OF CONTRACTOR]
This Agreement is made and entered into this _ day of ___ _ _ _ , 2022 by and between the City of Los Banos a California corporation, ("City") and _ _ _ ___ , INSERT CONTRACTOR NAME AND TYPE OF ENTITY ("Contractor"). City and Contractor are sometimes individually referred to as "Party" and collectively as "Parties" in this Agreement.

RECITALS.

A. WHEREAS, City is in need of On Call Striping and Marking Maintenance Services as described herein below;
B. WHEREAS, City has solicited and received a proposal from Contractor, has reviewed the previous experience and evaluated the expertise of Contractor, and desires to utilize Contractor to perform and assume responsibility for the provision of On Call Striping and Marking Maintenance Services required by the City on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement; C. WHEREAS, Contractor desires to perform and assume responsibility for the provision of certain on call striping and marking maintenance services required by the City on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement;
D. WHEREAS, Contractor represents that it is experienced in providing striping and marking maintenance services to public clients, that it and its employees or subcontractors have all necessary licenses and permits to perform the Services in the State of California, and that is familiar with the plans, specifications, and requirements of City; and E. WHEREAS, no official or employee of City has a financial interest, within the provisions of California Government Code, Sections 1090-1092, in the subject matter of this Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the mutual covenants and conditions contained herein, the parties hereby agree as follows:

1. Term. The term of this Agreement shall be from [INSERT START DATE] to October · 31, 2027 unless earlier terminated as provided herein. Contractor shall complete the Services within the term of this Agreement and shall meet any other established schedules and deadlines. The City may elect to extend this Agreement for two (2) additional one-year terms, if mutually agreed upon by both parties.

2. Scope of Work. Contractor promises and agrees to furnish to the City all labor, materials, tools, equipment, services, and incidental and customary work necessary to fully and City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
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adequately supply the ON-CALL STRIPING AND MARKING MAINTENANCE SERVICES ("Services" or "Work"). The Services are more particularly described in Exhibit "A" attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference; and the City's Request for Proposals for On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance Services issued on [INSERT DATE OF RFP] and incorporated herein by this reference. All Services shall be subject to, and performed in accordance with, this Agreement; the Exhibits attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference; the City's Request for Proposals for OnCall Striping and Marking Maintenance Services issued on [INSERT DATE OF RFP] and incorporated herein by this reference; and all applicable local, state and federal laws, rules and regulations.

2.1. All work prepared by Contractor shall be subject to the approval of City.

2.2. Contractor agrees to work closely with City staff in the performance of Services and shall be available to City's staff, consultants and other staff at all reasonable times.

3. Task Orders. Specific projects will be assigned to Contractor through issuance of Task Orders. The amount to be paid for specific work shall be set forth in the individual Task Orders issued pursuant to this Section 3.

3.1. When a project to be performed under this Agreement is identified by the City, the City will prepare a draft Task Order; less the cost estimate. A draft Task Order will identify the scope of services, expected results, project deliverables, period of performance, project schedule and will designate a City Project Coordinator. The draft Task Order will be delivered to Contractor for review.

Contractor shall return the draft Task Order within ten (10) calendar days along with a Cost Estimate, including itemized detail of the basis for the total dollar amount of Contractor's Cost Estimate. Except as otherwise agreed to by the parties, Contractor's Cost Estimate, shall be in accordance with the Payment Schedule set forth in Exhibit "B" attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference. 3 .2. After agreement has been reached on any negotiable items and total cost; the finalized Task Order shall be signed by both the City and Contractor. A Task Order is of no force or effect until returned to the City and signed by an authorized representative of the City. No expenditures are authorized on a project and work shall not commence until a Task Order for that project has been executed by the City. Contractor understands and agrees that the City does not guarantee or have an obligation to approve any proposal for street striping maintenance requested by City during the Initial Term of Agreement or the duration of any approved contract extensions

3.3. Contractor shall not commence performance of work or services until the individual Task Order has been approved by the City, and notification to proceed has been issued by the City's Contract Administrator. No payment will be made prior to approval or for any work performed prior to approval of the individual Task Order.

4. Compensation. Except as otherwise agreed to by the parties, City shall pay Contractor for the services in accordance with the provisions of this Section and the Cost Estimate submitted by Contractor and negotiated and agreed to by the parties for each individual Task Order.

4.1. Contractor's compensation for all work performed in accordance with this Agreement, including all reimbursable items and sub-contractor fees, shall not exceed $100,000.00 per year during the term of this Agreement.

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4.2. Contractor shall submit monthly invoices to City describing the work performed the preceding month. Invoices shall be submitted no later than 45 calendar days after the performance of work for which Contractor is billing, or upon completion of the Task Order. Contractor's bills shall identify the specific Task Order, include a brief description of the services performed on each milestone, the date the services were performed, the number of hours spent on all work billed on an hourly basis, and a description and itemization of any reimbursable expenditures. City shall pay Consultant no later than thirty (30) days after receipt of the monthly invoice by the City. Monthly invoices shall be mailed to the City's Contract Administrator at the following address:

City of Los Banos,
Nirorn Than, P .E., Public Works Director/City Engineer 411 Madison A venue,
Los Banos, CA 93635

4.3. The total amount payable by the City for an individual Task Order shall not exceed the amount agreed to in the Task Order, unless authorized by contract amendment.

4.4. Contractor shall not be reimbursed for any additional expenses unless authorized in writing by City.

4.5. If the Contractor fails to satisfactorily complete a deliverable according to the schedule set forth in a Task Order, no payment will be made until the deliverable has been satisfactorily completed.

4.6. Contractor shall not receive any compensation for Additional Work without the prior written authorization of City. As used herein, "Additional Work" means any work that is determined by City to be necessary for the proper completion of the Project, but which is not included within the Scope of Services/Task Order and which the parties did not reasonably anticipate would be necessary at the execution of this Agreement. Compensation for any authorized Additional Work shall be billed in accordance with the Payment Schedule set forth in Exhibit "B" attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference.

4.7. Contractor is aware of the requirements of California Labor Code Section 1720, et seq., and 1770, et seq., as well as California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 16000, et seq., ("Prevailing Wage Laws"), which require the payment of prevailing wage rates and the performance of other requirements on "public works" and "maintenance" projects. Since the Services are being performed as part of an applicable "public works" or "maintenance" project, as defined by the Prevailing Wage Laws, and since the total compensation is $1,000 or more, Contractor agrees to fully comply with such Prevailing Wage Laws. City shall provide Contractor with a copy of the prevailing rates of per diem wages in effect at the commencement of this Agreement. Contractor shall make copies of the prevailing rates of per diem wages for each craft, classification or type of worker needed to execute the Services available to interested parties upon request and shall post copies at the Contractor's principal place of business and at the project site. Contractor shall defend, indemnify and hold the City, its elected officials, officers, employees and agents free and harmless from any claim or liability arising out of any failure or alleged failure to comply with the Prevailing Wage Laws.

5. Time of Performance.

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5 .1 . Time is of the essence in the performance of services under this Agreement and Contractor shall perform the services in accordance with the Project Schedule set forth in each individual Task Order. The failure by Contractor to strictly adhere to an individual Project Schedule may result in termination of the Task Order and this Agreement by City. Contractor agrees that if the Services are not completed within the aforementioned Performance Time and/or pursuant to any such completion schedule or Project milestones developed pursuant to provisions of this Agreement, it is understood, acknowledged and agreed that the City will suffer damage. Pursuant to Government Code Section 53069.85, Contractor shall pay to the City as fixed and liquidated damages, and not as a penalty, the sum of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) per day for each and every calendar day of delay beyond the Performance Time or beyond any completion schedule or Project milestones established pursuant to this Agreement.

5.2. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Contractor shall not be responsible for delays due to causes beyond Contractor's reasonable control. However, in the case of any such delay in the services to be provided for the Project, each party hereby agrees to provide notice to the other party so that all delays can be addressed.

5.3. The Contractor shall allocate appropriate resources to respond to the City's requests in the following order:
(A) Emergency Response (24 hours response time).

This item is considered to be a safety concern. When notified by the City to respond to an emergency situation, the Contractor shall be at the site in twenty-four (24) hours or less from the time of notification. Examples of a situation that would require an emergency response include, but not limited to, temporary lane striping in paint for emergency lane closure, temporary intersection control striping in paint (stop bar, stop legend, and other delineations), and temporary traffic control support for City Emergency Operations. The Contractor shall maintain a local telephone number where he can be reached twenty-four (24) hours per day.

This telephone number shall be made available to the Public Works Department. The Contractor shall make IMMEDIATE maintenance calls when notified by the City and informed that the call is an emergency. In no instance shall the response time to an emergency call exceed twenty-four (24) hours from the time of notification. (B) Standard High Priority Response (5 business days response time).

This item is considered high priority, but not an immediate safety concern. Maintenance and repair requests made on a high priority basis shall be responded to within 5 business days of the notification. High priority items will be determined by the City Engineer or his/her representative.
(C) Standard Response (10 business days response time).

This item is considered important, but not an immediate safety concern. Maintenance and repair requests made on a regular basis shall be responded to within 10 business days of the notification. In no event will regular response work be considered overtime without prior approval of the City Engineer or his/her authorized agent.

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6. Responsibilities of Contractor.

6.1 . The Services shall be performed by Contractor or under its supervision. Contractor will determine the means, methods and details of performing the Services subject to the requirements of this Agreement. City retains Contractor on an independent contractor basis and not as an employee.

Contractor retains the right to perform similar or different services for others during the term of this Agreement. Any additional personnel performing the Services under this Agreement on behalf of Contractor shall also not be employees of City and shall at all times be under Contractor's exclusive direction and control. Contractor shall pay all wages, salaries, and other amounts due such personnel in connection with their performance of Services under this Agreement and as required by law. Contractor shall be responsible for all reports and obligations respecting such additional personnel, including, but not limited to: social security taxes, income tax withholding, unemployment insurance, disability insurance, and workers' compensation insurance.

6.2. Contractor shall perform all Services under this Agreement in a skillful and competent manner, consistent with the standards generally recognized as being employed by professionals in the same discipline in the State of California. Contractor represents and maintains that it is skilled in the professional calling necessary to perform the Services. Contractor warrants that all employees and subcontractors shall have sufficient skill and experience to perform the Services assigned to them.

Finally, Contractor represents that it, its employees and subcontractors have all licenses, permits, qualifications and approvals of whatever nature that are legally required to perform the Services, including a City Business License, and that such licenses and approvals shall be maintained throughout the term of this Agreement. As provided for in the indemnification provisions of this Agreement, Contractor shall perform, at its own cost and expense and without reimbursement from the City, any services necessary to correct errors or omissions which are caused by the Contractor's failure to comply with the standard of care provided for herein.

6.3. Contractor shall keep itself fully informed of and in compliance with all local, state and federal laws, rules and regulations in any manner affecting the performance of the Project or the Services, including all Cal/OSHA requirements, and shall give all notices required by law. Contractor shall be liable for all violations of such laws and regulations in connection with Services. If the Contractor performs any work knowing it to be contrary to such laws, rules and regulations and without giving written notice to the City, Contractor shall be solely responsible for all costs arising therefrom.

6.4. By executing this Agreement, Contractor verifies that it fully complies with all requirements and restrictions of state and federal law respecting the employment of undocumented aliens, including, but not limited to, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, as may be amended from time to time. Such requirements and restrictions include, but are not limited to, examination and retention of documentation confirming the identity and immigration status of each employee of the Contractor.

6.5. To the same extent and under the same conditions as Contractor, Contractor shall require all of its subcontractors, sub-subcontractors and consultants performing any work relating to the Project or this Agreement to make the same verifications and comply with all requirements and restrictions provided for in this Agreement.

6.6. By its signature hereunder, Contractor certifies that it is aware of the provisions of Section 3 700 of the California Labor Code which require every employer to be insured against liability City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance
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for Workers' Compensation or to undertake self-insurance in accordance with the provisions of that Code and agrees to comply with such provisions before commencing the performance of the Services.

6.7. Contractor represents that it is an equal opportunity employer, and it shall not discriminate against any sub consultant, employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, national origin, handicap, ancestry, sex or age. Such non-discrimination shall include, but not be limited to, all activities related to initial employment, upgrading, demotion, transfer, recruitment or recruitment advertising, layoff or termination.

6.8. Contractor must fully comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in furnishing or using equipment and/or providing services, including, but not limited to, emissions limits and permitting requirements imposed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Contractor shall specifically be aware of their application to "portable equipment", which definition is considered by CARB to include any item of equipment with a fuel-powered engine. Contractor shall indemnify City against any fines or penalties imposed by CARB, or any other governmental or regulatory agency for violations of applicable laws, rules and/or regulations by Contractor, its subcontractors, or others for whom Contractor is responsible under its indemnity obligations provided for in this Agreement.

6.9. To the extent applicable, Contractor's Services must account for, and fully comply with, all local, state and federal laws, rules and regulations that may impact water quality compliance, including, without limitation, all applicable provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. §§ 1300); the California Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (Cal Water Code §§ 13000- 14950); laws, rules and regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the State Water Resources Control Board; the City's ordinances regulating discharges of storm water; and any and all regulations, policies, or permits issued pursuant to any such authority regulating the discharge of pollutants, as that term is used in the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, to any ground or surface water in the State.

7. Representative.

7.1 The City hereby designates [INSERT NAME AND TITLE], or his or her designee, to act as its representative for the performance of this Agreement ("City's Representative"). City's Representative shall have the power to act on behalf of the City for all purposes under this Agreement.

Contractor shall not accept direction or orders from any person other than the City's Representative or his or her designee.

7.2 Contractor's Representative. Contractor hereby designates [INSERT NAME AND TITLE], or his or her designee, to act as its representative for the performance of this Agreement ("Contractor's Representative"). Contractor's Representative shall have full authority to represent and act on behalf of the Contractor for all purposes under this Agreement. The Contractor's Representative shall supervise and direct the Services, using his/her best skill and attention, and shall be responsible for all means, methods, techniques, sequences and procedures and for the satisfactory coordination of all portions of the Services under this Agreement.
8 Indemnification.

8.1. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Contractor shall defend (with counsel of City's choosing), indemnify and hold the City, its directors, officials, officers, employees, volunteers and City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance
19 83
agents free and harmless from any and all claims, demands, causes of action, costs, expenses, liability, loss, damage or injury of any kind, in law or equity, to property or persons, including wrongful death, in any manner arising out of, pertaining to, or incident to any alleged acts, errors or omissions of Contractor, its officials, officers, employees, subcontractors, consultants or agents in connection with the performance of the Contractor's Services, the Project or this Agreement, including without limitation the payment of all consequential damages, expert witness fees and attorneys fees and other related costs and expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent Contractor's Services are subject to Civil Code Section 2782.8, the above indemnity shall be limited, to the extent required by Civil Code Section 2782.8, to claims that arise out of, pertain to, or relate to the negligence, recklessness, or willful misconduct of the Contractor.

9. Insurance.

9.1. Without limiting Contractor's indemnification of City, and prior to commencement of work, Contractor shall obtain, provide and maintain at its own expense during the term of this Agreement, a policy or policies of liability insurance of the type and amounts described below and, in a form, satisfactory to City.
(A) Certificates of Insurance. Contractor shall provide certificates of insurance with original endorsements to City as evidence of the insurance coverage required herein. Insurance certificates must be approved by the City Attorney prior to commencement of performance or issuance of any permit.

Current certification of insurance shall be kept on file with City at all times during the term of this Agreement.
(B) Signature. A person authorized by the insurer to bind coverage on its behalf shall sign certification of all required policies.
(C) Acceptable Insurers. All insurance policies shall be issued by an insurance company currently authorized by the Insurance Commissioner to transact business of insurance in the State of California, with an assigned policyholders' Rating of A ( or higher) and Financial Size Category Class VII (or larger) in accordance with the latest edition of Best's Key Rating Guide, unless otherwise approved by the City Attorney.
(D) Minimum Coverage Requirements.
i. Workers' Compensation and Employers' Liability Coverage. Contractor shall maintain Workers' Compensation Insurance (Statutory Limits) and Employer's Liability Insurance with limits of at least one million dollars ($1,000,000). Contractor shall submit to City, along with the certificate of insurance, a Waiver of Subrogation endorsement in favor of City, its officers, agents, employees, and volunteers.
ii General Liability Coverage. Contractor shall maintain commercial general liability insurance with coverage at least as broad as Insurance Services Office form CG 00 01, in an amount not less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per occurrence, four million dollars ($4,000,000) general aggregate, for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage, including without limitation, blanket contractual liability. Contractor's general liability policies shall be primary and non-contributory, and be endorsed using Insurance Services Office form CG 20 10 to provide that City and its officers, officials, employees, and agents shall be additional insureds under such policies. For construction contracts, an City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
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20 84
endorsement providing completed operations to the additional insured, ISO form CG 20 3 7, is also required.
iii Automobile Liability Coverage. Contractor shall provide auto liability coverage for owned, non-owned, and hired autos using ISO Business Auto Coverage form CA 00 01, or the exact equivalent, with a limit of no less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per accident. If contractor owns no vehicles, this requirement may be met through a non-owned auto endorsement to the CGL policy. (E) Endorsements. Each general liability and automobile liability insurance policy shall be endorsed with the following specific language:
i. The City, its elected or appointed officers, officials, employees, agents and volunteers are to be covered as additional insureds with respect to liability arising out of work performed by or on behalf of the Contractor.
ii. This policy shall be considered primary insurance as respects to City, its elected or appointed officers, officials, employees, agents and volunteers as respects to all claims, losses, or liability arising directly or indirectly from the Contractor's operations or services provided to City. Any insurance maintained by City, including any self-insured retention City may have, shall be considered excess insurance only and not contributory with the insurance provided hereunder. iii. This insurance shall act for each insured and additional insured as though a separate policy had been written for each, except with respect to the limits ofliability of the insuring company. iv. The insurer waives all rights of subrogation against City, its elected or appointed officers, officials, employees, agents and volunteers.
v. Any failure to comply with reporting provisions of the policies shall not affect coverage provided to City, its elected or appointed officers, officials, employees, agents or volunteers. vi. The insurance provided by this policy shall not be suspended, voided, canceled, or reduced in coverage or in limits, by either party except after thirty (30) calendar days (10 calendar days written notice of non-payment of premium) written notice has been received by City.

9.2. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as limiting in any way, the indemnification provision contained in this Agreement, or the extent to which Contractor may be held responsible for payments of damages to persons or property.

9.3. All subcontractors shall be included as additional insureds under the Contractor's policies, or the Contractor shall be responsible for causing subcontractors to purchase the appropriate insurance in compliance with the terms of this Agreement, including adding the City as an Additional Insured to the subcontractor's policies.

9.4. Any deductibles or self-insured retentions must be declared to and approved by the City.

Contractor shall guarantee that, at the option of the City, either: (1) the insurer shall reduce or eliminate such deductibles or self-insured retentions as respects the City, its directors, officials, officers, employees, agents and volunteers; or (2) the Contractor shall procure a bond guaranteeing payment of losses and related investigation costs, claims and administrative and defense expenses.

City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance
21 85
9 .5 Contractor shall execute and maintain its work so as to avoid injury or damage to any person or property. In carrying out its Services, the Contractor shall at all times be in compliance with all applicable local, state and federal laws, rules and regulations, and shall exercise all necessary precautions for the safety of employees appropriate to the nature of the work and the conditions under which the work is to be performed.

10. Termination of Agreement.

10.1. City may, by written notice to Contractor, terminate the whole or any part of this Agreement at any time and without cause by giving written notice to Contractor of such termination, and specifying the effective date thereof, at least seven (7) days before the effective date of such termination.

Upon termination, Contractor shall be compensated only for those services which have been adequately rendered to City, and Contractor shall be entitled to no further compensation. Contractor may not terminate this Agreement except for cause.

10.2. If this Agreement is terminated as provided herein, City may require Contractor to provide all finished or unfinished Documents and Data and other information of any kind prepared by Contractor in connection with the performance of Services under this Agreement. Contractor shall be required to provide such document and other information within fifteen (15) days of the request.

10.3. In the event this Agreement is terminated in whole or in part as provided herein, City may procure, upon such terms and in such manner as it may determine appropriate, services similar to those terminated.

11. General Provisions.

11.1 . All notices permitted or required under this Agreement shall be given to the respective parties at the following address, or at such other address as the respective parties may provide in writing for this purpose:

CONTRACTOR:

Attn: [INSERT NAME AND ADDRESS]
CITY:

Attn: Nirorn Than, P.E .
. City of Los Banos
Public Works Director/City Engineer
411 Madison A venue
Los Banos, California 93635
Such notice shall be deemed made when personally delivered or when mailed, forty-eight ( 48) hours after deposit in the U.S. Mail, first class postage prepaid and addressed to the party at its City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
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22 86
applicable address. Actual notice shall be deemed adequate notice on the date actual notice occurred, regardless of the method of service.

11.2. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California. Venue shall be in Merced County.

11.3. Time is of the essence for each and every provision of this Agreement.

11.4. City reserves right to employ other contractors in connection with this Project.

11.5. This Agreement shall be binding on the successors and assigns of the parties.

11.6. Contractor shall not assign, hypothecate, or transfer, either directly or by operation of law, this Agreement or any interest herein without the prior written consent of the City. Any attempt to do so shall be null and void, and any assignees, hypothecates or transferees shall acquire no right or interest by reason of such attempted assignment, hypothecation or transfer.

11.7. No supplement, modification, or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing and signed by both Parties.

11.8. No waiver of any default shall constitute a waiver of any other default or breach, whether of the same or other covenant or condition. No waiver, benefit, privilege, or service voluntarily given or performed by a Party shall give the other Party any contractual rights by custom, estoppel, or otherwise.

11.9. If any portion of this Agreement is declared invalid, illegal, or otherwise unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

11. 10. Contractor maintains and warrants that it has not employed nor retained any company or person, other than a bona fide employee working solely for Contractor, to solicit or secure this Agreement. Further, Contractor warrants that it has not paid, nor has it agreed to pay any company or person, other than a bona fide employee working solely for Contractor, any fee, commission, percentage, brokerage fee, gift or other consideration contingent upon or resulting from the award or making of this Agreement.

11.11. The Parties shall fully cooperate with one another and shall take any additional acts or sign any additional documents as may be necessary, appropriate or convenient to attain the purposes of this Agreement.

11.12. If either party commences an action against the other party, either legal, administrative or otherwise, arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, the prevailing party in such litigation shall be entitled to have and recover from the losing party reasonable attorney's fees and all other costs of such action.

11.13. Contractor has all requisite power and authority to conduct its business and to execute, deliver, and perform the Agreement. Each Party warrants that the individuals who have signed this Agreement have the legal power, right, and authority to make this Agreement and bind each respective Party.

City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
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11.14. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.

11.15. This Agreement contains the entire Agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior negotiations, understandings or agreements. This Agreement may only be modified by a writing signed by both parties.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the dates set forth below.

Date:

Date:

ATTEST:

CITY CLERK
Lucille L. Mallonee
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:

William A. Vaughn
City Attorney
City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance
[INSERT CONTRACTOR NAME]
by: [INSERT NAME)
[INSERT TITLE]
CITY OF LOS BANOS, a California
municipal corporation
by: Gregory B. Wellman
Interim City Manger
24 88

EXHIBIT D - PAYMENT SCHEDULE
Unless approved in writing by the Contractor, the minimum amount of on-call work for each set of requested work shall not be less than $7,000.00. In the event that the requested work is less than $7,000.00, the contractor will be paid the cost of the work, plus fifteen percent (15%).

The contract unit price below shall include full compensation for mobilization as described in the "Mobilization" Technical Requirement section of the latest Caltrans Standard Specification and no additional compensation will be allowed thereof. Full compensation for furnishing all labor, materials, tools, equipment and incidentals and for doing the work involved in the procurement, setup and maintenance of the staging area shall be considered as included as part of "Mobilization".

The contract unit price shall include full compensation for all temporary traffic control needs. Work associated with pedestrian and traffic control shall include all planning, drafting of plans, costs for labor, materials, equipment and incidentals necessary to provide construction area signs, temporary traffic control including, but not limited to, lane closures and rerouting and other measures to control and maintain traffic during daily operations. Flaggers are a requirement of pedestrian and traffic control as applicable and determined by the City. Full compensation for traffic control systems include all costs to maintain traffic by placing and removing temporary signs, striping, flaggers, cones, barricades, etc., as specified in the Standard Specifications of the State of California, as described in the "Traffic and Pedestrian Control" technical requirement section of this project manual, and as directed by the Engineer, and no additional compensation will be allowed thereof.

Removal of striping or standard Details will be measured per square foot (SF) along the line of the traffic stripe or standard Detail, without deductions for gaps in broken traffic stripes. For standard Details that contain a mix of striping and reflectors, the cost to remove reflectors shall be included in the removal. Measurement will be performed in the field by the Contractor upon completion and checked by the Engineer.

Removal of any type of pavement marking will be measured per square foot (SF) removed. The quantity of square footage for specific pavement markings shall be what is indicated in the most recent version of the Caltrans Standard Plans.

ITEM DESCRIPTION
NO.
01 Detail 1
02 Detail 2
03 Detail 5
04 Detail 6
05 Detail 8
06 Detail 9
07 Detail 9A
08 Detail 11
09 Detail 12
City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance

UNIT UNIT PRICE
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
25 89
10 Detail 12A
11 Detail 15
12 Detail 16
13 Detail 18
14 Detail 19
15 Detail 21
16 Detail 22
17 Detail 24
18 Detail 25
19 Detail 25A
20 Detail 26
21 Detail 27
22 Detail 27B
23 Detail 27C
24 Detail 28
25 Detail 29
26 Detail 31
27 Detail 32
28 Detail 34
29 Detail 34A
30 Detail 35
31 Detail 35A
32 Detail 36
33 Detail 36A
34 Detail 36B
35 Detail 37
36 Detail 37B
37 Detail 38
38 Detail 38A
39 Detail 38B
40 Detail 39
41 Detail 39A
City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
26 90
42 Detail 40
43 Detail 41
44 Contrast Striping: Option 1
45 Contrast Striping: Option 2
46 12" White
47 12" Yellow
48 8" White
49 8" Yellow
50 4" White
51 4" Yellow
52 Yield Line
53 6" White
54 Removal of Striping, Markers and Reflectors
55 Type I 10' Arrow
56 Type I 18' Arrow
57 Type I 24' Arrow
58 Type II (1) Arrow
59 Type II (B) Arrow
60 Type III (L) Arrow
61 Type III (B) Arrow
62 Type IV Arrow
63 Type V Arrow
64 Type VI Arrow
65 Type VII Arrow
66 Type VIII Arrow
67 Railroad Crossing Symbol
68 International Symbol of Accessibility (ISA)
Marking
69 Two-Way Blue Reflective Fire Hydrant
Marker
70 Bike Lane with Arrow
71 Bike Lane Symbol with Person
72 Shared Roadway Bicycle Marking
City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
LF
SF
EA
EA
EA
EA
EA
EA
EA
EA
EA
EA
EA
EA
EA
EA
EA
EA
EA
EA
27 91
73 Install Pavement Marking Words SF
74 Install Pavement Marking Numbers SF
75 Continental Crosswalk SF
76 Ladder Crosswalk SF
77 Diagonal Crosswalk SF
78 Continental Yellow Crosswalk SF
79 Ladder Yell ow Crosswalk SF
80 Diagonal Yellow Crosswalk SF
81 Green thermoplastic Bike Land (Background) SF
82 Shoulder Rumble Strip (A40B) LF
83 Edge Line Rumble Strip (A40C) with Edge LF
Line Stripe
84 Centerline Rumble Strip (A40D) with Yellow LF
Centerline Stripe
The compensation payable to Contractor will be adjusted by the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on an annual basis - Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Works for the San Francisco - OaklandHayward metropolitan area as of April 30th of each year, but the CPI increase will not exceed 5%. The contractor must submit a request for CPI adjustment/increase at least 30 days prior to the expiration of effective CPI, otherwise the contractor will forgo the said adjustment. The first request for adjustment is due 9/30/2023.

City of Los Banos Request for Proposal
On-Call Striping and Marking Maintenance
28 92
LOsBanos
At the Crossroc,ds of Cal~fornia
Agenda Staff Report
TO:

FROM:

Mayor Pro Tern & City Council Members
Gregory 8. Wellman, Interim City Manager
DATE: November 2, 2022
SUBJECT: City of Los Banos Recycled Water Efforts
TYPE OF REPORT: Informational
Recommendation:

To provide an update to the City Council on meetings that have been held in discussion of topics related to the City's water issues.

Background:

During the October 19, 2022 City Council Meeting, the Interim City Manager explained exploratory efforts with water agencies to maximize the benefits to the City in utilization of wastewater, storm water, and fresh water resources. The Council was unanimous in its encouragement to proceed with these exploratory efforts including periodic reports back to the Council.

Especially during this period of protracted drought, it is critical the City have a welldeveloped strategy for conservation, and partnerships yielding an improved use of its water resources.

The Interim City Manager has met with representatives of Grasslands Water District, San Andreas Water Company, Central California Irrigation District, and other allied agencies. In addition, meetings have been held with various engineering firms who specialize on the topic.

Fiscal Impact:

No direct budget has been set for this exploratory project effort. Estimated direct expenditures have been less than $250 thus far.
93 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
94 TO:

FROM:

DATE:

LOsBanos
4t tli ( roi,.s10tul oj Calrf<H uio
Agenda Staff Report
Mayor Pro Tern & City Council Members
Joe Heim, Parks and Recreation Operations Manager <::::.: L _-=-- / L Soknirorn Than, P.E., Public Works Director/City Engineer____---- November 2, 2022
TYPE OF REPORT: Agenda Item
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution approving the Urban Forest Management Plan
Recommendation:

That the City Council consider and approve a resolution adopting the Urban Forest Management Plan.

Background:

In Spring 2020 the City of Los Banos was awarded the Cal Fire CCI Urban and Community Forestry grant. The grant awarded funding for the completion of the City's first Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) and the planting of 100 trees in five park locations. The grant is fully reimbursable and matched by the contribution of City staff time.

An Urban Forest Management Plan is a guiding document that provides an action plan for public agencies to utilize detailed information, recommendations, and resources to manage public trees effectively and proactively.

In Los Banos, the Urban Forest consists of publicly maintained trees within right-ofways, parks, medians, and other landscaped areas. Urban forests provide benefits such as cleaner air, improved quality of life, lower energy costs, safer and healthier communities, reduce urban heat island effect and increased property values.

The UFMP would be the first to be adopted in the City of Los Banos. Neighboring cities such as Tracy, Merced, Fresno, and Atwater have recently completed Urban Forest Management Plan's as recipients of the Cal Fire grant.
95 To complete the UFMP, the City of Los Banos contracted Plan-It Geo. The City Council award this contract to Plan-IT Geo on February 3rd , 2021 in the amount of $125,395.00 In March 2021, the works began with an introductory public meeting to discuss what an Urban Forest Management Plan is and the timeline for completion. Plan-It Geo completed the tree inventory in March 2021. The tree inventory collected information on over 12,000 City maintained trees. In July 2021, a City-wide survey was completed to collect input from residents regarding tree-care and the future of trees in public areas.

In September 2021, stakeholder groups such as the Los Banos City Council, the Parks and Recreation Commission, and Tree Commission were interviewed. Drafts of the plan have been presented to the Los Banos Tree Commission in August 2021, November 2021, February 2022, and May 2022. Prior presentations on the grant were presented in October 2020 to City Council and in November 2020 to the Tree Commission.

The Urban Forest Management Plan provides a review of tree standards and practices in Los Banos. Plan-It Geo staff reviewed the Municipal Code, Parks Master Plan, General Plan, Landscape Improvement Standards and Specifications, Community Desrgn standards and other related documents to complete recommendations for best practices.

Discussion:

As part of the Urban Forest Management Plan, Plan-It Geo staff completed a March 2021 tree inventory. The tree inventory found 12,333 public trees, consisting of 7,997 street trees, 3,393 park trees and 943 miscellaneous trees. The City has a total tree canopy cover of 13.6%, an increase from 11.4% in 2015. The Plan recommends a canopy cover goal of 30% by the year 2065. To reach 30%, the Plan recommends 875 trees be planted each year among private and public areas. The Plan advises the City to meet 50% of this goal by planting approximately 440 trees each year.

There were 168 unique tree species identified. Chinese pistache, California White Oak/ Valley Oak, Shiny Xylosma and common Crapemyrtles were identified as the healthiest species on average. The most common trees found in the tree inventory were the Chinese pistache, Narrowleaf Ash/Raywood Ash, London planetree and Common Crapemyrtle. ·
The tree inventory found that 2% of public trees are in "excellent" condition, 81 % of public trees are in "good" or "fair" condition. 13% of public trees were found to be in "poor" or "critical condition. The Plan also identified that 67% of public trees are in small planting sites of 1-5 feet.

The Plan found that for every $1.00 spent on public trees, there is a $3.38 return on investment. Public trees provide over $1.2 million in benefits and services each year.

The Plan identified that structural pruning and crown cleaning were the most common areas of need for tree-care among public trees. The Plan addresses this issue by developing a pruning cycle maintenance schedule. The Plan summarized that approximately $350,000 per year, or $29.00 per tree, was recommended for care of public trees.
96 A proposed Master Street Tree List and Master Parkway, Accent, and Median Tree List is included in the appendix. The proposed changes include the removal of European Hackberry, Common Hackberry, Chinese Hackberry, Autumn Applause Ash, American Purple Ash, Raywood Ash, Evergreen Pear, Camphor Tree, Eucalyptus, Canary Island Palm, Date Palm, Olive, and Cottonwood trees. The Plan also creates draft framework for future updates to tree-related municipal code and Standards and Specifications . .E. iscal Impact;
The Urban Forest Management Plan was developed at the cost of approximately $136,7 .00. The entire amount is reimbursable through the Cal Fire CCI Urban and Com ity Forestry grant.

QJJ~
Brent Kuhn, Interim Finance Director
Attachments:

Resolution
Draft of Urban Forest Management Plan
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98 RESOLUTION NO. --

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE

CITY OF LOS BANOS ADOPTING THE LOS

BANOS URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Los Banos has been presented the Urban Forest Management Plan to the City Council; and
WHEREAS, the Urban Forest Management Plan was presented to the public at public meetings on March 30, 2021 and Tree Commission meetings on February 10, 2021, May 11, 2021 and August 11, 2021; and
WHEREAS, the City of Los Banos Urban Forest Management Plan provides comprehensive recommendations for the future care of public trees; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Los Banos has reviewed the proposed Urban Forest Management Plan at their October 5, 2022, regular meeting; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Los Banos hereby adopt the Urban Forest Management Plan.

The foregoing Resolution was introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Los Banos held on the 2nd day of November 2022, by Council Member ___ who moved its adoption, which motion was duly seconded by Council Member ___ and the Resolution adopted by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

APPROVED:

Kenneth Lambert, Mayor Pro Tern
ATTEST:

Lucille L. Mallonee, City Clerk
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100
101
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102

CITY OF
Los BANOS, CA

URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN
April 2022

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This Urban Forest fvfanagement Plan was prepared with funding provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Urban and Community Forestry Grant program. - Plan Contributors -
Citizens of Los Banos
City Council
City Public Works Department
City Tree Commission
City of Los Banos Supporting Departments and Divisions
CAL FIRE Urban and Community Forestry
Plan IT Geo, Inc.

LOsBanos
d ,/ ,
Cover photo source: City of Los Banos. CA
All other photos unless noted are from Plan/T Geo s photo stock PLANIT Geo·
103
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104

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Anal sis of Los Banos' Urban Forest .................................................................................... 1 History of Los Banos' Settlement and Landscape ...................................................................................................... 4 Urban Forest Status: Urban Tree Canopy ......................................................................................................................... 5 Urban Forest Status: Tree Equity ........................................................................................................................................... 6 Threats to the Urban Forest: Climate Change and Urban Heat Islands .................................................... 10 Threats to the Urban Forest: Climate Change and Wildfires ............................................................................. 12 Threats to the Urban Forest: Tree Pests and Diseases ......................................................................................... 14 Threats to the Urban Forest: Development Pressures .......................................................................................... 17 Addressing Urban Forest Threats with Tree Canopy Cover and Equity Goals ..................................... 18 Urban Tree Canopy Benchmarks and Comparisons ...................................................................................... 25 Recommendations for Urban Tree Canopy ......................................................................................................... 26 Public Tree Status ................................................................................................................................................ ..................... ...... 27 Public Tree Benchmarks and Comparisons .................................................................... ..................................... 43 Recommendations for Public Trees .......................................................................................................................... 45 Urban Forest Function. Benefits, and Services ........................................................................................................... 48 Cost-Benefit Analysis of Public Trees .............................................................................................................................. 56 Urban Forest Benefits Benchmarks and Comparisons ................................................................................. 58 Recommendations for Urban Forest Benefits .................................................................................................... 59 The Mana ement Framework .............................................................................................. 61 Overview ...................................... ...................................................................................................... .......................................................... 61 City Planning Documents ................................................................................................................................................................ 61 Benchmarks and Comparisons for City Planning Documents ................................................................ 68 Recommendations for City Planning Documents ........................................................................................... 68 Current Structure for Managing Los Banos' Urban Forest.. ..................................................................................... 69 Public Tree Management Structure ...... ................................................................................................................... ......... 70 Private Property Tree Management Structure ............................................................................................................ 72 Park Maintenance Funding Structure ............................................................................................................................... 74 Workflows, Shared Priorities, and Challenges ............................................................................................................ 76 Benchmarks and Comparisons for Program Structure ................................................................................. 77 Recommendations for Program Structure ............................................................................................................ 78 Existing Tree Code and Regulations ....................................................................................................................................... 80 Bench.marks for Tree Code and Regulations."" ..................................... ,.= ......................................................... 81 Recommendations for Tree Code and Regulations ....................................................................................... 82 Urban Forestry Best Practices ..................................................... ................................................................................................. 83 Identifying Optimal Pruning Cycles .................................................................................................................................... 83 Tree Inventory Best Practices ............................................................................................................................................... 86 Tree Maintenance Best Practices ............................................................................... ........................................................ 86 Utility Tree Maintenance Best Practices ........................................................................................................................ 88 Young Tree Maintenance Best Practices ...................................................................................................................... 89 Tree Planting Best Practices .......................................................................................................................................... , ........ go Tree Irrigation Considerations and Best Practices .................................................................................................. go Private Property Tree Management Best Practices ............................................................................................ .... 91 Additional Best Practices for Urban Forest Management ............................................................. ..................... 91 Benchmarks and Comparisons for Best Practices ........................................................................................... 94 Recommendations for Best Practices ...................................................................................................................... 95 Funding Best Practices .................................. ............................................................................................................................ gg Funding Mechanisms ................................... ............................................................................................................................... 99 105
Funding Benchmarks and Comparisons .............................................................................................................. 106 Recommendations for Funding ................................................................................................................................. 107 Comm unit Framework for En a ement ..................................................................... 109 Engagement to Inform the Plan ............................................................................................................................................... 109 Engagement to Implement the Plan ....................................................................................................................................... 111 Use Multiple Avenues of Communication ......................................................................................................................... 112 Create a Volunteer Corps .............................................................................................................................................................. 114 Explore Partnerships ......................................................................................................................................................................... 114 Public Education .................................................................................................................................................................................. 115 Support the City's Tree Commission ...................................................................................................................................... 116 Environmental Justice ...................................................................................................................................................................... 117 Support or Establish a City Volunteer Coordinator ................................................... ................................................... 117 Community Engagement Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 117 Community Benchmarks and Comparisons ....................................................................................................... 118 Recommendations for Community Engagement .......................................................................................... 119 Urban Forest Mana ement and Sustainabilit Goals ............................................. 121 Los Banos' Urban Forest Vision ................................................................................................................................................. 121 Guiding Principles ............................................................................................................................................................................... 121 Primary Goals for Los Banos' Urban Forest... .................................................................................................................... 122 Strategic Actions to Achieve Urban Forestry Goals .................................................................................................... 123 Recommendations Summary Tables .................................................................................................................................... 129 Im lementation Plan .............................................................................................................. 147 Implementation Summary ............................................................................................................................................................ 147 Monitorin Plan ......................................................................................................................... 150 Evaluate ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 151 Monitor ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 157 Report .................................................................. ....................................................................................................................................... 159 Revise .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 161 ~~ -:~1~l~:J ~iifi~~~-~ Il l!~< -~ ·f.J~-~~ ,•f.!OC~•~~~ -~ :~~~-'';!~/·•.:~ ':~·s .~·- ~~:.1_ ·11. _ ,1"1?.~~~: IL~ re· _ - ., Appendix A. References ................................................................................................................................................................... 2a Appendix B. Master Street Tree List ......................................................................................................................................... 4a Appendix C. Solutions Workbook and Possible Guidelines for Tree and Sidewalk Conflicts .......... 8a Appendix D. 2021 Urban Forest Audit Results ................................................................................................................ 19a Appendix E. Interactive Goal and Action Worksheet ................................................................................................. 3oa Appe dix F. Tree Ordinance Recommendations .................................. ",, ................................................................... 43a 106

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES
TABLES
Table 1. Summary of baseline conditions, tree canopy goals, and forecasted future benefits and services .......... 22 Table 2. Summary of recommended tree canopy goals ................................................................................................ ................................ 23 Table 3. Most common public tree genera ............................................................................................................................................................... 28 Table 4. Relative Performance Index of the most common public trees .............. .............................................................................. 31 Table 5. Observations and defects recorded for Los Banos' public trees .................................................................................... ..... 32 Table 6. Public tree maintenance needs ............. ................................................ ............................ ........................................................................... 33 Table 7. Details regarding the necessary maintenance .................................................................................................................................. 34 Table 8. The ISA tree risk assessment matrix to establish a risk rating ................................................................................................ 37 Table 9. Summary of planting site widths for existing public trees ............................................................................................ ............ 40 Table 10. Summary and depiction of possible future planting sites in the public right-of-way ......................................... 41 Table 11. Summary of possible planting sites with no site (wire) conflicts .. ..................... ...................... ............................................ -41 Table 12. Summary of the annual benefits provided by the Citywide urban forest... .............. .............. ........ ............................. 54 Table 13. Summary of the annual benefits provided by Los Banos' public trees· ....................................................... ................ 55 Table 14. Estimated maintenance costs for public trees (data reanalyzed February 2022) .................................................. 56 Table 15. Annual cost-benefit analysis for public trees .................................................................................................. ................ ................. 57 Table 16. Goals and policies within the General Plan that are supported by the UFMP ......................................................... 62 Table 17. Goals and policies within the Parks Master Plan that are supported by the UFMP .. ........................................... 66 Table 18. Proposed tree plantings for park improvements listed in the Parks Master Plan ...................................... ........... 67 Table 19. Los Banos Urban Forestry Program budget summary reported for Tree City USA 2019 ............................... 75 Table 20. Los Banos Urban Forestry Program activity summary reported for Tree City USA 2019 ............................... 75 Table 21. Current and recommended maintenance regimen for Los Banos' public tree population .. ......................... 84 Table 22. Assumptions for estimating the costs to effectively maintain the public tree population ............................. 85 Table 23. Parcel tax options and provisions for Los Banos' Urban Forestry Program .......................... ................................... 101 Table 24. Summary of financing options for Los Banos' urban forest.. ............................................................................................... 104 Table 25. Categories for evaluation using the U.S. Forest Service's Urban Forest Audit System .................................... 151 Table 26. List of subcategories within the Management Policy and Ordinances category of the audit... ................. 151 Table 27. Outcomes of the urban forest audit completed in 2021 for Los Banos' UFMP ............................... .................... .. 152 Table 28. Interpretation of the 2021 Urban Forest Audit scores .............................................................................................................. 154 Table 29. Los Banos' primary urban forest benchmark values to measure Plan progress .......... ....................................... 158 Table 30. Evaluation, monitoring, and reporting techniques to achieve the urban forestry goals ................................ 159 Table 31. Summary count of the evaluations completed in the 2021 Urban Forest Audit... ................................................ 162 Table 32. Urban Forest Audit scores applied to the Plan's actions ..... .................................................................................................. 162 Table 33. Summary of attributes collected for the recommended Master Street Tree List.. ...................................... .. ..... -4a Table 34. Proposed street trees (predominantly large statured) ............................. ................................................................................. 5a Table 35. Proposed parkway, accent. and median trees (predominantly medium to small statured) ......................... 7a Table 36. Description of possible alternative solutions for tree and construction conflicts .................................. ........... .. 15a Table 37. Results of the 2021 Urban Forest Audit .......... ....................................... .. ...... .................................................................... ..... ............ 19a Table 38. Description of attributes in the action tables ...................................... .................................................... ....................................... 3oa Table 39. Description of attributes in the targets tables .............................................................................................................................. 30a Table 42. Los Banos Urban Forest Management Plan actions and targets .................................................................................... 31a 107

FIGURES
Figure 1. The extent and various landscapes comprising Los Banos' urban forest ....................................................................... 2 Figure 2. Maintenance responsibility of trees comprising Los Banos' urban forest ...................................................................... 3 Figure 3. Summary of the 2021 tree canopy assessment.. .. .............................................................................................................................. 5 Figure 4. Comparison of land cover change between 2015 and 2021 and the change in percentage between ...... 5 Figure 5. Tree canopy cover comparison for California cities ................................................... .................................................. ................... 7 Figure 6. Tree canopy shown in green with individual inventoried trees shown as points. Grayed out... ...................... 7 Figure 7- Comparison of Tree Equity Scores (data not available for Los Banos at this time) .......... ........................................ 8 Figure 8. The Urban Heat Island Index for Los Banos (Source - CalEPA) .......................................................................... ................. 10 Figure 9. The effects of vegetation and trees on urban heat islands in cities .................................................................................. 11 Figure 10. Count of recent confirmed fires in CA compared to the normal range (Global Forest Watch) .................. 12 Figure 11. Amount of land hectares burned in CA due to fire in 2020 compared to the average range ....................... 13 Figure 12. Example of the wildland-urban interface (WUI) along the eastern boundary of Los Banos ........................ 13 Figure 13. California oakworm caterpillar (above) and moth (below). Source: University of California .......................... 15 Figure 14. Signs and symptoms of sudden oak death. Source: USDA APHIS .................................................................................. 16 Figure 15. An example of tree canopy and pervious area loss experienced between 2006 and 2020 in the ........ .. 17 Figure 16. Demonstration of Possible Planting Areas including vegetative space where it is feasible to plant.. . 18 Figure 17- Map indicating the CalEnviroScreen 4.0 scores for Los Banos' Census Tracts .. .................. .................................. 19 Figure 18. Los Banos' draft incremental and long-term Citywide tree canopy cover goals .............................................. ... 21 Figure 19. Most common public tree species (top 3) ......................... ............................................................................................................. ... 28 Figure 20. Most common public tree species ....................................................................................... ................... ............................................... 28 Figure 21. Comparison of the size distribution of Los Banos' public trees to an ideal distribution .................................. 29 Figure 22. Summary and illustration of public tree condition classes ................................................................................................... 30 Figure 23. Examples of the potentially human-caused defects seen in the public tree observations ........................ 33 Figure 24. Common public tree maintenance needs ....................... ................................................................ ................................................. 34 Figure 25. Diagram showing the impacts maintenance has on tree structure, function, and benefits ........................ 39 Figure 26. Examples of techniques for routine tree pruning (Source: Arbor Day Foundationl. .......................................... 39 Figure 27. Growing space widths for existing trees ....... ...... ........................ .................... .... ............................................................................... 40 Figure 28. Visual depiction of planting site widths of existing public trees ................................................................................... ... 40 Figure 29. Illustration of the benefits and services provided by public trees .................................................................................. 48 Figure 30. Overview of the ecosystem benefits and services provided by trees in communities .................................. 50 Figure 31. The street tree pictured adds $7,593 to the price of the house it fronts and $7,098 to the seven ......... 52 Figure 32. Organizational chart detailing the departments and divisions involved in urban forestry activities ...... 69 Figure 33. Illustration of the responses from the staff and commission member survey ...................................................... 76 Figure 34. a) Relationship between pruning cycle length (number of years since last pruning) and condition ..... 83 Figure 35. As the time (years) between street tree pruning increases, tree health and safety decrease and ........ 84 Figure 36. Examples of the types of tree pruning .................................................. .............................................................................................. 87 ._Figure 37- Types of pruning cuts and prop_er branch cutting tachnique ........................................... .................. ................ . w .. .... .. .... 87 Figure 38. Examples of trees directionally pruned for clearance from power lines .................................................................. 88 Figure 39. Example of branches to be pruned for newly planted trees to promote good structure ............................ 89 Figure 40. Los Banos' announcement for the public survey .......................................................................... .......................................... 109 Figure 41. Summary of responses from the public survey to develop Los Banos' UFMP ................................................... 110 Figure 42. Story maps can visualize urban forest stories, maps, and data for the public ...................................................... 113 Figure 43. Summary of the Plan implementation and monitoring process ..................................... ............................................... 150 Figure 44. Summary of the 2021 Urban Forest Audit for Los Banos' Plan ........................................................................................ 153 Figure 45. Example of the plan implementation, evaluation, and revision process .......................... .. ... ..................... ............. 161 Figure 46. Proposed decision matrix for tree and construction conflicts .................................................................. ........ : ................ 8a Figure 47. Example of alternative solutions for tree and construction conflicts .. ..................................... ...... ..... ....................... 17a 108

URBAN FOREST VISION
Our City's trees, forests, and other natural resources are recognized as integral to sustaining life and health for all City residents. A healthy, thriving, and sustainable urban forest is a community p iority. to be thoughtfully managed and cared for by partnerships betweent he City and its residents to maximize public safety and benefits-that include a thriving ecosystem, vibrant economy, and livable communities shared by all who live,' work, and play in Los Banos.
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111
112
Los Banos' Urban Forest Vision
Our City's trees, forests, and other natural
resources are recognized as integral to
sustaining life and health for all City
residents. A healthy, thriving, and
sustainable urban forest is a community
priority, to be thoughtfully managed and
cared for by partnerships between the
City and its residents to maximize public
safety and benefits that include a thriving
ecosystem, vibrant economy, and livable
communities shared by all who live, work,
and play in Los Banos.

Plan Mission
The City of Los Banos. in partnership with
the community and urban forestry
consultants, completed this Urban Forest
Management Plan in 2022. This plan is a
guide to maintain, protect. and enhance
Los Banos' extensive tree canopy cover
- resource and the multitude of associated
benefits. The Urban1FOrest Mana'geriierit
-. _ Plan extends _beyond maintenance and
- operational guidance to irlclude a ·variety ··~ 1
I -· • of long-term goals, strategies, and · ~ 1
priorities to achieve optimal levels of
urban forest management. sustainability,
and equity in a comprehensive and
systematic manner. Achieving the goals
set forth in this plan requires a shared
commitment and partnership between
the City and its community to sustain a
thriving urban forest providing benefits to
Los Banos' environment, economy, and
well-being for future ·g~,m~ratL,or:,s.

OVERVIEW
Nestled into the West side of the San Joaquin Valley
within Merced County. lies the City of Los Banos at
the crossroads of California. Interstate 5 is situated
just to the west of town, which connects the major
cities of Sacramento and Los Angeles. Los Banos
provides a suburban and rural feel for residents who
value outdoor recreation and a more reasonable
cost of living compared to neighboring cities. Los
Banos, with an estimated population of 43,188
(2021), boasts many parks and opportunities for
families to thrive.

Los Banos' close proximity to the San Luis River has
shaped much of the City's history. The City's name
translates to "the baths" in reference to the spring
that provides water to wetlands. state game
refuges, and rare grassland habitat. With these land
and water resources, came a large agricultural
industry started by Henry Miller and Charles Lux in
the 1850s. Once acquiring land and water rights, the
Miller and Lux company grew to become the
largest producer of cattle in California and one of
the largest landowners in the United States.

Upon the death of Henry Miller in 1916, the Miller
and Lux company fizzled out However, Los Banos
continues to be an agricultural center to this day
and with this comes the responsibility to care for
and preserve Los Banos' natural resources. With an
increasing population of new residents looking for a
more suburban life, affordable cost of living. while
commuting to larger cities, comes the reality that
more focus will need to be put on preserving and
enhancing the community's ... urban forest and
natural resources.

Specific priorities and actions have been addressed
in the General Plan in regard to natural resources. In
turn. the City has a growing concern for the
protection and enhancement of City assets such as
the urban forest.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Pagel I 113

IMPORTANCE OF THIS PLANNING EFFORT
Los Banos is a community that recognizes its trees as one of its most valuable resources and with this Urban Forest Management Plan, has dedicated itself to the preservation, proper maintenance, and continued enhancement of the urban forest. The trees throughout Los Banos are an asset that bring value and benefits to the community. The urban forest provides environmental benefits, adds to property values, and contributes to an enhanced quality of life for all of Los Banos' residents. These urban forest efforts along with the transformation of the river's edge are a tremendous opportunity to bolster the City as a whole.

Unfortunately, thetrees comprising the urban forest in Los Banos suffer from the rigors of urban life, including pests and diseases, the current and changing climate, air pollution, compacted soils, limited growing spaces, and limited resources. To overcome such rigorous conditions for the City's trees and reap the benefits of these, our most valuable assets, the care of the urban forest must be strategically and efficiently planned and cared for.

This Urban Forest Management Plan seeks to secure adequate tree management levels and garner the enabling support through staffing, funding, the community, and policy. Adequate tree management includes efficient and effective tree care, bolstered tree plantings to maintain age and species diversity in the public tree population, the equitable preservation and enhancement of canopy coverage Citywide to enhance the character and aesthetics of neighborhoods, and exemplary stewardship of the forest from all who live and work in Los Banos. The Urban Forest Management Plan must be regarded as both a long-range policy guide and a living document that will respond to changing conditions over its life. It requires a close partnership between policy makers, staff, and the community. Adoption of this Urban Forest Management Plan enables the City to accomplish these objectives.

Urban Forest Benefits and Services Pagel II
114

THE CITY AND ITS URBAN FOREST
In adhering to best management practice as framed by the Urban Forest Management Plan's guiding principles, the urban forest stands a chance of being a sustainable and resilient resource. This will require an integrated ecosystem management approach. That system is based on the recognition that the urban forest is a resource which should be viewed as a tangible asset which confers broad benefits to all citizens of the City of Los Banos and compliments the biodiversity values of the surrounding natural environment. Urban forests face unprecedented challenges in a warming environment with ever expanding development needs. In order to preserve the urban forest and the myriad benefits conferred, the residents of Los Banos will need to be vigilant and remain committed to sound environmental standards which will ensure that generations to come will enjoy the same. If Los Banos is to be a leader and environmental champion, the stewardship of its green infrastructure and the fundamental role played by trees in that ecology is paramount. This 40-year Urban Forest Management Plan is an important piece of that larger mission. All community stakeholders should be involved in bringing this to fruition and safeguarding the future of trees in Los Banos' neighborhoods.

Los BANOS' GENERAL PLAN AND THE URBAN FOREST
A central theme of the City's 2030 General Plan Update is the concept of sustainability and sustainable development. The basic concept of sustainability is meeting the needs of current generations without compromising that ability of future generations to meet their own needs. One major goal of sustainable development is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to promote energy efficiency and alternative energy sources. Scientific consensus has emerged that carbon dioxide emissions are contributing to a warming climate. Some of the consequences include rising sea levels, increased intensity of hurricanes and other storms, increased acidity of ocean waters which has negative impacts on marine biodiversity, reduced agricultural productivity, and declining urban forests.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE URBAN FOREST
The City recognizes its growing role in confronting climate change. Actions to contend with increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and effects of climate change start at the local level. City goals and policies must address reducing the carbon footprint from new development. These goals and policies should promote transit-oriented and infill development. maintain a jobs/housing balance, protect and conserve open space, encourage development of linear parks that can be used for cycling and walking as an alternative to vehicle trips, and implement air and water quality standards. The urban forest is a vital component of the strategies to address these concerns.

Los Banos is planning for a future that addresses climate change, improves the quality of life, promotes equity, and bolsters resiliency across the community. Efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions resulting from activity in the energy, water, waste, and transportation sectors should be paired with efforts to sequester-or draw down-carbon dioxide and other GHGs from the atmosphere, so that in the future, no new net greenhouse gases will be emitted. In addition, the City should explore efforts to enhance the community's resiliency to future climatic changes as well as to adapt to changes that are already underway. As a component to the Urban Forest Management Plan project. draft goals for tree canopy cover and additional tree plantings was provided and are supported by the Plan's goals, strategies, and actions.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 111 115
ABOUT Los BANOS' URBAN FOREST
Los Banos is situated among an abundant natural environment that includes wetlands, grasslands, wildlife habitat and refuges, and a wide array of open spaces. The City is directly tied to its natural environment and Los Banos' residents value these assets. As stated in the City's General Plan, Los Banos aspires to create balanced and sustainable growth: integration of neighborhoods and neighborhood centers: creation of a network of parks and open space: creation of a safe, efficient, and attractive circulation system: and targeted planning for environmental justice.

Regarding growth of the urban forest canopy, it is the City's responsibility to maintain trees within the public rights-of-way and on City-owned parks, open spaces, and facilities. Los Banos' Parks and Recreation Division, within the Public Works Department, Leading this Urban Forest Management Plan effort-is responsible for the planning, development, coordiAation and promotion of the physical-,- social, and economic well-being of the City. A multifaceted approach is implemented in Los Banos for the care and enhancement of urban forestry. In addition to the Parks and Recreation Division, the Tree Commission provides support relating to the City's urban forestry efforts, and the City works closely with the Los Banos Downtown Association.

Though it is the City's responsibility for tree care within public rights-of-way, the preservation and growth of Citywide urban forest canopy should be the concern of both the City and the community residents. With this baseline assessment of the City's tree programs, the Urban Forest Management Plan was developed to provide recommendations for staffing Levels, tree maintenance priority corridors, the sharing of the tree maintenance responsibility, strengthened tree management and preservation, best practices and ordinances, maintenance of Arbor Day Foundations' Tree City USA achievement, and enhanced community engagement and stewardship. For 30 years, Los Banos has been a certified Tree City USA, which further exemplifies the community's commitment to its trees and residents.

Urban Forest Benefits and Services Page I IV
116
..
.. c. -- ..
;._- - --..::_·- ~~--
. .

Existing City plans and efforts impact and influence Los Banos' urban forest. In addition to the 2030 General Plan Update, the City adopted the Master Parks Plan in
October 2020, the Pioneer Road Complete Streets Plan in January 2021, and the Urban Water Management Plan
Update in 2016. These various plans combined with the
Urban Forest Management Plan will create the networks
and working relationships to improve and enhance the
urban forest in many facets of the Los Banos community.

Los Banos has a vibrant urban forest- spanning nearly 14 percent of the City's land area- that continues to be
created, modified, and removed primarily by people.

Sustaining it will require ongoing human intervention. The goal of this intervention is a sustainable urban forest- an urban forest that optimizes the benefits of trees while meeting established safety and economic goals.

Achieving this requires robust management, diverse
funding, adequate staffing, effective policies, and
maintenance actions consistent with best practices. The urban forest offers many benefits, some of which are
directly identifiable and quantifiable, and others that are experienced. Recognition of the role urban forests play in improving human health and well-being in addition to
being critical climate change mitigators continues to
increase.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page IV 117
A Closer Look at Los Banos' Urban Forest: Canopy Cover and Public Trees "
.. . . ,,. -. ~
~ - - ,, ,..-! '"" . -
2021 i-Tree Canopy Assesment: Canopy %
0-10%
11-15%
16 -100%
2021 Public Tree Inventory
• Public Trees
• Possible Public Planting Sites
&I City Boundary
Urban Forest Benefits and Services Page I VI
118
I rt I I tll' i
Urban Forest Benefits and Services
The quality of life of the citizens in any community depends on the urban forest, as trees make a vital and affordable contribution to the sense of community, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, energy savings, and air quality. Trees are one of the few infrastructure investments that grow in value over time. Tree canopy is a valuable component of Los Banos' urban ecosystem. Trees in urban settings are important to improving urban life, as well as human physical and emotional well-being. Research suggests that human beings have an innate affiliation to natural settings, a concept described as biophilia (Kellert. et al. 1993). Studies link access to living trees, outdoor air, and natural light to increased employee and student productivity, faster hospital recoveries, less crime, and an overall reduction in stress and anxiety. Thus, expanding the urban forest is part of the solution to Los Banos' social, environmental, and economic problems- it is integral to enhancing public health programs, increasing land values and local tax bases, providing job training and employment opportunities, reducing costs of city services, increasing public safety, improving air quality, offsetting carbon emissions, managing stormwater runoff, mitigating water shortages. and conserving energy.

An analysis of the total street and public tree population inventoried in 2021 (12,253 living trees) valued the ecosystem services and benefits at an estimated $1.2 million annually. Most notably, the 12,253 inventoried trees increase property values by over $1 million, prevent nearly 5.6 million gallons of stormwater runoff, and sequester nearly 400 tons of carbon annually. Citywide, the urban forest canopy cover across public and private boundaries offers benefits and services estimated at $213 million (based on ecosystem and asset values derived from McPherson et al. 2017 research).

Public trees: $1.2 million total annual ecosystem value $81 in annual benefits per tree
$26 in annual benefits per capita
$1 : $3.38 annual cost-benefit ratio
$213 million Citywide urban forest benefits and value
BETTER

AIR QUALITY

JNCREASEO

PROPERTY VALUES
RA1N

INTERCEPTION
TRAFFtC CALMING &

NOISE REDUCTION

COMMUNITY
WELi.BEiNG WILDLIFE
INCRf;ASEO

CONSUMERISM
HEATISlAND

MITIGATION
ENERGY

SAVINGS

COMMUNITY

AESTHETICS

RECREATION
DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I VII 119
Challenges Facing Los Banos' Urban Forest
The City of Los Banos has a unique urban form and character. Its size, layout, and development density influence the landscape and has created a charming and livable city. Los Banos' citizens show pride in their city, and their neighborhoods are well cared for. The City's climate is ideal for a wide range of plants and street trees and many of the City's streets and landscapes exhibit a unique and rich planting character. Some of the City's historic neighborhoods and its newest developments have a rich urban forest that illustrates Los Banos' potential to be an even greater tree-filled city guided by a strategic plan- a city that can be truly 'ahead of the curve'.

Urban trees can play a significant role in making cities resilient to weather and climate extremes, and in protecting human and ecosystem health and safety. To do so, trees must be consciously selected, planted, and managed as the central component of an urban forest where individual trees are maintained as part of a greater system with the purpose of improving the urban environment and enhancing the benefits of that ecosystem.

Sustainable Management - Addressing Deferred Street Tree Maintenance The public street trees throughout Los Banos are primarily the responsibility of the City to maintain.

Primarily, these trees are addressed based on the public service requests and call-ins received, resulting in a reactive public tree management approach overall.

One measure of sustainable management is the number of years it takes to prune all public trees, also referred to as the pruning cycle. Currently, the City does not maintain street trees on a programmed cycle, only trees within service request or otherwise identified as a priority. A pruning cycle of five years is recommended for communities in the region. This would require the City to collectively prune approximately 2,400 trees annually- up 400 trees per year from the current average. It should be noted, the City currently maintains approximately 2,000 trees each year and pruning more trees in a given year would add costs in terms of staffing, resources, and time.

Routine maintenance, often referred to as grid pruning or programmed pruning, is the most cost effective near- and long-term pruning management strategy for city tree maintenance since every tree within a given grid, priority area, or zone is pruned each pruning cycle. When each tree is inspected and pruned on a regular cycle, both short- and long-term maintenance costs are reduced due to efficiencies in mobilization, scheduling, and service tracking: both preventative and reactive maintenance are performed in one operation and the need for future priority pruning is minimized.

Conversely, street trees that are not pruned on a regular cycle, or their maintenance is deferred, results in the opposite effect- as the interval between pruning increases the tree health declines and the maintenance costs increase. -
The impact of deferred maintenance is felt by the City, the public, and the urban forest itself.

Prolonged maintenance deferral will reduce the overall health of the urban forest, reduce the associated benefits and services provided by trees, and increase public safety risks. The condition of the inventoried public tree population represents the effects of this deferment, with nearly half the public tree population rated as fair in condition. Compounding the issue, Public Works has limited resources to address issues such as tree clearance and sidewalk upheaval.

Challenges Facing Los Banos' Urban Forest Page I VIII
120
Risk Tree Management
One of the unique challenges of managing Los Banos' urban forest stems in part from the nature of trees in the San Joaquin Valley- certain trees can grow exceptionally tall. These larger species of trees can be more prone to branch failures than other tree species. In addition to large tree size, the prevalence of particular species in the urban forest population presents more instances for possible damages and consequences as a result of the failure of a tree or tree part. Certain species require more frequent pruning when they exist in public spaces. Other species of trees are known to be prone to decay. The combination of large and maintenance-demanding public trees, coupled with the effects of deferred maintenance, requires thoughtful management that is consistent and transparent and adheres to industry standards and best practices.

The 2021 tree inventory provides the data and guidance to effectively manage risk and this Plan provides the framework for increasing funding and resources to address the concerns.

Tree Related Policies and Regulations
Trees can be found mentioned in several City codes, regulations, and plans. Regulations to guide tree planting and maintenance are limited and do not sufficiently address the concerns of many City staff and the public. Though significant improvements have been made, there still exist some inconsistencies or gaps in the policies and regulations for Los Banos' trees. These are detailed within the Plan and addressed in the Plan's strategies and actions.

Tree Protection during Construction
Currently, Best Management Practices (BMPs) for protecting trees on construction sites are inconsistently applied and the monitoring of tree protection zones (TPZ) is insufficient.

Alternative Solutions to Tree and Sidewalk Conflicts
The City habitually applies linear streetscape design which limits retrofits and alternative solutions to tree and sidewalk conflicts. Los Banos has made some use of flexible design, however, these types of designs could be considered more often. Flexible design would allow more sidewalks to meander around trees, parcels could be developed around healthy existing trees, and additional right-of-way easements/frontages could be obtained rather than blindly applying the 'safe streets' or ADA retrofit designs. Through the planning effort to develop this Plan, recommendations for updating City Code and regulations were provided along with the guidance for applying alternative solutions.

Limited Resources to Address Climate Change Impacts
Cities around the world, and specifically in the San Joaquin Valley, face dramatically intensifying extreme weather and climate impacts including sea level rise, drought, long-term water shortages, flooding, and extreme heat.

In many instances, these impacts are already exceeding the designed capacity of city infrastructure to protect the health and safety of residents, businesses, and neighborhoods, which in turn threatens the fiscal viability of the City. Urban trees can play a significant role in making Los Banos resilient to weather and climate extremes, and in protecting human and ecosystem health and safety. To do so, trees must be consciously selected, planted, and managed as the central component of an urban forest where individual trees are managed as part of a greater system with the purpose of improving the urban environment and enhancing benefits.

Strategic Tree Planting
The ability of Los Banos' urban trees and urban forests to achieve desired benefits is drastically limited due to poor maintenance and management stemming from insufficient municipal budgets, lacking urban forest management systems and programs, limited training of tree care professionals, and a lack of enforcement of tree-management best practices to support tree health. Consequently, longterm tree health is compromised in Los Banos, resulting in limiting the beneficial functions of trees, DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I IX 121
leaving trees more susceptible to pests and disease, and leading to premature tree death. Urban trees face multiple challenges to surviving and thriving. Trees that die years prematurely will not create the root systems and canopies needed to reach their benefit potential and maximize their return on investment.

Los Banos' recent urban forestry projects funded by CAL FIRE Urban and Community Forestry Program are crucial efforts for building a more sustainable community and working toward carbon neutrality. Tree planting is one of the few tangible actions the City can directly take to address nonsource specific pollution in Los Banos and the inventory and management plan will support strategic planning for continued plantings resulting in long-lasting benefits.

Planting trees in Los Banos should be strategically planned to address environmentaljustice, equity, access, and levels of service for all neighborhoods. Tree plantings can address canopy cover inequities, intensive tree management can reduce risks and prolong the associated benefits of trees, and diverse outreach approaches and unique programs can enhance urban forest stewardship in the community.

Planting and maintaining an urban forest that exists in concert with other green infrastructure must include management by trained individuals, the use of tree inventory data, an understanding of baseline conditions and forecasted environmental changes, collaboration among departments to mainstream urban forest management, a community with a shared vision for the urban forest. tree canopy goals and priority planting areas, and a roadmap for management provided in the Plan.

Addressing the Challenges
These issues and challenges recognized in Los Banos are exacerbated in disadvantaged areas of communities with limited resources. The City needs this comprehensive plan to preserve and expand the urban forest which results in an equitable distribution of tree canopy, associated benefits, and urban forestry opportunities. The City, its partners, and the community support a plan for the urban forest that sustains the resource and provides benefits to all who live, work, and recreate in the City.

To address these challenges, the Urban Forest Management Plan offers Los Banos an opportunity to study, evaluate, and plan for improving urban forest management toward the goal of supporting human and ecosystem health and well-being. The urgency of protecting the urban forest has risen sharply as drought, pests, disease, climate impacts and budget cuts lead to rapidly rising tree mortality. To address and reverse tree die-off and the loss of ecosystem benefits, Los Banos needs a robust system of professional management of public trees and improved support of resident engagement in the care and expansion of the urban forest. both public aAd private:

When making improvements to the urban forest, efforts should be prioritized to improve environmental justice, equity, access, and levels of service for underserved and vulnerable areas.

These considerations may include additional tree plantings for more equitable distribution of urban forest cover and benefits, intensive tree management, diverse outreach approaches, and unique stewardship programs.

Los Banos' Urban Forest Management Plan is a crucial planning effort to build a more sustainable resource and a healthy community, among other core urban forest management elements. This strategic plan for Los Banos' urban forest aims to help guide how the City might think about strengthening City Code, policies, ordinances, standards, practices, and procedures: analyzes staffing structures and authority: identifies opportunities for sustained and diversified funding: provides guidance for routine and systematic inventories and assessments: identifies tree maintenance efficiencies and planting/ canopy goals and priorities; addresses storm, disaster, and risk management needs; and strengthens community outreach, education, and engagement.

Addressing the Challenges Page IX
122
- ,. I I ' ·,, 11 • 1 ,
The urban forests in the San Joaquin Valley face many challenges. This Plan offers Los Banos an opportunity to study, evaluate and plan for improving urban forest management toward the goal of supporting human and ecosystem health and well-being. Los Banos needs a robust system of professional management and public access to support resident engagement in care and expansion of the urban forest.

PLANNING PROCESS
This Urban Forest Management Plan is the City's first of its kind. This Plan will set the stage for future actions and efforts that will ensure the long-term health, management, and success of the trees that comprise the urban forest.

PLANNING APPROACH
The purpose of the 40-year Urban Forest Management Plan is to answer the fundamental components of adaptive management: what do we have, what do we want, how do we get what we want, and how are we doing. Developing the Plan required input from City staff, stakeholders, residents, data sources, thoughtful analysis, a coordinated vision, and time.

What do we have?
The first step of the process is to complete
a baseline assessment of the urban forest,
the resources that manage it, and the
people that influence and benefit from it.

The elements completed in the planning
process provide the foundation for setting
goals and measuring progress.
•
How are we doing?
The City needs to continually monitor
progress towards the vision and goals. The
Urban Forest Management Plan includes
guidance for implementing actions. The
planning approach for this Plan provides
the framework for continual monitoring
and evaluation of efforts using the U.S.

Forest Service's Urban Forest Audit
System. Updates to this audit will inform
any necessary changes to strategies in an
adaptive management approach.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan
What do we want?
The Plan is shaped by knowing what the
urban forest needs, the resources· required to
manage it, and what the community wants.

This was informed by public engagement
through websites and social media, public
surveys, presentations, staff interviews, and
development of the urban forest vision and
supporting goals .

How to get what we want?
The goal, strategy, and action framework lay
out the roadmap to achieve a shared vision
that supports the needs of all members of the
community. Recommended actions and the
associated targets are strategic, measurable,
attainable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART)
and have been developed through extensive
research, data analyses, stakeholder
consultations, community engagement,
benchmarking research, and gap analyses
during the planning process.

Apr2022 Page I XI
123

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
The public engagement sessions consisted of an online survey (43 responses). virtual meetings with the Tree Commission, news articles. social media posts, City website content. and email updates through the City's listservs.

Feedback received through these efforts was used to produce a draft Plan with a shared vision for the urban forest. The team then shared draft goals, strategies, and actions with City staff, key stakeholders, and the citizens of Los Banos to ensure initial input was accurately captured. In July 2022, the draft Plan was opened for public comment to weigh in on the final Plan.

Within the final Plan, action priorities were developed to provide technical guidance for City departments that are relevant. accessible, and tangible to the community.

STAFF AND STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION
When stakeholder engagement is done effectively, it improves communication channels between parties, creates and maintains support for the Plan, gathers information for the urban forestry programs. reduces the potential for conflict or other issues, and enhances the reputation of the program and ultimately, the Plan. Effective communication with stakeholders not only ensures they are aware of the objectives and finer points of a plan, it also serves to help the program understand those who will be affected by the plan, how they will access and interpret information. from the program, allows the program to anticipate how stakeholders will respond, and builds a support system within city departments to collectively implement the plan.

Prior to the development of Los Banos' Urban Forest Management Plan. the City's Parks and Recreation Operations Manager in the Parks and Recreation Division of Public Works along with supporting staff worked with City departments. partners, and the community to identify the needs of the urban forest. To inform the Plan. a total of 23 City staff or commission members were invited to a series of consultations. Staff participants represented the Public Works and the Community & Economic Development departments and representatives from the Tree Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission participated to provide a comprehensive understanding of urban forest management workflows, strengths. challenges, and shared priorities. In addition, traditional and nonconventional stakeholder engagement occurred throughout the planning process. This process enabled the development of strategies that are in alignment with existing workflows and operations as well as the strategies to improve efficiencies and achieve common goals.

Addressing the Challenges Page I XII
124

KEY FINDINGS
The planning process uncovered various challenges and opportunities that have been addressed with the development of urban forestry goals, strategies, and recommendations in this Plan. Using the framework of A Model of Urban Forest Sustainability (Clark, 1997) the following key findings include:

STATE OF THE URBAN FOREST
❖ 12,333 public trees consisting of 7,997 street trees 3,393 park trees, and 943 vacant/ other trees. ❖ 13.6 percent urban tree canopy cover Citywide in 2021, up from 11,4 percent in 2015. ❖ 168 unique public tree species, Chinese pistache is the most common (20 percent). ❖ The top ten most common public tree species comprise 71 percent of the population. ❖ Of the ten most common public trees, Chinese pistache, common crapemyrtle, shiny xylosma, and California white oak / Valley oak are healthier than the overall average for the population. ❖ A total of 4,885 possible planting sites in public areas (parks and rights-of-way) were inventoried in 2021. About 50 percent of these sites are located along street rights-of-way. ❖ The Citywide urban forest provides an annual estimated benefit of $729,852 by improving air quality, providing carbon storage and sequestration, and reducing stormwater volumes (excludes property values, energy savings, health savings, among others). ❖ Public trees provide over $1.2 million in benefits and services annually equating to an annual average of $99 per tree, and $32 per capita.
❖ For every $1 spent on public trees, there is a $3.38 return on investment.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I XIII 125

THE URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM
❖ The urban forest is managed by the City's Parks and Recreation Division within the Public Works Department.
❖ City staff managing the urban forest amount to 10 full-time employee equivalents (FTEs) across multiple divisions.
❖ Most public trees are 12 inches in diameter or less (78 percent). ❖ The majority (42 percent) of public trees are in fair condition and 37 percent are in good condition (2021).
❖ The most common maintenance need for public trees is structural pruning (24 percent) and crown cleaning (14 percent)- maintenance activities commonly addressed through programmed pruning.
❖ The 2021 budget compared to the public tree population is $9 per tree and there is one public tree for every three residents of Los Banos (2021).
❖ Los Banos' Urban Forest Audit Score based on U.S. Forest Service criteria is 60 percent (2021). ❖ Challenges and shared priorities among City staff and commission members include sustainable urban forest management, program efficiencies and resources, risk tree management, community outreach and engagement, and tree policies, regulation, and enforcement.
❖ The recommended long-term tree canopy cover goal is 30 percent by the year 2065 (44 years) requiring 875 trees to be planted per year on average (38,500 total trees) of which 50 percent should be City-led (440 trees per year on average). Achieving the canopy goal will stock 23 percent of the total available planting space (herbaceous and impervious) Citywide and add 1,111 new acres of canopy.
❖ Incremental short-term canopy goals include 15 percent by 2025 (3,502 total trees), 20 percent by 2040 (16,635 total trees), and 25 percent by 2050 (25,391 total trees). ❖ Future benefits and services forecasted for an urban forest that comprises 30 percent of the City in 44 years amounts to $437,000 annually or $10,000 added per year.

Los Banos Urban Tree Canopy Cover Goals
(14(o·/ '- ---~I_ I :-:::/ .,,-
875 trees per yeali on average I •. >
2021 2025 2040 2050 2065
Addressing the Challenges Page I XIV
126

COMMUNITY VIEWPOINTS AND PRIORITIES
View the Engagement to Inform the Plan section for
additional information and background.
❖ Out of 43 total survey responses, most
respondents live in District 4 (35 percent) and
District 2 (30 percent) of Los Banos (95 percent)
❖ Most were white non-Hispanics (52 percent) or
Hispanic or Latino (38 percent).
❖ Respondents were primarily in the ages of 35-44
(41 percent)
❖ Most respondents have participated in some type of stewardship activity such as watering a tree (88 percent), harvesting fruit from a tree (77 percent), or planting a tree (72 percent). ❖ Respondents feel trees impact their life (98 percent). The greatest benefits provided by trees include bringing joy and shade and reducing air pollution and improving air quality (77 percent) followed by improved physical and mental .~, .:..~ ;
health (74 percent), and mitigating the effects of · · r-:· climate change (7 4 percent).
❖ The survey respondents view the most urgent
tree-related need in their neighborhood is tree
planting (58 percent) and maintenance (19
percent) and view the primary issue caused by
trees is the sidewalk and pavement cracking (67
percent) and roots damaging underground
utilities (51 percent).
❖ Respondents feel there should be drastically more tree canopy cover (67 percent) since the canopy health has declined (28 percent). They support a realistic tree canopy cover goal (86 percent) with plantings focused in parks (84 percent), rights-of-way (70 percent), and schools (67 percent).
❖ The respondents believe the street trees in the
public right-of-way are owned by the City (52
percent) and are managed by the Public Works
Parks and Recreation Division (50 percent) and
feel the current care and management is fair (46
percent).
❖ 95 percent of respondents support ordinances
that mandate planting and protection during
development and feel the street and park trees
should be proactively managed i.e., program
pruning (95 percent).
❖ With additional funding, the respondents primarily support more local green jobs and job training (79 percent), faster City response time to maintain trees (74 percent), and tree planting programs/giveaways (67 percent).

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I )0J 127

PLAN FRAMEW ORK

URBAN FOREST

MANAGEMENT

PLAN FRAMEWORK
The primary framework of this Plan supplements the
vision statement in Los Banos' General Plan- "vibrant.
safe, and attractive city with community character and
an improved economy, new job opportunities,
affordable housing, improved public services and
facilities, an excellent circulation system, and a superb quality of life"- and represents the diverse values and priorities unique to each community, resident, and
property owner within the City. The Plan's framework
begins with the urban forest vision statement that
reflects the values of these stakeholders and identifies the optimal state of Los Banos' trees over the 40-year
planning horizon. To achieve the vision of a healthy,
sustainable, and equitable urban forest, guiding
principles are defined and supported by goals,
strategies, and recommended actions.

Los BANOS URBAN FOREST
VISION
Our City's trees, forests, and other natural resources are recognized as integral to sustaining life and health for all City residents. A healthy, thriving, and sustainable urban forest is a community priority, to be thoughtfully
managed and cared for by partnerships between the City
and its residents to maximize public safety and benefits that include a thriving ecosystem, vibrant economy, and livable communities shared by all who live, work, and
play in Los Banos.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Program Efficiencies and Fair Policies
Long-lasting improvements to the urban forest are
achieved with improved levels of service and sound
policies, protocols, and standards.

Health and Sustainability The urban forest
grows sustainably through Best Management
Practices and shared commitments.

Preservation and Resiliency Continuous
process of long-range planning and management
enhances and protects the urban forest for future generations.

Community Engagement The growth and management of the urban forest is informed by education and engagement that is equitable, inclusive, diverse, and transparent.

Green Asset Management Trees are vital components of the community to be thoughtfully managed.

Addressing the Challenges Page I XVI
128
Using the foundation of sound principles supporting a v1s1on that captures the values of all stakeholders, the City will conduct urban forest management activities and services that recognize trees as not only aesthetic enhancements to communities but also as essential to human health and well-being. Management of the trees in Los Banos will be in recognition of the urban forest serving as the backbone of the urban ecosystem and an essential part of the City's green infrastructure.

Encouraging the health and growth of the urban forest will follow scientifically established best management practices with long-lasting impacts enabled through robust and fair urban forest policies that reduce its vulnerability to known risks and future threats including the experienced and anticipated effects of climate change. These guiding principles will ensure management is engaged in a continuous process of long-range planning for the growth and maintenance of the urban forest and supported by the community. The support and a shared commitment to urban forest sustainability will be attained through consistent and inclusive community education and engagement.

A CALL TO ACTION
Image Description 3. Source - City of Los Banos, CA
The urban forest is an important green infrastructure asset for neighborhoods across Los Banos.

However, the capacity of urban foreststo support healthy and resilient communities is constrained and challenged by stressors such as climate change impacts, urban development pressures, altered soils, invasive species, and resource shortages. Now more than ever there is a critical need to sustain large, healthy, genetically appropriate trees on public and private land through long-term planning and budgeting, inclusive decision-making, and strategic policy development that supports adaptive management. Thus, comprehensive urban forest support must extend well beyond tree planting initiatives.

Management of Los Banos' urban forest should be a shared priority among its citizens, community groups, institutions, and City departments. All of these groups have important roles to play. Successful management frameworks must recognize that the urban forest is part of a complex system that includes the built environment and is influenced by human activities and policies and practices that shape Los Banos. Furthermore, decision-making must be made in the context of future uncertainty associated with climate change. With this understanding, along with the input from staff and residents of Los Banos, the following long-term goals for the City's urban forest were developed:

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I XVII 129
PRIMARY GOALS FOR Los BANOS' URBAN FOREST
Tree Management Policy
Urban forest policies are the foundation for preserving the environmental benefits, management, and the character of Los Banos' urban forest.

Capacity, Training, and Authority
Los Banos has the capacity and expertise to provide optimal levels of service for sound urban forest management.

Budget and Funding
City resources enable comprehensive urban forest management for the preservation and enhancement of tree benefits.

Assessments and Planning
A thorough understanding of the urban forest ensures data-driven decisions, sustainable and comprehensive planning, and amplified tree benefits.

C ·t E t Image Description 4. Source - City of Los OmmUnl Y ngagemen Banos, CA Sustainable urban forest management and equity is achieved through a partnership with the City and its residents resulting in improved well-being, human health, and local economies.

Green Asset Management
Los Banos proactively manages the public trees, continues to grow and expand a healthy canopy, effectively mitigates storm damage, maintains public safety, and optimizes urban forest benefits.

Green Asset Management Page I XVIII
130

URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN

CITY OF
LOS BANOS, CA LOsBanos
'
APRIL 2022 ~ .., ~~~~1,!.,9f~?"

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
131

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132
133

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Urban Forest Analysis

ANALYSIS OF LOS BANOS' URBAN FOREST

URBAN FOREST RESOURCE
Overview
The City of Los Banos is approximately 10 square miles in size and is located on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. Across the City, trees along streets, in parks, yards, and natural areas constitute a valuable urban and community forest. This resource is a critical element of the region's green infrastructure, contributing to environmental quality, public health, water supply, local economies, and aesthetics.

Methods
A comprehensive resource analysis was completed to inform the vision, guiding principles, and goals.

This included Citywide inventories and evaluations of public trees, a top-down look and urban tree canopy cover, and a review of possible future planting sites in public areas to support canopy goals.

The datasets included a 2021 inventory of 17,507 data sites of which 12,333 points consist of public trees and 4,885 points consist of potential public tree planting sites across the City. The remaining 289 data sites are made up of stumps or sites marked where a tree has been removed. In addition to the bottom-up inventory, a top down look at the urban forest canopy cover was evaluated using a pointbased sampling technique with the U.S. Forest Service's i-Tree Canopy software. Also, to inform the urban forest resource analysis. historical planting records and recent maintenance activities were examined.

Defining the Urban Forest
The urban forest is comprised of trees across all City landscapes including streetscapes, parks and open space, trail and waterway corridors, commercial and residential properties, among others. While the Plan primarily addresses public trees, all trees across ownership types and the care of these trees contribute to overall urban forest health, sustainability, and associated benefits. To present an analysis of the urban forest. tree populations in these landscapes are characterized into the type of setting and land ownership type (public or private) and the responsibility for maintenance (City, property owner, or other).

Public trees are comprised of trees along streetscapes, in medians, backup lots, alleys, parks, open space, and natural areas on City-owned land. The City is primarily responsible for the maintenance of trees along streets and in medians, backup lots, alleys, parks, open space, and natural areas. The adjac~n_t prop§l__r_ty owner to street trees may provide watering services c!Dd utilize the City's tree permit system to request planting, maintenance, or removal.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page J 1 135
Urban Forest Analysis
Overview Page I 2
136
Urban Forest Analysis
Figure 2. fvtaintenance responsibility of trees comprising Los Banos' urban forest

TREE MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITY
DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 3 137
Urba11 Forest Analysis
History of Los Banos' Settlement and Landscape
Los Banos sits on the southwestern edge of extensive national and state game refuges. Wetlands that support waterfowl and other wildlife habitat exist along a stretch of the San Joaquin River that still carries water and the Grassland Ecological Area, home to rare California grasslands habitat. Nearby wildlife refuges attract fishers, hunters, birdwatchers and other recreational users. The Mediterranean climate in Los Banos brings cool winters and hot summers with most of the precipitation falling in the winter months.

In the early 1800s, a Spanish Calvary from the Presidio of San Francisco were given orders from the Spanish
Governor of California to explore the San Joaquin Valley. As they approached the Pacheco Pass, the noted the great
wealth of natural life and undisturbed landscapes. Around the same time, missionaries stationed at Mission San Juan Bautista discovered pools of water in the rocks at the
summit of the mountains in a creek bed that flowed down into the San Joaquin Valley. These baths became known as "El Arroyo de Los Banos del Padres Arroyo" by local
ranchers, recognizing the missionary that visited. By mid1850, Henry Miller came to the Valley and began his land acquisitions and cattle . empire. Much of his land
acquisitions and way of life helped to shape what Los
Banos is today. With Miller's irrigation company, he became credited as the first to introduce cotton, rice, and alfalfa crops to the Valley. In 1889 the town of Los Banos was
established and Miller is credited as the founder. At this time, he planted hundreds of shade trees and improved the streets. In addition to landscape, infrastructure, and many of the downtown buildings that stand today, Miller sought Historical land marker (Source: City of Los Banos) to extend the railroad through the West Side which eventually determined the present day location of Los Banos. By the end of the 19th century, the town grew into the agricultural industry it is known for and in 1907, the City of Los Banos was incorporated.

Today, Los Banos is famous for its agricultural products such as melons, almonds, walnuts, apricots, cotton, tomatoes, and dairy products, its proximity to many great wildlife refuges and natural wonders, and its parks system (Source: City Qf Los Banos 2020-:21 Adopted Budget).

Historical photo of the Bath House taken in 1910 (left) and downtown Los Banos' May Day Parade in 1915 (right) Source: Milliken Museum and City of Los Banos
History of Los Banos' Settlement and Landscape Page I 4 138
Urban Forest Analysis
Urban Forest Status: Urban Tree Canopy
The Citywide urban forest is measured with point-based
sampling using aerial imagery in the U.S. Forest Service's iTree Canopy1 online software application. The primary goal of this type of assessment is to identify a baseline and benchmark of the City's tree canopy and analyze
the land cover class across a range of geographic
boundaries. This analysis provides a baseline
Impervious
Plantable
Area, 14%
assessment of the urban forest resource from which
Plan implementation progress and canopy goals can
be measured.

Unsuitable,
28%
Based on the 2021 assessment. 14 percent of the
City's total area is covered by the canopy of trees
when viewed from above. Similarly, 14 percent of the
area is covered by impervious area that is theoretically feasible for planting trees. This area consists of primarily parking lot surfaces. The greatest coverage of the City area is the grass or soil land cover class (45 percent) where it is more feasible to plant new trees. Lastly, the Grass
or Soil.
45%
Figure 3. Summary of the 2021 tree canopy
assessment
unsuitable area consisting of buildings, roads, water, or agriculture makes up 28 percent of the total.

The tree canopy assessment was further analyzed to identify areas with more or less tree cover and areas where there are potential opportunities for more canopy to exist. The charts below summarize these metrics by City Council District and Census Block Groups.

30.0 25.0
(l)
~ 20.0 ....,
a5 15.0 u .__
QJ 10 .0
Q_
50 0.0
2015 to 2021 Land Cover Comparison
2% 2%
11 II -0.1%
■ 2015 ■ 2021
Figure 4. Comparison of land cover change between 2015 and 2021 and the change in percentage between the two time periods The figure above summarizes the canopy cover change analysis completed as part of the i-Tree study.

Between 2015 and 2021, tree canopy increased by 2 percent as well as building surface area (2 percent) and parking lots (1 percent). Conversely, available planting space reduced with grass Land cover decreasing by 2 percent and soil/bare ground by 3 percent. A significant finding from this change analysis is the percent change of tree canopy cover and building surfaces with 19 percent and 12 percent respectively.
1 i-Tree software developed by the U.S. Forest Service and partners, www.itreetools.org DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 5 139
U'ban Forest Ar1alys's
Tree canopy cover is the percentage of a site covered by the canopies of trees. Many communities are adopting canopy cover goals to maintain and improve forest cover. Advances in technology and geographic information systems (GIS) make it practical to measure canopy cover on a periodic basis.

Tree canopy cover has become a popular metric for several reasons. It is relatively easy to measure and Less costly than field sampling. It is comparable across a city and among cities. The size of the area measured does not matter. The canopy cover is a good performance measure because it can be applied to detect change across space and time. Finally, canopy cover is an easy-to-understand concept that is useful in communicating to the public.

It is important to recognize the Limitations associated with using tree canopy cover as a metric. The canopy cover is two dimensional. only indicating the spread of canopy across Land surfaces. It does not provide information on the vertical extent of tree canopy, species composition, age diversity, or health. To describe the structure, function, and value of urban forests fully, data obtained from field sampling are required as well (see the Public Tree Status section).

Urban Forest Status: Tree Equity
The sun shines across the State of California, but the surface temperature it triggers during a heat wave can vary dramatically by city and by neighborhood. A big reason for the difference across city neighborhoods is shade and the canopy of trees that Line some sidewalks but not others. Through analyses and local assessments, it is observed that a city's wealthier areas zoned for single-family homes typically attract more city services, Like wide sidewalks and trees. As time progresses, that disparity becomes more than a matter of aesthetics. Research shows shade and water evaporation from trees can lower surrounding air temperatures by six degrees or more. While it is well known that shade from a tree can help keep the ground temperatures cooler, as climate change continues to affect the Bay Area, the stakes are Likely to get higher. In certain cases that shade could be the difference between Life and death, especially for the sick, elderly, and disabled people. Studies show that just an extra degree during a heat wave increase mortality 2-3 percent (Dr. Feinstein, Sustainability and Resilience Policy Director of the non-profit organization "SPUR", 2021).

Many areas Lack adequate tree canopy perhaps due to a series of consecutive policies championed by Local authorities, codification through federal actions, and decisions to disinvest in neighborhoods where people of color resided as regions grew rapidly in population and infrastructure. A pattern was created that is replete in the urban studies Literature U. Wolch et al 2005. Parks and Park Funding in Los Angeles: An Equity-Mapping Analysis, Urban Geography, 26:1, 4-35).

Other possible factors-may include the competition for Limited physical spaee, and the increasing dominance of private real estate in driving development processes and occupying areas with pavement that might otherwise contain green space.

Specifically in Los Banos, trees are generally sparse in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas and more prominent in wealthier neighborhoods. The tree canopy and associated benefits of the urban forest are not equally shared and experienced by all communities. A study comparing tree canopy cover for other California cities found Los Banos to have the third Lowest tree canopy cover compared to 10 other cities. Whatever the cause for canopy disparity, the purpose of this tree equity study is to state the baseline conditions, identify priorities, and establish goals for increasing tree canopy cover equitably while overcoming and contending with urban planning and development. the effects of climate change, exotic tree pests and diseases, Limited resources, and other factors.

Urban Forest Status: Tree Equity Page I 6
140
Urban Forest Analysis
Palo Alto
Los Angeles
Oakland
Cupertino
Alameda
Sacramento
Campbell
Mountain View
Santa Clara
San Jose
San Francisco
Sunnyvale
Los Banos
San Diego
Comparison of Tree Canopy Cover in California Cities
Figure 5- Tree canopy cover comparison for California cities Tree Canopy Extent and Ownership
Figure 6. Tree canopy shown In green wdh mdividua/ mventotied trees shown as points Grayed out areas represent publiclymanaged spaces ({01 demons/rot.ion only) As shown in the figure above, the tree canopy cover, responsibility to maintain trees, and space for new tree canopy varies across a city. No one entity is solely responsible for the tree disparity or addressing it, it is shared between a city and its property owners.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page 17 141
Focused on addressing this canopy cover inequity,
the American Forests organization created the Tree
Equity Score (TES, www.treeequityscore.org) tool
that measures tree equity across 150,000 U.S.
neighborhoods and 486 municipalities in urban areas.

Each community's TES indicates whether there are
enough trees for everyone to experience the health,
economic, and climate benefits that trees provide.

The scores are based on how much tree canopy and
surface temperature align with income, employment,
race, age, and health factors. A o- to-100-point
system makes it easy to understand how a
Urban Forest Analysis
community is doing. With the knowledge the score Image Description 5. Illustration of the tree canopy cover provides, Los Banos' community leaders, tree disparity o~en found in cities (Source -American Forests) advocates, and residents alike can address climate
change and public health through the lens of social equity, attract new resources, factor the scores into technical decisions, guide implementation of the 2022 Urban Forest Management Plan, and track progress toward achieving tree equity. A score of 100 represents tree equity. Currently, the freely available data from American Forests does not include the City of Los Banos though the City may pursue a high-resolution tree canopy and equity assessment using similar criteria, as recommended in the Plan's actions.
100
so 72
60 40
20 0
Fremont
Tree Equity Scores of California Cities (TreeEquityScore.org) 88 82 80
75 Palo Alto Hayward Oakland Pleasanton San
Francisco
82 San Jose Sunnyvale
Figure 1, Comparison of Tree Equity Scores (data not available for Los Banos at this time) Urban Forest Status: Tree Equity Page I 8
142
Urban Forest Analysis
Threats to the Urban Forest: Overview
Tree canopy is a valuable component of Los Banos' urban ecosystem. Trees in the City are essential to improving urban life, ecosystems, and human physical and emotional well-being.

Urbanization creates significant changes in land use and land cover, affecting the structure, pattern, and function of ecosystems. Impervious surfaces from development increase surface temperatures which in turn affect the air quality along with increased stormwater runoff and compounded negative effects of climate change. The City of Los Banos and its residents are increasingly concerned about how these changes influence daily life and affect the sustainability of "quality of life" for future generations. Improving air quality, alleviating water shortages, cooling urban heat islands, and reducing stormwater runoff are all challenges facing Los Banos. Implementing the recommendations in the Urban Forest Management Plan will achieve the vision for the urban forest to be sustainable and resilient to the threats and concerns identified in this section.

Potential Threats to Los Banos' Urban Forest
Image Description 6. Overview of the potential threats to the urban forest (clockwise: wildfires [courtesy of Redwood City, CAI, development and construction, deferred maintenance, tree pests and diseases, and climate change and urban heat islands) DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 9 143
Urban Forest Analysis
Threats to the Urban Forest: Climate Change and Urban Heat Islands As the effects of climate change take hold and areas become more developed with impervious surfaces, the surface temperatures in cities will continue to rise. To measure this and to identify susceptible areas, the Urban Heat Island Index (UHII) was developed by the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA).

The UHII is calculated as a temperature differential over time between an urban census tract and nearby upwind rural reference points at a height of two meters above ground level, where people experience heat. The index is reported in degree-hours per day on a Celsius scale - a measure of heat intensity over time. An increase of one degree over an eight hour period would equal eight degreehours, as would an increase of two degrees over a four-hour period.

Los Banos' Urban Heat Island Index (CaLEPA UHII)
Figure 8. The Urban Heat Island Index for Los Banos (Source - Ca/EPA) As shown in the previous map (Figure 14), Los Banos' Census Tracts have relatively higher UHll's compared to the surrounding area though it is currently on the lowest end of the UHII spectrum.

Increases in impervious surfaces over time due to development can greatly impact, i.e., increase, the UHII. The UHII for each Census Tract is the total temperature differences every hour for every day over two summers, or 182 days. To determine the average surface temperature increase due to urban heat islands, the UHII is divided by 182 days and recorded as degree-hours per day (Celsius), or a measure of heat intensity over time. To convert to Fahrenheit, the degree-hours are then divided by 24 and multiplied by 1.8. For example, a Census Tract with a UHII of 18,000 would have a 7,4 degrees Fahrenheit temperature increase due to urban heat islands ([[18,000 + 182 days! + 24 hours! x 1.8).

Threats to the Urban Forest: Climate Change and Urban Heat Islands Page I 10 144
J-ban rarest Analysis
Asphalt and concrete gradually release stored heat at night. which can produce higher temperatures in the evening, creating a phenomenon known as the "urban heat island effect." Research on the heat island effect indicates that people who live in the hottest parts of a city are more likely to be poor and experience increased health risks and violence. The prevalence of trees can offset the heat island impact by lowering the temperature up to 10 degrees at street level and up to 22 degrees at night (American Forests, 2020). For Los Banos, a city impacted by drought, extreme heat, and poor air quality, trees are critical infrastructure.

The increased temperatures and prolonged heat have a dramatic effect on not only the human population but also the ecology of the area- specifically, trees in urban areas. Urban trees already have an uphill struggle to reach their maximum size and function due to the competition for space, elements of an urban environment, vandalism, pests and diseases, among other factors and stressors.

Abnormally high temperatures and prolonged heat can have a negative impact on established trees especially those not acclimated or unable to adjust to these changes. According to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones, Los Banos is in zone ga with an average annual minimum winter temperature of 20 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Planting the right trees for the current and changing climate along with the adequate care they require will play a vital role in Los Banos' sustainability and human health.

Figure 9. The effects of vegetation and trees on urban heat islands in cities

URBAN TREES
provide shade which
cools localized areas

TREES AND

VEGETATED AREAS
cool areas around
cities
HEAT
is reflected off
buildings and paved
surfaces where there is
little vegetation

SUBURBAN AND

RURAL AREAS
are cooler than cities
and have less
temperature
PARKS fluctuation
cool cities
,1,
-•-
,,,
DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 11 145
Urban Forest Ana,ys1s
Threats to the Urban Forest: Climate Change and Wildfires In California, wildfire management has become more complex, costly, and dangerous as a result of multiple factors, including climate change, legacies of wildfire suppression, and housing growth. Onethird of all homes in the U.S. are built in or near wildland vegetation and constitute the wildland-urban interface, or WUI. a complex environment that increases the challenges of wildfire management (Schoennagel. et al. 2017).

Because ignitions are overwhelmingly human-caused, wildfire ignitions are more likely with WUI expansion and even more so as the entire wildfire season lengthens owing to more ignitions and climate change. At the same time, there are more homes to protect in the event of wildfire, resulting in greater wildfire suppression expenditures. In California, 75 percent of buildings destroyed by wildfire across the U.S. are located in the WUI (Kramer, et al. 2019).

Management of trees and forests within the wildland-urban interface are beyond the scope of this Plan but the WUI is recognized as it contributes to the overall urban forest in Los Banos.

Number of Recent Confirmed Fire Reports Compared to the Normal Range e NOV 2020-Oct 2021 e Nov 2011-Oct 2011

3.::~
Nov Jan Feb
Normal Range Abovel8elow Normal Range
Mar Apr May Aug
Figure 10. Count of recent confirmed fires in CA compared to the normal range (Global Forest Watch) --· -·- Sep Oct
In California, the peak fire season typically begins in late July and lasts around 13 weeks. Between the months of November 2020 and October 2021. there were 15,445 high confidence fire alerts reported from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). Based on comparisons of data dating back to 2012, the count of reported fires is significantly higher than normal (Global Forest Watch).

Specific to Los Banos, the City is surrounded by agricultural land which may potentially be at risk to grassland fires on occasion. The intersection of developed areas and these areas constitutes the wildland-urban interface and are potentially more at risk to wildfires. Developed areas on the brink of agricultural land are more rural in setting and many of the developed areas have large eucalyptus trees. These eucalyptus, gums, or "eucs" as they are often referred, are rather fire-resistant themselves, but their leaf litter adds fuel to the fire and the oils in the tree can heat up, causing a release of a flammable gas which can ignite into fire-spreading sparks.

Threats to the Urban Forest: Climate Change and Wildfires Page I 12 146
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Amount of Land Area Burned in 2020 Compared to the Normal Range • 2020 Normal Range Above/ Below Normal Range May Jun Jul Aug Sep Nov Dec
Figure 11. Amount of land hectares burned in CA due to fire in 2020 compared to the average range. 1 million hectares (fv/ha) is equivalent to 2,471,054 acres (Global Forest Watch)
According to Global Forest Watch, from 2001 to 2020, California lost 5.4 million acres of tree cover, equivalent to a 22 percent decrease in tree cover since 2000 (globalforestwatch.org).

Though the effects of fires on the existing tree canopy cover is a concern, the objective of this summary is to demonstrate the fire threat that continues to rise, and the role urban forests can play to slow this trend. Urban forests and all trees throughout the region sequester carbon dioxide, reducing the atmospheric amount resulting in a reduction of greenhouse gases- a primary factor of climate change.

Figure 12. Example of the wild/and-urban interface (WU!) along the eastern boundary of Los Banos DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2O22 Page I 13 147
U1 ban Forest Analysis
Threats to the Urban Forest: Tree Pests and Diseases
The management of dead and dying trees in the urban forest is costly. For example, local governments across the country spend an estimated $1.7 billion each year to remove trees killed by non-native insect pests. Homeowners spend an additional $1 billion to remove and replace trees lost to pests. They also suffer an additional $1.5 billion per year in lost property value (Campbell, et al. 2013).

A single detected pest such as the pathogen sudden oak death or the insect emerald ash borer can, and often does, indicate the presence of a much larger population. Without organizational structures in place, the worst of these pests can have irreversible, lasting impacts to the urban forests they infest.

Without intervention, a pest can quickly spread to forests outside of the urban area and throughout the greater region.

There are many factors that can lead to the decline or death of a tree. From insects to disease and fungi to mechanical damage, sunscald, and everything in between, the trees comprising the urban forest are constantly at threat. Identification and diagnosis of the decline of trees can be crucial in warding off a mass urban forest devastation, those of the like seen with emerald ash borer (EAB), gypsy moth, and Dutch elm disease (DED). There are two types of tree stress indicators. Symptoms are effects that the causal agent has on a tree, whereas signs are what is left behind by the causal agent. An example of a symptom would be wilting of the leaves due to lack of water. An example of a sign is a fruiting body of a fungi or insect burrow holes. Some common signs and symptoms include:
❖ Leaf spot - spots of dead tissue on foliage: size, shape, color depends on causal agent. ❖ Leaf blotch - dead areas on leaves on foliage: larger than leaf spots. ❖ Scorch - browning and death of areas along leaf margins & between veins. ❖ Canker - localized dead stem tissue.
❖ Stunting - abnormally small plant growth.
❖ Gummosis - exudation of sap or gum from wounds.
❖ Rust - orange/reddish brown pustules on leaves.
❖ Gall - swollen plant tissue.
❖ Chlorosis - yellowing of green leaves due to lack of chlorophyll. ❖ Necrosis - death of tissue.
❖ Die back - dead portions of the tree (commonly seen on tips). ❖ Powdery mildew - white or greyish fungal growth on the surface of the leaves. ❖ Vascular discoloration - darkening of wood vascular elements, often along growth rings. ❖ Witch's broom - abnormal development of multiple shoots.

Threats to the Urban Forest: Tree Pests and Diseases Page I 14 148
Urban Forest Analysis
Biotic factors such as insects, disease, and fungi are considered infectious, whereas abiotic factors such as moisture and temperature extremes, mineral deficiency, pollution, and climate change are not considered infectious. Fungi and insects make up the largest portions of biotic factors. Insects are classified into three categories when it comes to affecting trees- chewing insects that use their mouth parts to eat portions of the tree, usually the leaves (i.e., Japanese beetles, gypsy moths and tent caterpillars); sucking insects that use their straw like mouth parts to suck sugars out of portions of the tree, usually stems and leaves (i.e., aphids and scales); and lastly, boring insects that bore into the tree and either eat portions of the inner bark or create nests there. These boring insects cause the most damage to trees (i.e., emerald ash borer and bark beetles).

Some insects in the San Joaquin Valley include:
❖ Aphids - small sucking insects that attach to stems and suck out juices and excrete a sticky chemical called frass. ❖ California oakworm - caterpillars that skeletonize oak trees, predominantly coast live oaks.
❖ Lace bugs - black shiny insects much like aphids, remove nutrients from leaves that cause white splotching.
❖ Tussock moth - caterpillars that defoliate trees quickly and affects all tree species.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Figure 13. California oakworm caterpillar
(above) and moth (below). Source: University
of California
Page I 15
149
Regarding disease, fungi, and viruses there are three
important factors to consider: the host, the pathogen,
and the environment that make up the disease triangle.

The host is identified as the plant that is in question; the pathogen would be the disease, fungi, or virus: and the environment would be all the factors that affect both
pathogen and host. Most trees are susceptible to at
least one disease causing fungi, yet most fungi are
beneficial. Only a small portion of fungi are harmful to trees and other plants. Diseases can be carried by
vectors, most commonly insects. This is seen in Dutch
elm disease where the bark beetle works as a vector. A
common disease in California, fireblight, can be spread by bees.

Some common San Joaquin Valley diseases include:
❖ Chinese elm anthracnose - dieback on tips,
black spots on leaves and cankers form at the
base of the tree.
❖ Fireblight - a very contagious bacteria disease,
causes a burned look on stems, leaves and
branches. Mostly affects pears and apples.
❖ Powdery mildew - white fungi that forms on
leaves of plants.
❖ Shot hole disease - caused by a fungus that
creates holes and browning of leaves, as well as
yellowing of stems. Affects Prunus species
including stone fruit and almond trees.
❖ Sooty mold - furry black mold on leaves, and
yellowing of leaves. Common on fruit trees and
attracts aphids.
❖ Sudden oak death - caused by the water mold
pathogen Phytophthora. Signs include cankers,
twig dieback and black/brown leaf spots.
❖ Foamy bark canker disease - a fungal disease
(Geosmithia pallida) spread by the western oak
bark beetle affecting live oaks.
❖ Sycamore anthracnose - erratic branching,
cankers, dieback, and defoliation. It is a fungal
disease that affects most sycamores and maple
trees.

Urban ,orest Analysis
Figure 14- Signs and symptoms of sudden ooh death.

Source. USDA APHIS
Threats to the Urban Forest: Tree Pests and Diseases Page I 16 150
Urban Forest Analysis
Threats to the Urban Forest: Development Pressures
Loss of Tree Canopy and Planting Space Due to Development Pressures Figure 15. An example of tree canopy and petvious area loss experienced between 2006 and 2020 in the eastern most boundary of the City near Veteran's Park
In California, environmental quality has improved over the last few decades as evidenced by improved water quality, reduced air pollution, decrease in pesticide use, continued cleanup of hazardous waste sites as well as increased recycling and reduction of solid waste going into landfills. These improvements are observed and well documented at the state and regional level and are driven by updated environmental regulations for existing and new development. However, the pollution reduction and resulting health and environmental benefits are not uniformly distributed across the state, within a region, or among all population segments. Many communities continue to bear a disproportionate burden of pollution not only from multiple nearby sources, but also from pollution in multiple media (e.g., air or water). Some of these communities experience the additional burden of socioeconomic stressors and health conditions that render them more vulnerable to the impacts of pollution. Many of these negative consequences are a result of development and redevelopment projects that do not prioritize the urban forest resource in their planning and design.

As shown in the figure above, Los Banos' tree canopy cover and available space for future tree plantings is impacted by development pressures and construction projects throughout the City. In 2006, the northern portions of the development area contained grassland but in 2020, the trees and grassland are gone and in their place are homes and pockets of turf. Perhaps there are plans to replant this area but the tree canopy in 2006 was providing benefits in terms of shade, carbon sequestration, improved air quality, and reduced stormwater runoff volumes. It will take many years to fully recover the loss of this canopy and associated benefits.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 17 151
U1 ba11 Forest Analysis
Addressing Urban Forest Threats with Tree Canopy Cover and Equity Goals In the past few years, regional partners are increasingly acknowledging and confronting the past practices, current perceptions, and accelerating progress to ensure that communities, landscapes, and policies are more intentional about enhancing historically disinvested areas. Driven in part by the City's Urban Forest Management Plan and City/regional initiatives, ambitious goals to increase tree canopy in areas of greatest need are taking hold. These goals will grow a more equitable urban forest that provides cooling, public health, habitat. energy saving, and other benefits. In addition, the City must commit to plant and maintain trees, update and align policies and procedures to grow and protect public and private trees, and engage the citizens of Los Banos to become advocates and stewards of the City's urban forest.

Although the City will oversee and monitor these canopy goals, the effort will inevitably require extensive support from all City departments, community-based organizations, and others aiming to prepare for a hotter and drier climate. As a first step, the City's 2022 Urban Forest Management Plan provides guidance to prioritize resilient, climate-appropriate trees, preserve and conserve mature trees, and properly manage resources to ensure that trees thrive in the urban environment. The cooperation of the City, partners, organizations, property owners, and others is instrumental to meeting these goals, and this section provides the approach to formally establish a tree canopy goal that will guide this shared commitment.

Identifying Possible Planting Area to Establish Tree Canopy Cover Goals Figure 16. Demonstration of Possible Planting Areas including vegetative space where it is feasible to plant trees. Possible Planting Area should exclude unsuitable areas (as demonstrated in the polygons on the right) Addressing Urban Forest Threats with Tree Canopy Cover and Equity Goals Page I 18 152
Urban "orest Ana,ys s
OEHHA CaLEnviroScreen 4.0 Map for Los Banos
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Figure 17 /vlap indicating the Ca/EnviroScreen 4.0 scores for Los Banos' Census Tracts CaLEnviroScreen for Los Banos Census Tracts
The CalEnviroScreen 4,0 tool (oehha.ca.gov) developed by California's Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) shows cumulative impacts in California communities by census tract. Low-income communities, communities of color, tribal nations, and other disadvantaged groups continue to be overburdened by unacceptable levels of pollution. CalEnviroScreen has become the national gold standard of geospatial data tools than can help drive more equitable decision-making.

CalEnviroScreen includes an online mapping tool. a supplemental race analysis and related documents. It analyzes data on environmental. public health and socioeconomic conditions in California's 8,000 census tracts to provide a clear picture of cumulative pollution burdens and vulnerabilities in communities throughout the state.

When CalEPA released the initial version of the California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen) in 2013, it marked the first time a state used a science-based screening tool to demonstrate, from a geospatial perspective, who is most affected by environmental injustice. Since then, CalEnviroScreen has guided significant public investments aimed at improving environmental conditions in California's disadvantaged communities and ameliorating environmental injustice. The tool has helped CalEPA and other local. state and federal agencies ensure their activities address these pollution burdens and protect those communities from additional ones.

Planting trees and maintaining a healthy and thriving urban tree canopy can address many of the pollution concerns found in Los Banos. According to CalEnviroScreen 4.0, Los Banos' census tracts overall scores range from greater than 50 to over go indicating the City has a higher than average vulnerability and exposure to pollution and other factors.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 19 153
Urban Forest Analysis
Tree Canopy Goals
The 2021 tree canopy assessment completed as part of the Plan provides a baseline assessment of the City's urban forest across all boundaries. This assessment identifies the extent of land cover types such as tree canopy, vegetative plantable space (grass or turf), impervious surfaces (parking lots, driveways, sidewalks), and other types.

To guide urban forestry efforts and raise awareness, communities with this data often set tree canopy cover goals based on the existing tree canopy cover amount and the aim to provide an equitable distribution of canopy cover and associated benefits. For Los Banos, consultants closely examined the assessment data and other datasets to establish recommended Citywide canopy goals. These goals are attainable through partnerships and actions described in the Plan. Progress towards these canopy goals should be tracked, measured, and shared to guide urban forest management and maintain community interest and support.

Across the U.S. cities are setting goals- some based on careful study of current canopy, community needs, and availability of planting space, others base their goals on the principle that more trees are better than fewer, set ambitious campaign goals, then work to mobilize efforts to meet it. California's urban tree canopy covers 19 percent of the state's urban areas (McPherson, et al. 2017). Generally, the U.S. Forest Service recommends canopy cover of 25-40 percent in western communities and in 1997, the American Forests organization established a benchmark of 40 percent after analyzing the tree canopy in dozens of cities from 1992 to 1997 and working closely with the research community. While incredibly valuable and groundbreaking at the time, technology and research have significantly evolved over the past 20 years, leading to a consensus that more nuanced approaches to canopy goal setting are necessary. Supporting this statement. U.S. Forest Service Research Forester Greg McPherson of the Pacific Southwest Research Station adds, "Tree canopy cover targets are difficult to specify broadly because the opportunities to create canopy are highly variable among cities, even within a climatic region or land use class."
Tree canopy targets are best developed for specific cities and should consider constraints to creating canopy such as:
❖ Development densities (i.e., dense development patterns with more impervious surfaces have less opportunity for cover);
❖ Land use patterns (i.e., residential areas may have more opportunity for canopy than commercial areas, but canopy cover tends to be less in residential areas of disadvantaged communities versus wealthy ones);
❖ Ordinances-(i:e., parking lot shade ordinances promote cover over some impervious areas); and ❖ Climate (i.e., canopy cover in desert cities is often less than tropical cities).

Within those parameters, quantifiable data can be used so a tree canopy goal achieves specific objectives, such as reaching the canopy percentage necessary to reduce urban heat island temperatures to a specific range, or to reduce stormwater runoff by a projected amount. According to a national analysis by U.S. Forest Service researchers, a 40 percent urban tree canopy is attainable under ideal conditions in California's forested cities. Thirty percent in Mediterranean climates, 20 percent in grassland cities, and 15 percent in desert cities are realistic baseline targets, with higher percentages possible through greater investment and prioritization.

It is important to note, however, that urban tree canopy percentage is just one of many criteria to consider. A robust tree canopy comprised of largely invasive species, for example, is not a healthy urban forest. Age and species diversity, tree preservation, condition of trees and equitable distribution across income levels, to name a few, should also be considered (Leahy. American Forests, 2017).

Addressing Urban Forest Threats with Tree Canopy Cover and Equity Goals Page I 20 154
Urban r-o,est Analysis
Potential Citywide Tree Canopy Goals
Recommended Cit wide Tree Canopy Goal
The following presents the proposed canopy goals though the City and partners should evaluate and refine these for approval by staff, City Council. and community partners.

For the City of Los Banos, the development of canopy goals was driven by tree canopy cover data, data from CalEnviroScreen 4.0 (see previous figure), benchmarking research, analysis of existing and potential resources, City input, and community feedback.

Using this integrated approach, the City of Los Banos' ambitious and achievable 44-year canopy goal is 30 percent tree canopy cover by 2065. To achieve this, incremental canopy goals were established that provide the metrics to track progress. Therefore, the following incremental goals include:
15% by 2025 ➔ 20% by 2040 ➔ 25% by 2050 ➔ 30% by 2065
Figure 18. Los Banos' draft incremental and long-term Citywide tree canopy cover goals 875 frees per yea
2021 2025 2040 2050 2065
Implementation
Over the 44-year planning horizon, the City must increase canopy by 16 percent, up from 13.6 percent currently covering the City, and plant approximately 875 trees annually on average or a total of 38,500 trees. These new trees would collectively grow the canopy throughout the City to an area equivalent to nearly 850 football fields and would provide additional ecosystem services and benefits in the amount of approximately $437,000 annually once the trees are all established- about $10,000 in added benefits yearly. The_se calculations and estimates are based on industry research and practices though there are some assumptions including:
❖ A no-net-loss strategy, meaning the number of trees removed on private property or through development are replaced. Plantings should consider the natural and early tree mortality rates as well. Typically, industry rates mortality at 0.5 percent annually to account for loss of established trees. In addition, plantings should apply a 0.5 - 1.0 percent mortality rate annually. ❖ Trees that mature into large canopy-bearing trees are recommended wherever feasible but in some cases, plantings will be of smaller canopied trees. Calculations use an average tree canopy diameter of 40 feet for large trees equating to a surface area of 1.257 square feet. ❖ Includes City-led, partner, volunteer, and private tree plantings. In this study and canopy goal scenario, it is recommended the City plant 50 percent of the necessary trees or approximately 440 trees per year on average.

Tree Canopy Goal Setting Process
The following provides the calculated process of establishing the canopy goal for Los Banos:

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 21 155
I
Urban Forest Analysis
The amount of tree canopy cover and available planting space was analyzed Citywide. Using the iTree study, a total of 921.6 acres of canopy currently exists across the City's 6,803.2 land acres. To set realistic canopy goals, an analysis of possible planting area combined grass, pavement (not buildings or roads), soil, and bare ground areas for a total possible planting area (PPA) of 4,832 acres or 71 percent of the City's land area.

A percentage of total possible planting area (vegetative and impervious) to be planted was assigned to the City's total amount of plantable space (4,832 acres) and considered the existing canopy, available resources, and other City needs. Using the average tree canopy square footage at maturity (1,257 square feet), the number of trees necessary to incrementally increase canopy cover was calculated. Then, the average annual benefits of mature trees ($11,34 per tree) was applied to the number of trees to be planted to establish the estimated added benefits of achieving canopy goals.

Canopy goals and planting targets must not be standardized across the City, they should be specific to the area. Using the process described above, a series of recommended implementation frameworks are outlined in the Possible Planting Targets and Priorities section.

Summa of Tree Cano Goals and Future Benefits
Table 1. Summary of baseline conditions, tree canopy goals, and forecasted future benefits and services Existing Tree Canopy Cover (2021) 13.6% or 921.6 acres
Tree Canopy Compared to
Bay Area Cities
Total Possible Planting Area
Tree Equity Score
Tree Equity Score Compared to Bay
Area Cities
13th out of 14 (average canopy cover is 19%)
71% or 4,382 acres
TBD
TBD
I Long-Term Citywide Tree Canopy Goal 30%
TBD Desired Tree Equity Score Recommended: All Census Block Groups at 75 Total Number of Trees Required
Timeframe
Number of Trees to Plant per Year
Recommended Commitment by the
City
Recommended Commitment by the
Community
38,500 trees (or 1,111 new acres of canopy)
44 years (2022 - 2065)
875 trees (25 acres of new canopy) on average
50% of Total Plantings (19,300 trees)
50% of Total Plantings (19,300 trees)
Priority Land Use Types
Public and Private Ownership
Low Tree Canopy Areas
High Surface Temperature Areas Canopy Goal Strategies and Planting Priorities Underserved Populations (lower income households) Vulnerable Populations (under 18 and over 65)
Tree Canopy Goal Milestones
(City and Public-led)
Total Added Ecosystem Benefits
Total Future Carbon Sequestered
Areas with Low Tree Equity
15% by 2025 (3,502 more trees)
20% by 2040 (13,133 more trees)
25% by 2050 (8,755 more trees)
30% by 2065 (13,133 more trees)
$436,864

9.6 million pounds ($224,000 annual value)
Addressing Urban Forest Threats with Tree Canopy Cover and Equity Goals Page I 22 156
Urban Forest Analysis
Table 2. Summall offlecommended tree canoiials
Mi -M+ +HGih· · 2022 -2025 , 2026 - 2040 2043 - 2050 2053 - 2065 Canopy% 13.6% 15% 20% 25% 30%
City-Led NIA 1,751 8,318 12,695 19,262
trees trees trees trees
Public-Led NIA 1,751 8,318 12,695 19,262
trees trees trees trees
Total Trees NIA 3,502 16,635 25,391 38,524 trees trees trees trees City-Led NIA 438 438 438 438
trees trees trees trees
Public-Led NIA 438 438 438 438
trees trees trees trees
Total Trees NIA 876 876 876 876
per Year trees trees trees trees
Future Added NIA $37,988 $170,947 $303,905 $436,864 Benefits DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 23 157
Urban Forest Analysis
Possible Planting Targets and Priorities
Once the City finalizes tree canopy goals, it is recommended to establish priority areas based on a variety of themes and community needs. Themes may include ownership type (public and private), areas of low existing canopy, and greatest amount of available planting space while other themes may address air quality, stormwater reduction, and water quality. Others may evaluate opportunities to address disadvantaged areas, densely populated regions, and human health factors such as asthma cases, median age, and mental health. In any planting scenario, it is recommended the City complete a high-resolution urban tree canopy assessment and include planning scales like U.S.

Census Bureau Census Blocks, Zoning Types or Land Use Type, City Council Districts, and the Citywide area. Potential planting priority scenarios are provided in the following section.

Recommended Prioritization Techni ues
❖ Ownership type. This approach may include specific priorities and guidance for City-owned or maintained areas and privately-maintained areas.
❖ Census Block Groups where trees can mitigate air quality issues. Street and rights-of-way corridors typically have higher concentrations of particulate matter. Trees can be planted along roads to absorb vehicle exhaust and reduce pollution. This technique should examine the percent of road area. Higher concentrations of road surfaces may indicate poor air quality. ❖ Tree planting in Census Block Groups to reduce stormwater runoff. Trees can be integrated to help manage stormwater, specifically when targeting impervious surfaces. This technique should evaluate available planting area on impervious surfaces and available planting areas within 100 feet of surface water bodies.
❖ Tree planting in underserved or disadvantaged Census Block Groups. Tree canopy is positively correlated with higher median income. Planting trees in lower income communities can support environmental equity. This approach should examine the percentage of residents living below the poverty level.
❖ Tree plantings to improve human health. Trees clean the air that we breathe, filter the water that we drink, and can lower stress levels, in turn, improving public health. Planting trees can be a cost-effective way of improving a city's overall public health. Health reports with information about the reported asthma cases and mental health concerns can be utilized to target tree planting efforts.
❖ Composite priority for Census Block Groups. A composite map of priority areas combines all of the approaches and techniques into one for a visual depiction of areas where trees will be most impactful. An overlay of priority Census Block Groups baseaon low tree canopy cover, high surface temperatures and urban heat islands, and larger concentration of vulnerable and underserved populations is one example of a composite priority map.

The "Three Ps" for Prioritizin Tree Plantin s
In any priority planting scenario, the City and its partners must evaluate the "possible" planting spaces to identify those that are "preferable" and "potential" spaces. 2

1. "Possible Urban Tree Canopy (UTC)" is non-road, non-building, and non-water land, essentially where it is biophysically feasible to plant trees.

2. "Preferable UTC" considers where it is socially desirable to plant trees (needed and suitable).

3. "Potential UTC" is focused on the economic feasibility of tree planting based on available incentives and cost-effectiveness.
2 Locke, D.H. et al. 'Prioritizing Preferable Locations for Increasing Urban Tree Canopy in New York City", Cities and the Environment, Volume 3, Issue 1, Article 4. 2010.

Addressing Urban Forest Threats with Tree Canopy Cover and Equity Goals Page I 24 158
Urban Forest Analysis

URBAN TREE CANOPY BENCHMARKS AND COMPARISONS
Tree
Canopy
Cover
Tree
Equity
Score
(TES)
Tree
Canopy
Cover
Goal(s)
Example
Canopy
Goals
14% Citywide
High-resolution
assessment not
available
Not Available
In Progress
15% by 2025
20% by 2040
25% by 2050
30% by 2065
38,500 total trees or
approximately 875
trees per year
50/50 split between
city and public
Statewide Tree Canopy: 15% in
urban areas
(McPherson, et al. 2017)
Average of 80 TES for 8 CA
cities
25% of cities nationwide have
a canopy goal
23% of cities with 25-5ok
population have a canopy
goal
(Hauer, et al. 2014)
San Francisco (13.7% UTC):
50k street trees by 2034 (2014)
Oakland (15% UTC): 1M trees
for40% UTC
San Jose (13.5% UTC): 20% by
2062 <x = 284k trees) and 25%
long-term (x = 503k trees)
The methods for calculating
tree canopy cover varies as
does the accuracy and time of
assessment.

When adopting tree canopy
goals, priority themes such as
tree equity should be included
in the strategy.

Draft canopy cover goals are
provided in Los Banos' UFMP
for review, refinement, and
adoption.

Calculations for the number of
trees required to reach canopy
goals can vary. In addition. a
city's land area will impact the
total number of trees required
to increase tree canopy cover.
• TES = Tree Equity Score; CBG = Census Block Group; k • 1,000 units; UTC = Urban Tree Canopy; UFMP - Urban Forest Management Plan
DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 25 159
Urbilll Forest Analysis

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR URBAN TREE CANOPY

SECTION
Urban
Tree
Canopy
Tree
Equity
Urban
Forest
Threats
• • •
Conduct finer scale
analyses of tree canopy
cover and possible
planting space.

Refine the
recommended tree
canopy cover goals·and
priority planting areas.

Continue to assess tree
canopy cover change.

Conduct finer scale
analyses of tree equity.

Use the tree equity
analysis to support
canopy goal setting and
priority planting areas.

Continue to assess tree
equity and adjust
strategies.

Manage the urban
forest to mitigate and
reduce the effects of
climate change.

Assess and manage
tree pests and diseases.

Strengthen and enforce
sound tree regulations.
• I • • e
The i-Tree Canopy Assessment identifies existing canopy cover percentages and canopy change though it does not
detail opportunities for new planting. A finer scale highresolution urban tree canopy (UTC) assessment would provide accurate data for prioritizing tree planting and preservation and tracking progress towards canopy goals.

By identifying the feasible and most desired areas for
planting trees, potential stakeholders, policy changes, and necessary resources, the City and partners can refine the short- and long-term tree canopy cover goals and
planting targets.

The tree canopy cover and other cover types such as
possible planting area and impervious area should be
assessed on at least a 5-year basis to monitor canopy
gains and losses and inform strategy changes.

The Tree Equity Score Tool provides an analysis of tree canopy cover equity by U.S. Census Block Group.

Additional analyses of tree equity by neighborhood or land use provides a finer depiction of tree canopy disparities and opportunities.

Tree canopy cover goals should be based on an
amalgamation of City and stakeholder priorities and
themes- tree equity should be one of the highest tiers for consideration in setting goals.

Similar to tree canopy cover change analyses, the change in tree equity on small- and large-scales should
continually be measured to inform strategy updates.

Maintaining tree health and growing an urban forest that addresses climate change impacts should be guided by
short- and long-term canopy goals. Tree plantings can
address critical impacts such as increased surface
temperature~:._ Management of open space and n~ural
areas especially within the wildland-urban interface can reduce fire risks.

Maintain an inventory of the public tree population by
noting tree pests and diseases and reinventory trees on an appropriate cycle (-5 years). Analyze the composition of the urban forest for susceptibility and inform the public of common tree pest and disease signs, symptoms, and
treatment/prevention options.

Tree canopy data, recommendations in the Plan, and other sources of data will provide valuable information to
effectively strengthen tree-related policies and
regulations to minimize the impact of development
pressures on the urban forest. Long-range planning
should consider sustaining and maximizing the associated benefits provided by the urban forest while
accommodating smart growth.

Addressing Urban Forest Threats with Tree Canopy Cover and Equity Goals Page I 26 160
Urban Forest Analysis
Public Tree Status
~ ~
To grow a healthy and diverse urban forest, the public tree population must be well understood and managed. Based on a comprehensive tree inventory completed in 2021 by Certified Arborists accredited by the International Society of Arboriculture <ISA), Los Banos has a total of 12,333 public trees across streetscapes and in maintained areas of public parks and properties. These trees were examined and assessed to determine the species, size, health, structural integrity, quality of the growing space, and maintenance needs, among other key characteristics for management.

The key to maintaining a sustainable and healthy urban forest is species and age diversity, proper tree maintenance, risk management. and community support, which is addressed in the Plan's recommendations.

A Note on the Data Collected and Anal zed
Note, the data collected and analyzed in the following summaries are derived from the 2021 Public Tree Inventory and analyses completed in September 2021 and February 2022. Public trees are dynamic assets that grow and change. Tree condition, observations, defects, maintenance needs, and other factors are constantly changing due to the nature of the trees, the growing environment. and the maintenance history. The summaries and associated recommendations are based on the inventory data at the time of analysis.

DRAFT Los Banos. CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 27 161
Urban Forest Analysis
Public Street and Park Trees: Species Diversity
Species composition data are essential since the types of trees present throughout the City dictate the amount and type of benefits produced, tree maintenance activities required, and budget considerations.

The 12,333 trees inventoried consist of 168 different species and cultivar classifications and go unique tree genera. Chinese pistache comprise the highest percentage with 20 percent (2,528 trees) of the total tree population, followed by narrowleaf ash at 11 percent (1,310 trees) and London planetree with 10 percent (1,236 trees). The top ten most prevalent species comprise 71 percent of the total inventoried public tree population. The remaining 29 percent is made up of other species that are primarily oaks, ash, cherries or plums, crapemyrtles, zelkovas, elms, tallowtrees, coast redwoods, pines, maples, or pears.

Figure 19. Most common public tree species (top 3)
Chinese pistache
Chinese
hackberry, 3%
Narrowleaf ash California white
Street and Park Tree Species Diversity
All other species,
29%
oak / Valley oak, 1 .::;;;:::=iii
3% -=.

Shiny xylosma, 3~
Modesto ash, 3%
London planetree
Table 3. Most common public tree genera
Genera % of Population
Pistacia (pistache) 20%
Fraxinus (ash) 20%
Platanus (sycamore) 11%
Lagerstroemia (crapemyrtle) 8%
Ouercus (oak) 6%
Common
crapemyrtle, 8%
Figure 20. Most common public tree species
Genera % of Population
Pyrus (pear) 5%
Xylosma (shiny xylosma) 3%
Celtis (hackberry) 3%
Ligustrum (privet) 2%
Triadica (tallow) 2%
Public Tree Status Page I 28
162
Urba'l Forest Analys s
Public Street and Park Trees: Size and Age Distribution The distribution of tree ages influences the structure of the urban forest as well as the present and future costs. An unevenly aged urban forest offers continued flow of ecological benefits and a more uniform workflow allowing managers to more accurately allocate annual maintenance schedules and budgets.

To optimize the value and benefits of Los Banos' trees, the urban forest should have a high percentage of large canopy trees which provide greater ecosystem benefits. On the other hand, there must be a suitable number of younger, smaller trees in the urban forest to account for and eventually replace large and mature trees in decline. Having a healthy percentage of young trees in the urban forest will ensure a sustainable tree population as well as age distribution in future years. To compare Los Banos' urban forest structure to industry-recommended standards, the "ideal distribution" is used (Richards, 1983 and 1993). The diameter at breast height (4.5-feet) is used to measure relative age. 41%
Public Tree Size and Relative Age Classes
6%
o-6in 6-12in 12-18in 18-24in 24-3oin

YOUNG ESTABLISHED MATURING
■ City Distribution ■ Ideal Distribution (Richards, 1983) Figure 21. Comparison of the size distribution of Los Banos' public trees to an ideal distribution 1%
>30in
MATURE
Overall, the age distribution of Los Banos' urban forest is similar to the ideal age distribution. As the figure above (Figure 21) shows, 78 percent of the public tree population (9,578 trees) is composed of trees with a DBH (or "diameter at breast height," measured at 4.5 feet above grade) ranging from 1 to 12 inches. This indicates that the majority of trees are young or small-statured. Trees in this size class are crucial for a healthy urban forest, however the inventory found there are 16 percent more trees in the 6-12-inch size class than the ideal distribution of 25 percent. This could be due to increasing development in the City over the last 2-3 decades and the prioritization of planting smaller trees that are more popular with property owners. such as the Chinese pistache and cr9pemyrtle. Develo_pment often shapes the tree diversity in a city and the City should work with developers to ensure that the species they are planting allow for larger species where possible.

The size classes ranging from 18 inches to over 30 inches are all below the ideal distribution which may represent a declining public tree population, or a significant number of large trees removed over time. City trees in these larger DBH ranges can offer larger ecological benefits if the trees are properly maintained and remain healthy, but trees of this size should be monitored frequently to determine maintenance needs, potential risks, and signs of decline. The average DBH for the entire population is 8 inches, and the largest recorded DBH is 43 inches.

An ideal age distribution in the tree population allows managers to allocate and project annual maintenance costs uniformly. This ensures continuity in overall tree canopy coverage and associated benefits which are often dependent on the growing space of individual trees (e.g., open grown versus restricted growing areas). It is recommended to monitor and strategically manage large trees throughout the City and weigh the risks and benefits that are associated with large, mature trees.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page J 29 163
Urban Forest Analysis
Public Street and Park Trees: Condition
Tree characteristics and environmental factors affect the management needs for urban trees. An analysis of the condition and maintenance requirements assists managers in planning Los Banos' urban forest.

Tree condition indicates how well trees are managed and how well they perform, given site-specific conditions. Tree maintenance needs are assigned for public safety reasons and for the health and longevity of the trees themselves. Understanding the maintenance needs assists tree managers in establishing daily work plans and maintaining public safety. These needs are examined in the Maintenance Needs section of this study.

The public tree inventory data were analyzed to identify potential trends in tree condition and management needs. Information on the condition of trees plays an important role in planning, budgeting, and use of resources. Each inventoried tree's health was evaluated by ISA Certified Arborists based on the condition of the wood and the foliage as well as the structure.

Figure 22 summarizes the 12,333 trees that were assigned a condition rating and shows an example of the canopy health for each respective classification. The data show that every four of ten trees inventoried are classified as being in "Fair" condition, comprising 43 percent or 5,313 trees, followed by those in "Good" condition comprising 38 percent (4,670 trees). 1,712 (14 percent) trees are noted as being in "Poor", "Critical", or "Dead" condition. The dead trees or trees noted for removal should be addressed and planned for immediately. Trees classified as "Critical" may have a chance at recovery depending on the factor(s) affecting the rating. These trees should be examined to determine the mitigation necessary, if any.

Condition of Public Trees
Figure 22. Summary and illustration of public tree condition classes Public Tree Status Page I 30
164
Urban Forest Analysis
Relative Performance Index of Most Common Public Tree Species Table 4. Relative Performance Index of the most common public trees Target RPI (1.00)
Chinese pistache 1.42
Narrowleaf ash 0.65
London planetree 0.85
Common crapemyrtle
Raywood ash
Callery pear 0.51
Modesto ash 0.05
Shiny xylosma 1.26

1.63 California white oak I
Valley oak 1.55
Chinese hackberry 0.52
DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 31 165
Urbar Forest Analysis
In addition to understanding the overall condition of the public tree population to inform management strategies, an analysis of performance was also conducted for the ten most prevalent tree species using the Relative Performance Index approach. Relative Performance Index (RPI) is a comparison of a species' condition rating of "Good" and the tree population's "Good" rating. Using the percent of Good trees for a given species divided by the tree population percentage of Good trees gives a value of equal to 1, less than 1, or greater than 1. A value equal to 1 means the particular species is as healthy as the overall tree population. A value less than 1 means the species is not as healthy as the overall tree population. A value greater than 1 means the species is healthier than the overall tree population.

RPI answers the question of how well a species is performing in terms of health compared to the entire inventoried population.

For the public tree population, Chinese pistache, crapemyrtle, shiny xylosma, and California white oak / valley oak trees are performing better than the overall public tree population. London planetrees are performing similar to the overall public tree population but narrowleaf ash, Raywood ash, callery pear, Modesto ash, and Chinese hackberry are underperforming and are in the poorest condition of the top ten most prevalent tree species. These metrics are useful in identifying concentrations of maintenance demand and determining the appropriate tree species to plant in the future.

Public Street and Park Trees: Observations and Defects
Tree observations (or defects) were recorded during the 2021 inventory to further describe a tree's health, structure, or location when more detail was needed. A total of 20 unique observation options were included in the inventory, 9,442 trees had one or more defects, and a total of 24.524 observations were recorded. Public Tree Observations
The table (Table 5) to the right provides a
summary of the observations for Los
Banos' public trees. A total of 24,524
observations were recorded during the
tree inventory, with 9,442 sites (76 percent)
noted as having at least one observation
while 2,891 sites (23 percent) have no
observation recorded. Poor structure was
the most frequent observation recorded
(43 percent or 5,256 trees) during the 2021
tree inventory. Three out of every ten trees
(39 percent or 3,7u)_ were noted as having
been improperly pruned, and over a
quarter (26 percent or 3,211 trees) were
observed to have mechanical damage.

Observation Count % of
Poor Structure
Improperly Pruned
Mechanical Damage
Poor Root System
Codominant Stems
Cavity Decay
Crown Dieback
Included Bark
Girdling Roots
Pests
Hardscape Damage
Poor Location
All other observations
5,256
3,711
3,211
2,190
2,176
2,061
1,799
1,312
696
423
381
366
942
TOT AL 24,524
Trees
43%
30%
26%
18%
18%
17%
15%
11%
6%
3%
3%
3%
8%
Of the total observations made, 83 Table 5- Observations and defects recorded for Los Banos' public trees percent are preventable or mendable meaning the defects or concerns observed are primarily human-caused. For example, poor structure can be prevented or limited with proper young tree pruning, implementing best practices and standards would prevent or reduce the number of improperly pruned trees, and poor root systems can be prevented by choosing quality tree nursery stock, proper planting, and amending soils. Trees with poor location and/or hardscape damage observations could have been prevented by choosing the appropriate species for the site and ensuring adequate root space. Lastly, adequate mulch rings, growing space, grates, and awareness would reduce the count of mechanical damage observations. The data also shows the impacts of deferred maintenance. About 60 percent of the observations recorded could be addressed or prevented with proactive pruning.

Public Tree Status Page I 32
166
Uroan Forest Analysis
Potentially Human-Caused Defects
Figure 23, Examples of the potentially human-caused defects seen in the public tree observations Public Street and Park Trees: Primary Maintenance Needs The inventory required an assessment of the maintenance needs, if any, for each tree. A total of 10 unique maintenance needs or priorities were included as options in the inventory.

Table 6 provides a summary of the priority
maintenance and removal recommendations
for all of the inventoried trees. 85 percent of
the public tree population requires routine
pruning with 6,618 (54 percent) small trees and
3,879 (31 percent) large trees. Only 3 percent
(345 trees) are recommended for removal and
10 percent of the 345 trees were given a
Priority 1 rating for removal. Training prune
consists of pruning to improve a tree's
structure, integrity, strength, clearance, and
natural form and only 10 percent of the
population requires it. Newly planted trees
should be structurally pruned (training pruned)
within five years of planting.

Young tree training pruning is performed to
improve tree form or structure; the
recommended length of young tree pruning
Public Tree Maintenance Needs
Maintenance Need COUNT %
Priority 1 Removal 36 0.3%
Priority 1 Prune 44 0-4%
Priority 2 Removal 109 1%
Priority 2 Prune 255 2%
Priority 3 Removal 200 2%
Large Tree Routine Prune 3,879 31%
Sm~ll Tree Routine PLune 6,618 54%
Training Prune 1,191 10%
Stump Removal 1 0.0%
TOT AL 12,333 100%
Table 6. Public tree maintenance needs
cycles is three years since young trees tend to grow at faster rates (on average) than more mature trees. The young tree cycle differs from a routine pruning cycle in that these trees generally can be pruned from the ground with a pole pruner or pruning shear.

The objective is to increase structural integrity by pruning for one dominant leader in most cases for most tree species. Young tree training pruning is species-specific, since many trees may naturally have more than one leader. For such trees, young tree training pruning is performed to develop a strong structural architecture of branches so that future growth will lead to a healthy, structurally sound tree. In addition to training pruning, young trees may also require additional maintenance such DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 33 167
Urban Forest Analysis
as added or amended mulch, watering, added or removed stakes and ties, and/or clearance of debris and litter. These needs can potentially be addressed during young tree training pruning.

Trees included in the young tree training pruning cycle are generally less than six inches DBH. These younger trees sometimes have branch structures that can lead to potential problems as the tree ages.

Potential structural problems include codominant leaders, multiple limbs attaching at the same point on the trunk, crossing/interfering limbs, or dead/ diseased/ damaged limbs. If these problems are not corrected, they may worsen as the tree grows, increasing risk and creating potential liability.

Public Street and Park Trees: Maintenance Details ("Tree Work") In addition to the primary maintenance needs prescribed to each public tree, additional maintenance activities were recorded as 'Tree Work" to detail the necessary care required for each tree. These activities can serve as an alternative to routine programmed pruning to address the primary need Ti bl D t ·1 d' th • • . t
Tree Work Count % of Trees
Prune-Structural 3,059 25%
Crown Cleaning 1,728 14%
Remove Hardware 1,239 10%
Prune-Clearance 883 7%
Monitor 724 6%
Remove 347 3%
Prune-Utility 332 3%
Insects 130 1%
Prune-Restoration 93 1%
Remove-Hanger 93 1%
Remove-Girdling Root 78 1%
Other (Describe Below) 66 1%
Raise 50 0%
Disease 44 0%
Amend Mulch 34 0%
Reduce 33 0%
Thin 12 0%
TOT Al 8,945 73%
A total of 8,945 supporting
recommendations were recorded for the
public trees.

One quarter of the total public tree
population (25 percent) require structural
pruning, 14 percent require crown
cleaning, 10 percent require removal of
hardware primary consisting of young
tree stakes and ties, 7 percent require
clearance pruning, and 6 percent have a
recommendation to be monitored.

Other supporting maintenance tasks
include restoration pruning, removing a
hanging limb, amend a girdling root.
addressing other concerns, and
amending mulch though these tasks
were recorded for less than 100 trees
each.

Public Tree Maintenance Details ("Tree Work")
Figure 24. Common public tree maintenance needs
Public Tree Status Page 134
168
Urban Forest Analysis
Public Street and Park Trees: Risk Tree Management
Overview
Risk management is a well-established concept in the management of public spaces. Acceptable levels of risk have been recognized or defined for most basic infrastructure elements such as sidewalks, curbs, streets, playgrounds, and utilities. In many communities, these elements are assessed and managed according to acceptable levels of risk that are specified within written policies or enacted through management practices. Although not all pot-holes can be immediately filled in, not all heaving sidewalks immediately repaired, not all burned-out street light bulbs immediately replaced, a successful risk management program provides a community with a systematic approach to implement corrective actions within a reasonable timeframe.

An urban community consists of both the gray infrastructure (buildings, streets, utilities) and the green infrastructure- the urban forest. Although gray infrastructure has long been assessed and monitored for acceptable levels of risks, green iQfrastructure has for the most part not received the same subjective evaluations. The urban forest is an integral part of a community's infrastructure, and trees often dominate the landscape or at least are the most visible part of it. Urban trees contribute to increased quality of life for many communities and their residents. Most people prefer to live, recreate, and work in communities of healthy and well-maintained urban forests. Considerable research documents that people not only prefer to recreate in well-maintained parks with trees, but are willing to pay extra for the privilege. Safety, or at least the perception of safety, is critical if urban forests are to be managed and enjoyed.

Mana ement of Tree Risk
Community managers have the responsibility to create and maintain a safe and useful urban forest for their constituents. Urban foresters need the training, expertise, and data to recognize varying levels of risk, and to manage the forest at an acceptable level of risk. Tree risk management involves the process of inspecting and assessing trees for their potential to injure people or damage property.

Traditionally the term "hazard" (or hazardous) had been used in the context of evaluating trees for their failure potential. To many people, "hazard" suggests trees are at immediate risk for failure. In this report, the term "risk" trees is used to define trees with structural defects that may cause the tree or tree part to fail, where such a failure may cause property damage or personal injury. Trees will vary, ranging from low to high risk for failure and may require attention immediately or in the near future.

The threshold of risk acceptable to liable parties is dependent upon their policies and objectives. To make objective, science-based decisions on the safety of trees and the urban forest. individual trees and site conditions need to be evaluated for the level of risk that they do or do not present.

Liabilit and Risk
Community leaders and decision-makers must consider the perceived public liability for tree damage and injury claims. In the extreme, trees are excluded from public rights-of-way to minimize public exposure. In the risk management field this is called risk avoidance. In these cases, the public benefits that trees provide, which usually outweigh the perceived costs, are not delivered to the community.

Attempts to attain zero risk often become costly over time, due to premature tree removals, more frequent tree replacements, and loss of benefits that mature trees provide. Instead, the City should actively monitor, prioritize, and mitigate risk as funding permits.

Street Tree Management in Los Banos
The City is responsible for the maintenance, removal, and planting of street trees as well as pruning the trees for street and sidewalk clearance, and the removal of dead, weak, or hazardous limbs. While pruning conforms to accepted professional standards, street trees are not pruned for aesthetic purposes. Pruning may be done by the adjacent property owner with a permit. Pruning must adhere to City standards in order to protect the health and vitality of public trees.

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Urban Forest Analysis
The City's Public Works Department maintains these street trees but currently, the program is understaffed to adequately address all hazards and potential risks (in addition to preventative maintenance). Therefore, this assessment aims to provide the City with the guidance to effectively mitigate priority risks within the confines of available resources and funding.

Pur se of Tree Risk Mana ement
The purpose of a tree risk assessment is to inspect and assess in detail the structure and quality of the tree, tree parts, surrounding targets, and environmental conditions. An assessment provides the persons or entity responsible for tree care with options for mitigating or reducing risk associated with each tree assessed. By evaluating and ranking the risk potential. tree managers can prioritize mitigation efforts within the limits of available funding and resources.

Trees may appear to be permanent fixtures of our environment though at some point, trees will eventually decline in health, deteriorate in structure, collapse, and decompose. Trees may decline and eventually die from myriad causes including disease, insect attack, drought, uprooting, and catastrophic stem failure in high winds, or from combinations of factors working together. Others may die from old age and go through a natural cycle of senescence before failure. Some trees die and later collapse as their stems and branches decay, and some begin to break up while they are still green. While any large tree poses a risk of failure in high winds, in situations where people and trees must live together in close proximity it is important to identify where a tree has become an unacceptable risk.

Many different kinds of professionals are interested in managing tree risk in communities. For the City of Los Banos, a formal Urban Forestry Program to implement long-term planning and management of the street tree population does not exist. The City's Tree Commission does oversee some of these activities but not on a comprehensive level. Tree managers in Los Banos need reliable information concerning the identification and management of hazard or "risk" trees. In addition, public trees need to be routinely pruned to minimize risk, maintain public safety, improve tree health, strengthen the structure of trees, and provide a continual flow of ecosystem benefits and services.

Procedures for Tree Risk Management
The City should use tree inventory data, inventory software, service requests, and staff observations to continue to prioritize trees for risk assessment and potential mitigation. Risk assessors should use the ISA Level 2 Basic Risk Assessment protocols along with the American National Standards lnstitute's (ANSI> A300 Standards.

Both empirical data and subjectiy~ data should be gathered for each tree. The industry protocols require the assessor to evaluate the tree for conditions and factors that may qualify as a potential risk.

The evaluation considers the tree's crown and branches, trunk(s), and roots. If a potential risk is identified in either or all of the tree's components, the site information is collected, and the risk assessment commences. Potential targets such as people or vehicles are noted along with site factors and tree health issues. The tree component causing the potential risk is then examined and documented. For the crown or branches, issues such as deadwood are recorded along with the deadwood size and the level of load bearing on the branch or branches. The likelihood of failure and impact are recorded, and the likelihood of failure and impact is autopopulated based on the ISA tree risk assessment matrix (see tables below). In addition, the level of consequence is autopopulated as is the risk rating for the specific tree component (e.g., crown and branches). If other tree components such as the trunk or roots pose a potential risk, a similar process is completed. Once all components are assessed, an overall risk rating is autopopulated indicating the risk level as extreme, high, moderate, or low risk.

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Urban Forest Analysis
Definitions
Low
Low
Low
Low
Low
Moderate
Low
Moderate
Low
Risk Tree: Formerly referred to as a hazard tree, a risk tree has structural defects in the roots, stem, or branches that may cause the tree or tree part to fail. where such failure may cause property damage or personal injury.

Tree Defects: Tree defects are often organized into two categories-1) injury or disease that seriously weakens the stems, roots, or branches of trees, predisposing them to fail or, 2) structural problems arising from poor tree architecture, including poorly attached stems and branches that lead to weak unions, shallow rooting habits, inherently brittle wood, and other physiological conditions.

Low Risk: The low risk category applies when consequences are "negligible" and likelihood is "unlikely": or when consequences are "minor" and likelihood is "somewhat likely" (refer to Table 8 for terminology). Some trees with this Level of risk may benefit from mitigation or maintenance measures, but immediate action is not usually required. Tree risk assessors may recommend retaining and monitoring these trees, as well as mitigation that does not include removal of the tree.

Moderate Risk: Moderate risk situations are those for which consequences are "minor" and likelihood is "very likely" or "likely": or when likelihood is "somewhat likely" and consequences are "significant" or "severe" (refer to the ISA tree risk assessment matrix table in the overview provided at the beginning of this report). The tree risk assessor may recommend mitigation and/or retaining and monitoring. The decision for mitigation and timing of treatment depends upon the risk tolerance of the tree owner or manager ..

High Risk: High risk situations are those for which consequences are "significant" and likelihood is "very likely" or "likely," or when consequences are "severe" and likelihood is "likely". This combination of likelihood and consequences indicates that the tree risk assessor should recommend mitigation measures be taken as soon as is practical. The decision for mitigation and timing of treatment depends upon the risk tolerance of the tree owner or risk manager. In populations of trees, the priority of high risk trees is second only to extreme risk trees.

Extreme Risk: The extreme risk category applies in situations in which failure is "imminent" and there is a high likelihood of impacting the target. and the consequences of the failure are "severe" (refer to Table g). The tree risk assessor should recommend that mitigation measures be taken as soon as possible. In some cases, this may mean immediate restriction of access to the target zone area to avoid injury to people.

Programmed Pruning: Designed to create structurally sound trunk and branch architecture, this "preventative maintenance" will sustain a tree's benefits to the longest extent possible until the tree DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Pagel37 171
Urban Forest Analys,s
naturally reaches a point of senescence- or process of deterioration with age. Programmed pruning is typically implemented citywide or in prioritized maintenance corridors on a rotation of five to seven years depending on the tree species, density of trees, frequency of pedestrians and vehicles, available budget. and other factors. This means that each tree in the programmed pruning cycle is pruned for clearance, risk, health, and/or structure at least once within the programmed cycle (e.g., five to seven years). The goal with mature trees is to develop and maintain a sound structure to minimize risks such as branch failure. This task is easier provided a good structure was established earlier in the tree's life.

When properly executed, a variety of benefits are derived from pruning. Benefits include reduced risk of branch and stem breakage, better clearance for vehicles and pedestrians, improved health and appearance, and enhanced view.

Tree risk management and programmed pruning should be a prominently positioned component of Los Banos' Urban Forestry Program. Tree risk management and programmed pruning plans should complement the City's overall street and park tree management program goals, align with the Urban Forest Management Plan, and should be fully integrated with the tree planting, plant health care, and emergency response programs.
~rammed Pruning_for Tree Preservation and Reduced Risk
In addition to more frequent tree assessments, proper tree planting, and structural pruning of young trees, the routine maintenance of street trees reduces the overall risk, improves the health of trees, and reduces long-term costs.

Routine maintenance, often referred to as grid pruning or programmed pruning, is the most cost effective near- and long-term pruning management strategy for city tree maintenance since every tree within a given grid, priority area, or zone is pruned each pruning cycle. When each tree is inspected and pruned on a regular cycle, both short- and long-term maintenance costs are reduced due to efficiencies in mobilization, scheduling, and service tracking: both preventative and reactive maintenance are performed in one operation and the need for future priority pruning is minimized.

Conversely, street trees that are not pruned on a regular cycle, or their maintenance is deferred, results in the opposite effect- as the interval between pruning increases the tree health declines and the maintenance costs increase.

The level of care or maintenance performed on a planted tree is linked to tree establishment. survival. growth, condition, and longevity. Survival. growth, and condition are closely connected to one another and to the structure gf a tree (size, leaf area) and of the urban forest (canqgy cover, diversity, age distribution). As a result. tree structure impacts the functions provided by the urban forest and ultimately the level of benefits generated by the tree. Thus, less than optimal maintenance may lead to decreased benefits produced by the urban forest. The benefits lost are the "costs" of not maintaining trees.

Public Tree Status Page 138
172
Urban Forest Analysis
Planting
Pruning
Removal
Treatment
The Impacts of Programmed Pruning
Establishment
Survival
Growth
Condition
Evapotranspiration
Photosynthesis
Rain interception
Carbon storage
Prevent stormwater
Aesthetics
Carbon storage
Shade
Examples of Programmed Pruning Techniques for Preventative Maintenance Figure 26. Examples of techniques for routine tree pruning (Source: Arbor Day Foundation) t ~
~· ,1' .....

Before Before
JJ:
' A
After After

CLEANING CLEARANCE STRUCTURAL ROOT PRUNING RISK REMOVAL DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 39 173
urban Forest A,ialys1s
Planting Sites Inventory
Tree species diversity, addressed through strategic planting, protects a city's tree canopy cover by limiting the amount of damage from any one threat such as pests, drought, or storms. A commonly accepted diversity goal is for no single species to account for more than 10 percent of the population, no genus more than 20 percent and no family more than 30 percent (Santamour, 1990). This rule can be applied at the city, neighborhood, and block level.

Plantin Sites of Existin Trees
The planting site width for tree roots and basal flare can impact tree growth, health, and maintenance costs over time. Adequate space and soil volume should be considered for each site based on tree species requirements and root biology. Frequency of maintenance is also a consideration for tree selection when a tree needs to be replaced. An analysis of growing space can assist tree managers in making future tree species selections for sites with similar characteristics.

The planting site width measurements were collected for each inventoried public tree. An analysis of the planting site widths of existing public trees informs future planting sites and the tree species appropriate for replanting. The table and chart below show the number of trees and percentage of each planting site width classification. Of the inventoried trees, a total of 8,277 (67 percent) trees are growing in small sites with 1-5 feet of space. 20 percent, or 2,448 trees, are growing in sites with 6-10 feet of growing space. The remaining 13 percent, or 1,608 trees, are growing in sites with widths of 11 feet or greater.

Growing Space of Existing Public Trees
>20 feet, 4%
1-5 Feet 8,277 67%
16-20 feet.
6-10 Feet 2,448 20% 4%
11-15 feet,
11-15 Feet 685 6% 6%
16-20 Feet 436 4%
>20 Feet 487 4%
TOT AL 12,333 100%
Figure 27 Growing space widths for existing trees
Figure 28. Visual depiction of planting site widths of existing public trees Public Tree Status Page I 40
174
Urban Forest Analysis
Future Planting Sites
In addition to the inventory of public trees throughout Los Banos in 2021, an inventory of future possible planting sites within the public street right-of-way and parks was completed. A total of 4,885 possible sites were inventoried. of which 52 percent (2,535) sites are within the rights-of-way. At each site, the planting width and presence of wires were documented. Of the 4,885 possible planting sites, 46 percent (2,253 sites) are in the medium size class and 97 percent (4,728) of sites do not have any wires or observable utilities present.

Growing Space Size for Future Planting Sites
Table 10. Summary and depiction of possible futu
CLASS I (SMALL}
1-5 Feet
CLASS II (MEDIUM}
CLASS Ill (LARGE}
>11 Feet
1,609
2,253
1,023 21%
TOT AL 4,885 100%
CLASS I (SMALL), 1-5 Feet 1,486 of 1,609 sites 92%
CLASS II (MEDIUM), 6-10 Feet 2,219 of 2,253 sites 98%
CLASS 111 (LARGE), >11 Feet 1,023 of 1,023 sites 100%
TOT AL 4,728 of 4,885 sites 97%
DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page j 41 175
Urba~ Forest Aralys1s
Public Tree Stockin Level
There are numerous opportunities to plant more trees on public property in the City of Los Banos.

Historically, the locations of new tree plantings on City-owned rights-of-way in Los Banos have been based on constituent requests, the replacement of dead or dying trees (where feasible), and projectspecific plantings (e.g., streetscape improvement projects). With the updated tree inventory, City managers now also know the exact location of additional planting sites that are available throughout the City. Los Banos' street and park tree inventory includes 4,885 possible planting sites in the public rights-of-way and parks as of 2021. These sites would need further evaluation to determine if they are feasible and preferrable sites for new trees, but the dataset provides initial information on how the City can grow its urban forest over time. In addition to tree inventory data, the development of a prioritization scheme based on canopy data in the Urban Forest Management Plan allows the City to begin significant tree planting efforts in high priority areas of the City.

According to the 2021 inventory data, the current stocking level is 72 percent based on a total 17,507 possible public planting sites, including 12,253 living trees, 80 dead trees, 289 stumps, and 4,885 possible planting sites. "Stocking" is a traditional forestry term used to measure the density and distribution of trees. In this case it means that, of the total number of available planting sites identified in the tree inventory along the public right-of-way, 72 percent currently have a tree or stump present.

Note that this value only considers the currently available planting areas along the street right-of-way and parks, and not impervious surfaces that could become planting locations. Moreover, this value does not incorporate potential planting locations in unmaintained areas of parks or other civic spaces.

Of the total public trees in the inventory, 345 trees were recommended for removal (based on 2021 inventory). These recommended removals represent a future increase in total number of potential planting sites. An important benchmark in maintaining a sustainable urban forest is to keep it at least go percent stocked, such that no more than 10 percent of the existing planting sites remain vacant.

The City should make every effort to budget for tree planting in the future to maintain the urban forest at least go percent stocked and to continue increasing its canopy. Before committing to enhanced tree planting, the responsibility and resources for post-planting care and long-term maintenance need to be identified.

Public Tree Status Page I 42
176
Urban Fo,est A1>alys1s

PUBLIC TREE BENCHMARKS AND COMPARISONS
The ratio of street trees to
Count of 7,997 1 tree for every 4 residents residents is impacted by city Street Trees 1 tree for every 5 (0.25) size, street corridor design, residents (0.20) (McPherson, et al. 2016) climates, available resources, and other factors.

Count of The ratio of pubLic park trees
Park Trees 3,393 1 tree for every g residents to residents is impacted by 1 tree for every 11 (0.11) city size, acres of parks and (Maintained open space, park design, residents (o.og) (Hauer, et al. 2014) climates. available resources, Areas) and otherfactors.

Count of
The ratio of pubLic trees to
Street, Vacant Lot, 1 tree for every 2 residents residents is impacted by city Public Trees (0.55) size, acres of parks and open Park: 12,622 Average for cities with 25- space, street and park design, Based on climates, available resources,
Known Living Trees of the 50k population: 25,819 and other factors. The count street and park trees of 12,622 trees in Los Banos
Numbers 12,622: 12,333 trees (Hauer, et al. 2014) does not include trees in natural areas or open space.
17 of 30 cities in the City responsibility to maintain
Street Tree benchmarking research public trees often correlates have a population of less with a healthier and safer
Responsibil- City than 100k Of these 17 public tree population though ity cities, 10 maintain their adequate resources in terms street trees (59%) of staff and funding are
(2021 UFMP Benchmarking) required.

Public Tree Mean of 185 species per A diverse urban forest is more Species 168 unique tree CA city resilient to climate change Richness species (Muller 2010) and tree pests and diseases.

Citl( Distribution Ideal Distribution (Richards,
1983) The size class and · relative o-6-inch class: 37% _ o-6-inch_ class: A,0% age of the public tree Public Tree 6-12-inch class: 41% 6-12-inch class: 25% population influences Size Classes 12-18-inch class: 14% 12-18-inch class: 15% maintenance needs and 18-24-inch class: 5% surges, and informs the levels
24-30-inch class: 2% 18-24-inch class: 10% to which ecosystem benefits >30-inch class: 1% 24-30-inch class: 6% are consistent and sustained. >30-inch class: 4%
Condition of trees is based on
Public Tree 38% in Good Majority: 43% Fair the evaluation by ISA Condition Condition (Los Banos tree inventory Certified Arborists at the time database) of the inventory and may
change over time.

Risk Tree Count of High, City-specific tolerances to A risk tree assessment will Management Medium, Low Risk risk and protocols to provide a pulse on the risk Trees: TBD mitigate tree management demands.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 43 177

ATTRIBUTE
Programmed
Pruning
Cycle
Future
Planting
Sites
Stocking
Level
Los BANOS, CA
~6 years for Citymanaged trees (2,000
trees per year)
4,885 possible street
tree planting sites
72% Stocked of 17,507
Sites

12.253 Living Trees
80 Dead Trees
289 Stumps
4,885 possible
planting sites

COMPARISON
Population group (25-5ok)
average cycle for pruning
all public trees: 6.4 years
(Hauer et al. 2014)
Not all possible sites are
feasible or preferable nor
do all cities track planting
sites in their inventory
system.

36.3% of full stocking for 50
CA cities (McPherson, et al.
2016)
Stocking levels of go% are
recommended
Urban Forest Analysis

CONSIDERATIONS
A routine programmed
("proactive") pruning cycle is
more effective and efficient. It
is estimated that for every 1
tree that is reactively pruned,
3 trees could have been
proactively pruned. Industry
recommendations and
preferences of city urban
foresters typically identify an
optimal rotation of 5 years.

Not all possible planting sites
are feasible or preferable.

Additional observations and
considerations must be made
and guided by a strategic tree
planting plan and this UFMP.

Achieving recommended
stocking levels without a
strategy for maintaining the
new trees is detrimental to
the long-term success and
goals for sustainable use of
resources.

Public Tree Status Page I 44
178
Urban ,ores'. Analysis

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PUBLIC TREES

SECTION
Public
Street
and Park
Trees
• • ' ' . •
Evaluate current public
street tree maintenance
responsibility.

Manage the public
street trees to maintain
optimal species and age
class diversity.

Effectively manageihe
public street trees to
maintain a healthy
condition, reduce,
minimize or prevent
defects, minimize risks,
and address
maintenance needs.

See "Proactive Pruning"
within this table for
additional
recommendations.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS
Currently, it is primarily the City's responsibility to maintain street trees. Surveys and anecdotes have uncovered
existing misconceptions of responsibility, along with
resource shortages resulting in complications and deferred maintenance of street trees. Deferred maintenance leads to decreased urban forest health, increased costs for
maintenance, and increased risk.

The public street tree population is currently exceeding the genus (Pistacia - 20%; Fraxinus - 20%) and species (Chinese pistache - 20%; narrowleaf ash - 11%; London planetree - 10%) diversity threshold limits of 30-20-10 for the
distribution of family, genus, and species of trees
(Santamour, 1990). The City should improve the diversity to meet this standard by planting the appropriate tree species, guided by a strategic tree planting plan. The diversity thresholds can be further applied to local-level scales such as neighborhoods and streets rather than simply Citywide to further strengthen the City's urban forest resiliency.

Overall, the public street tree population is similar to the ideal distribution (Richards, 1983) though the relative age class that differs greatest from the ideal is the 6-12-inch class with 41% compared to the recommended 25%
distribution. Also, the young trees (1-12 inches DBH) and establishing trees (12-18 inches DBH) should be properly maintained and protected to grow into larger specimens to reach the recommended 20% distribution of trees greater than 24 inches DBH. Also, strengthening City tree-related ordinances and policies will protect the larger maturing trees and maintain age class diversity.

The City should continue to maintain street trees for which its responsible by adhering to industry standards and best practices. Proper tree protection during construction and routine inventory of public trees can minimize humancaused defects. The City should continue to manage its inventory to prioritize tree maintenance. Consider a more frequent pruning rotation for young trees to structurally train their growth to minimize future costs. Education and resources relating to tree maintenance should continue to be shared with adjacent property owners and developers, among other audiences.

See "Proactive Pruning" within this table for additional recommendations.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page 145 179

SECTION
Public
Street
and Park
Trees
cont.

RECOMMENDED ACTION
Manage the public park
trees to improve
structure and maintain
optimal species and age
class diversity.

Continue to manage
and prevent invasive
plant species on public
park properties.

Coordinate the
management of trees in
the wildland-urban
interface (WUI).

See "Proactive Pruning"
within this table for
additional
recommendations.

UrbaP "'orest Analys is

KEY CONSIDERATIONS
The City should be planting the appropriate tree species, guided by a strategic tree planting plan to strengthen its resiliency to climate change and tree pests and diseases.

Consider a more frequent pruning rotation for young trees in parks to structurally train their growth to minimize future costs.

All City:led plantings should adhere to a recommended
tree species list where trees planted are suitable for
changing climates and -maintaining diversity. Only noninvasive species should be planted. The planting of native species should be considered to maintain habitats that
prevent invasives. Also, the CA Native Plant Society list should be considered. As feasible, invasive species should be removed and opportunities for engaging and educating the public should be considered.

Continue to coordinate tree and fire management best
practices with the Fire Department in WUI areas. Consider strengthening management strategies to include a
combination of improved modeling, research into wildfire risk, fuel reduction in the home ignition zone, use of fireresistant landscaping and building materials, strategic placement of fuel reduction treatments around the City, and-eommunity education regarding wildfire that could -- lead to policies and mitigation that reduce wildfire risk in the WUI.

See "Proactive Pruning" within this table for additional recommendations.

Public Tree Status Page I 46
180
Uroan Fores, Analysis

SECTION RECOMMENDED ACTION KEY CONSIDERATIONS
Manage
Risk
Trees
Proactive
Pruning
Future
Planting
Sites
Establish and document
risk tree protocols and
standards.

Continue to conduct risk
tree assessments using
industry standards and
protocols.

Effectively address and
mitigate tree risk.

Evaluate the framework
for improved street tree
maintenance through
proactive programmed
pruning.

Compile, finalize, and document the methods and
protocols for monitoring, mitigating, and reducing risk trees using industry standards and best practices. Coordinate the process with City departments.

Using risk area maps and the public tree inventory data, conduct risk tree assessments based on the protocols and standards established. Continue to assess tree risk utilizing in-house or contracted professionals for tree and
hardscape conflicts.

Based on risk tree assessments and protocols, mitigate
priority tree risks as funding permits.

Utilize the studies in the UFMP to implement programmed street tree pruning incrementally. Proactive pruning of street trees on an ideal rotation of 5 to 7 years will reduce long-term costs, sustain associated benefits, and reduce risks.

Analyze·growing space -- Use the inventory and canopy assessment data to identify and condition by tree priority planting areas on public properties and rights-ofspecies and other way to increase the stocking level. guided by a strategic variables. tree planting plan.

Develop a strategy for
stocking planting sites
aligned with tree
canopy cover goals,
community desires,
among other factors.

To increase tree canopy and address tree equity among
other City priorities- such as climate change mitigationdevelop a master tree planting plan, planting strategy, or planting initiative. The strategic planting should be
informed by the recommendations in this Plan, community and partner input. and other factors.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 47 181
Urban Forest Function, Benefits, and Services
Introduction
Urban Forest Analysis
The urban forest plays an important role in supporting and improving the quality of life in communities.

A tree's shade and beauty contribute to a community's quality of life and soften the often hard appearance of urban landscapes and streetscapes. When properly maintained, trees provide communities with abundant environmental, economic, and social benefits that far exceed the time and money invested in planting, pruning, protection, and removal.

The trees growing along the public streets constitute a valuable community resource. They provide numerous tangible and intangible benefits such as pollution control. energy reduction, stormwater management. property value increases, wildlife habitat. education opportunities, human health and well-being, and aesthetics.

Stormwater Runoff Reduction
Carbon Sequestration
Air Pollutant Reduction
(°'3, N02, S02, PM10)
Energy Savings
Los Banos' Trees: $3,38 return for every dollar spent
Figure 29. Illustration of the benefits and services provided by public trees Urban Forest Function, Benefits, and Services Page I 48 182
Benefits and Services Defined
Property Value: Shows the tangible and
intangible benefits of trees reflected by
increases in property values (in dollars).

Stormwater: Presents reductions in annual
stormwater runoff due to rainfall interception
by trees measured in gallons.

Air Qualit : Quantifies the air pollutants (ozone
[031, nitrogen dioxide [NO2l. sulfur dioxide [SO2l.
particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in
diameter [PM10D deposited on tree surfaces,
and reduced emissions from power plants
(NO2, PM10, volatile organic compounds IVOCsl.

SO2) due to reduced electricity use in pounds.

The potential negative effects of trees on air
quality due to biogenic volatile organic
compounds (BVOC) emissions is also reported.

Energy: Presents the contribution of the urban
forest towards conserving energy in terms of
reduced natural gas use in the winter
(measured in therms [thm]) and reduced
electricity use for air conditioning in the
summer (measured in Megawatt-hours
([MWhD.

Natural Gas: Monetary increase due to the
contribution of the urban forest toward
conserving energy in terms of reduced natural
gas use in winter.

Therms: Contribution of the urban forest toward
conserving energy in terms of reduced natural
gas use irfwinter (measurea7n therms).

Aesthetic/Other Benefits: Shows the tangible
and intangible benefits of trees reflected by
increases in property values (in dollars).

Carbon Stored: Tallies all of the carbon dioxide
(CO2) stored in the urban forest over the life of
its trees as a result of sequestration. Carbon
stored is measured in pounds.

Carbon Se uestered: Presents annual
reductions in atmospheric CO2 due to
sequestration by trees and reduced emissions
from power plants due to reductions in energy
use. This is measured pounds and has been
translated to tons for this study. The model
DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan
Grbd'l Fores: Ar'i.llys s
accounts for CO2 released as trees die and
decompose and CO2 released during the care
and maintenance of trees.

Carbon Monetar Benefit: Calculates the dollar
value associated with the amount of carbon
stored or sequestered by trees based on
calculations of the social cost of carbon.

Importance Value (IV): IVs are calculated for
species that comprise more than 1 percent of
the population. The Streets IV is the mean of
three relative values (percentage of total trees,
percentage of total leaf area, and percentage
of canopy cover) and can range from o to 100,
with an IV of 100 suggesting total reliance on
one species. IVs offer valuable information
about a community's reliance on certain
species to provide functional benefits. For
example, a species might represent 10 percent
of a population but have an IV of 25 percent
due to its substantial benefits, indicating that
the loss of those trees would be more
significant than just their population
percentage would suggest.

Replacement Value: Replacement values are
estimates of the full cost of replacing trees in
their current condition, should they be
removed for some reason. Replacement values
are based on the Council of Tree and
Landscape Appraisers (CTLA) Guide for Plant
Appraisal, which uses a trunk formula
technique.

Apr2022 Pagei49
183
Urban Forest Analysis
Overview of Urban Forest Benefits and Services
The quality of life of the citizens in any community depends on the urban forest, as trees make a vital and affordable contribution to the sense of community, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, energy savings, and air quality. Trees are one of the few infrastructure investments that grow in value over time. The following data was derived from Alliance for Community Trees.3 Boost property values
Great benefit to cost
ratio- 3.6: 1
Community image
enhancement
Reduce heat islands
..

Make life more pleasant
Reduce stormwater utility
costs and decrease flooding
Carbon sequestering Provide wildlife
habitat
Protect
biodiversity
ater
':-":.
'i/'v- ""_,_
(-·\ -...._.._;..,.....:,;_;=-'-\':...:..,.-=i"""""---'-'-- . . :~4 ·>~-.:· aL~~ Increase business j Create visual buffers
Improve air quality, reduce
greenhouse gases to combat
climate change
Improve mental
and physical
health
Figure 30 Overview of the ecosystem benefits and services provided by trees in communities 31 Alliance for Community Trees. 2011. Benefits of trees and urban forests: A research list. www.actrees.org Urban Forest Function, Benefits, and Services Page j 50 184
Urban Forest Anolys1s
ff
Uoc::::J I 1111111 I

REDUCE STRESS AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE
Neighborhoods with generous canopies of trees are good for public health. Greater contact with natural environments correlates with lower levels of stress, improving performance. Students' concentration levels go up when they are able to look out onto a green landscape. Studies show that children with attention deficit disorder function better after activities in green settings. A green environment impacts worker productivity. Workers without views of nature from their desks claimed 23 percent more sick days than workers with views of nature. Residents of areas with the highest levels of greenery were three times as likely to be physically active and 40 percent less likely to be overweight than residents living in the least green settings.

CLEAN THE AIR AND BREATHE EASIER
Shade trees reduce pollution and return oxygen to the atmosphere. In addition to carbon dioxide, trees' leaves or needles absorb pollutants, such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and some particulate matter.

SAVE ENERGY AND LOWER ENERGY COSTS FOR BUILDINGS
As natural screens, trees can insulate homes and businesses from extreme temperatures, keep properties cool. and reduce air conditioning utility bills. A 20 percent canopy of deciduous trees over a house result in annual cooling savings of 8 to 18 percent and annual heating savings of 2 to 8 percent. By planting shade trees on sunny exposures, residents and businesses can save up to 50 percent on hot-day energy bills.

POSITIVELY INFLUENCE CLIMATE TO ENSURE

SUSTAINABILITY
Trees absorb carbon dioxide and store carbon in wood, which helps to reduce greenhouse gases. Carbon emissions from vehicles, industries, and power plants are a primary contributor to increased air temperatures in metropolitan areas. Trees in the U-r:iited States store 700 million tons of carbon valued at $14 billion with an annual carbon sequestration rate of 22.8 million tons per year valued at $460 million annually.

REDUCE THE NEED FOR STREET MAINTENANCE
Shaded streets last longer and require far Less pavement maintenance, reducing Longterm costs. Canopy diminishes pavement fatigue, cracking, rutting, and other damage.

A study from University of California at Davis found that 20 percent shade cover on a street improves pavement condition by 11 percent. which is a 60 percent savings for resurfacing over 30 years.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 51 185
Urban Forest Analysis

RAISE PROPERTY VALUES
Trees are sound investments, for businesses and residents alike, and their value increases as they grow. Sustainable landscapes can increase property values up to 37 percent. The value of trees appreciates over time because the benefits grow as they do. For businesses, trees have added value, including higher revenues. Shoppers seek out leafy promenades that frame storefronts. Research shows that shoppers spend more-between g and 12 percent more-on products in tree-lined business districts. A study by Donovan & Butry in 2008 shows trees increase value to the home they reside but also contribute to increased property values of adjacent homes and properties. As an additional benefit, increased property values resulting from trees lead to quicker home sales (Wolf 2007).
.
• •

CONSERVE WATER AND SOIL
Figure 31. The street tree pictured adds $7,593 to
the price of the house it fronts and $7,098 to the
seven houses within 100 feet. giving a total value of
$14,691. The dotted line represents the tree's 100-ft
radius sphere of influence. (Donovan&: Butry, 2008)
A tree's fibrous roots, extending into the soil. are premier pollution filtration and soil erosion prevention systems. Intensely urbanized areas are covered with a large number of impermeable surfaces. In contrast to an impervious hardscape, a healthy urban forest can reduce annual stormwater runoff up to 7 percent. Highly efficient trees also utilize or absorb toxic substances such as lead, zinc, copper, and biological contaminants. One study estimated that eliminating the need for additional local stormwater filtration systems would result in savings exceeding $2 billion.

COOLER PAVEMENT DIMINISHES URBAN HEAT ISLANDS
Broad canopy trees lower temperatures by shading buildings, asphalt, and concrete.

They deflect radiation from the sun and release moisture into the air. The urban heat island effect is the resulting highertemperahire of areas dominated by buildings, roads, and sidewalks. Cities are often 5 to 10 degrees (Fahrenheit) hotter than undeveloped areas. because hot pavement and buildings have replaced cool vegetated land. In addition, high temperatures increase the volatility of automobile oil and oil within the asphalt itself, releasing the fumes into the atmosphere. Shade trees can reduce asphalt temperatures by as much as 36 degrees (Fahrenheit), which diminishes the fumes and improves air quality.

Urban Forest Function, Benefits, and Services Page I 52 186
Urban Forest Analysis

PROTECT WILDLIFE AND RESTORE ECOSYSTEMS
Planting and protecting trees can provide habitat for hundreds of birds and small animals. Urbanization and the destruction of valuable ecosystems have led to the decline of many of species. Adding trees, particularly native trees, provides valuable habitat for wildlife.

BUILD SAFE COMMUNITIES AND DECREASE CRIME
Police and crime prevention experts agree that trees and landscaping cut the incidence of theft, vandalism, and violence by enhancing neighborhoods. Thriving trees on wellmaintained streets indicate pride of ownership. Public housing residents with nearby trees and natural landscapes reported 25 percent fewer acts of domestic aggression and violence. Apartment buildings with high levels of greenery had 52 percent fewer crimes than those without any trees. Buildings with medium amounts of greenery had 42 percent fewer crimes. Many cities have implemented CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design) strategies and policies.

CALM TRAFFIC AND MAKE NEIGHBORHOODS SAFER AND

QUIETER
People drive more slowly and carefully through tree-lined streets because trees create the illusion of narrower streets. One study found a 46 percent decrease in crash rates across urban arterial and highway sites after landscape improvements were installed.

The presence of trees in a suburban landscape reduced the cruising speed of drivers by an average of three miles per hour. Faster drivers and slower drivers both drove at decreased speeds in the presence of trees. Trees reduce noise pollution, buffering as much as half of urban noise. By absorbing sounds, a belt of trees 100 feet wide and 50 feet tall can reduce highway noise by 6 to 10 decibels. Buffers composed of trees and shrubs can reduce 50 percent of noise.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 53 187
Urbdn Forest Analysis
Urban Forest Populations
The services and benefits of trees in the urban and suburban setting were once considered to be unquantifiable. However, by using extensive scientific studies and practical research, these benefits can now be confidently calculated using tree inventory information. Tree benefit values for the City of Los Banos' trees are summarized in this Plan using the findings from the 2021 i-Tree Canopy Assessment, the 2021 public tree inventory software, and calculated using the U.S. Forest Service's iTree's Streets and i-Tree Eco applications. The data within Los Banos' tree inventory provide insight into the overall health of the City's public trees and the management activities needed to maintain and increase the benefits of trees into the future.

The 2021 i-Tree Canopy Assessment uses the total acres of existing tree canopy cover to calculate Citywide urban forest benefits and services. The public tree inventory was collected in TreePlotter software in 2021 with built-in calculations for ecosystem services and benefits using the i-Tree research and the National Tree Benefits Calculator. The following sections summarize the benefits and services of these tree populations.

Citywide Urban Forest Benefits and Services
The Citywide urban forest comprised of all trees across the various types of landscapes provide environmental. economic, and social benefits and services. This expansive resource, stretching across public and private boundaries, enhances the quality of life, improves ecosystems, and offers financial savings to the community. The Citywide urban forest is measured by assessing the amount of tree canopy cover when viewed from above. Using the 2021 i-Tree Canopy Assessment, these benefits and services were derived.

Utilizing the research from the U.S. Forest Service i-Tree suite of tools, values were calculated for some of the benefits and functions provided by trees and forests in Los Banos. The urban forest holds millions of dollars of savings in avoided infrastructure costs, pollution reduction, and stored carbon . •
Benefit or D . t· 0 t·t Value or
S . escnp 10n uan I y 5 . erv1ce avmgs
Air Quality
Stormwater and
Water Quality
Trees produce oxygen, indirectly reduce pollution by
lowering air temperatures, and improve public health
by reducing air pollutants which cause death and
illness.
35 tons
Trees and forests mitigate stormwater runoff which 20,000 gallons minimizes flood- risk, stabilizes- soil, reduces per
sedimentation in streams and riparian land, and canopy acre absorbs pollutants, thus improving water quality and 107M gallons habitats. total
Carbon Storage Trees accumulate carbon in their biomass: with most 32k tons C
stored
and species in temperate forests, the rate and amount
Sequestration increase with age. 1.260 tons C
sequestered
$12,133
$132,000
$210k
TOT AL BENEFITS $5.8M
The Citywide urban forest provides over $5.8 million total in terms of benefits, value, and/or savings.

Annually. Los Banos' green asset contributes over $350,000 (excludes carbon storage values) in value or savings. It should be noted, this study does not account for property value increases, energy savings, increased consumerism, reduced pavement wear, improved human health, structural value, among many others that would likely increase the value of the urban to well over $200 million (approximately $1,045 asset value per tree, McPherson. et al. 2017).

Urban Forest Populations Page 154
188
Urban Forest Analysis
Public Street and Park Tree Benefits and Services
A total of 12,333 public trees comprise the inventory completed in 2021. These trees that reside in public parks and rights-of-way were added to the inventory software program and the ecosystem benefits were autocalculated.

Summary of Public Tree Benefits and Services
Property Value $1,004,340 12,333 Trees $81.44 $25.81
Stormwater $44,659 5,560,170 gallons prevented $3.62 $1.15 798,603 pounds C sequestered
Carbon $11,639 1,655,270 pounds C stored $0.94 $0.30
987,727 pounds C avoided
Energy $102,249 939,658 kWh saved $8.29 $2.63
Natural Gas $13,785 13,598 therms saved $1.12 $0.35
Air Quality $68,707 10,154 pounds removed $5,57 $177
TOT AL BENEFITS $1,245,379 $100.98 $32.00
ANNUAL COST $368,179 $29.85 $9-46
COST: BENEFIT $1: $3.38 ➔ For every $1 spent on trees, there is a $3.38 return on investment • Distribution of benefits per tree and per capita based on 12,333 trees and a population of 38,914 people (2019 US Census) The trees in Los Banos provide value in terms of increased property values, air quality improvements, reduction in stormwater volumes and an improvement in water quality, energy savings from the shade of their canopy and protection from cool winds, and their ability to sequester and store carbon. These values for public trees, originating from research conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, and implemented in i-Tree software, equate to:

Public trees: $1.2 million total annual ecosystem value $81 in annual benefits per tree
$26 in annual benefits per capita
$1 : $3.38 annual cost-benefit ratio
$213 million Citywide urban forest benefits and-value
DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page 155 189
Urban ,oresl Analys,s
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Public Trees
Utilizing the arborist's field observations, a maintenance cost analysis was performed for the inventoried trees to provide Los Banos with initial guidance on future tree maintenance. The cost estimates below do not include appraised values, only ecosystem services. They also only provide an annual ratio without increasing return or cumulative benefits calculated. Costs also do not include installation costs or tree care activities like watering, irrigation, stakes/ties, mulching, and/or plant health care activities such as fertilizing or pesticide application. As part of the Plan, a comprehensive budget and urban forestry program review is detailed in the Management Framework section to provide the City with an accurate depiction of urban forest costs compared to the associated benefits and services. These tables below provide a summary of the costs per tree maintenance activity. Costs were distributed across a recommended 7-year planning horizon and the accumulated total costs are included for City-maintained trees.

Summary of Public Tree Costs
•
Cost Summary - 12,333 Public Trees
Activity 1-YearCost PerTree/Year 7-YearTotal Total#ofTrees Routine Tree Pruning $227,974 $30 $1,595,821 7,611
Training Prune $92,742 $21 $649,192 4,365
Recommended Removal $29,976 $87 $209,829 345 (with stump removals) Priority Pruning $17,487 $58 $122,410 299
TOTAL $368,179 $29 $2,577,252 12,620
Based on 1,087 trees/year receiving 'Routine Tree Pruning', 1,455 trees/year receiving 'Training Pruning·, 345 trees to be removed in 7 years (including stump removal), and 299 trees for priority pruning within 3 years.

Discussion on Routine Tree Pruning Estimates
For routine tree pruning, the number of trees is based on the total count of public trees that require frequent pruning. Tree species requiringl:ess frequent pruning such as younger trees, aging trees, slow growers, certain species, and trees with a growing form that does not typically violate clearance requirements should be evaluated to finalize the routine pruning regimen. Examples of tree species require frequent or annual pruning include pistache, sweetgum, ash species, camphor, oak species, callery pear, Aleppo pine, eucalyptus species, London planetrees, sycamores, maple species, honeylocust. linden species, cottonwood, among others.

For public trees, the analysis of trees eligible for routine pruning resulted in a total of 1,087 trees recommended for annual pruning.

Discussion on Training Prune
Training prune consists of structural pruning of young and small diameter trees recently planted.

Generally, newly planted trees should be lightly pruned according to best practices within three years of planting and revisited annually for approximately six years. For the study above, a 7-year rotation is used for simplicity. By year 5 of the ?-year cycle, the data should be reviewed and analyzed to make adjustments based on the changing tree population.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Public Trees Page I 56
190
Urban Forest Analysis
Final Discussion on the Routine Pruning and Removal Program Based on the analysis of inventory data, a total of 2,542 public trees should be annually pruned (Routine and Young Tree Training) totaling 11,976 trees in seven years. This equates to a pruning rotation of five years when looking at the total public tree population of 12,333 trees. In summary, applying this tree removal and maintenance regimen would enable the City to achieve the recommended 5-year pruning cycle for public trees. To implement this strategy, $368,179 needs to be budgeted annually for routine tree pruning ($227,974), training pruning ($92,742), recommended and priority removals ($29,976), and priority pruning ($17,487).

Cost-Benefit Analysis
The ecosystem benefits results from Table 13 were compared to the estimated costs from Table 14 to form a basic cost-benefit analysis. The results are shown in Table 15 below.

Cost-Benefit Comparison for Public Trees
Total Annual Costs
Total Annual Ecosystem Benefits
$368,179
$1,245,379
Cost : Benefit Ratio $1 : $3.38
Cost-Benefit Analysis Summary
For public trees, the estimated yearly maintenance costs are $368,179 and the annual benefits provided by those trees equals $1,245,379. For every $1 that the City invests in caring for these trees, $3.38 is returned in benefits to the City.

It should be noted that the TreePlotter software for managing the inventory data utilizes i-Tree's benefit calculations, and the land use types that were identified by the arborists in the field determine the calculations used. Trees in the "Single Family" land use type yield the highest increase in property values according to i-Tree benefits calculations. On the other hand, trees located in the "Park/Vacant/Other" land use type yield the lowest property value benefits, according to i-Tree.

Planting the appropriate tree species and maintaining healthy canopy near or in proximity to buildings and along streets not only provide shade to help reduce energy costs in those buildings, but they also help to lower costs associated with managing stormwater runoff along the streets, reduce noise, filter air pollution, and reduce pavement wear.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page 157 191
Urban Forest Analys1 ·

URBAN FOREST BENEFITS BENCHMARKS AND COMPARISONS

ATTRIBUTE
Citywide
Urban
Forest
Benefits
Public Tree
Costs
Public Tree
Benefits
CostBenefits of
Public Trees
Los BANOS, CA
$213,000,000
(annual)
Average
management cost
per public tree:
$29.85
$1;200,000 (annual)
$3,38 returned for
every $1 spent

COMPARISON
Statewide urban forest
benefits: $8.38
Statewide urban forest
asset value: $1818
(McPherson, et al. 2017)
Average management cost
per public tree: $19
(McPherson, et al. 2016)
$110.63 per public tree
$29.17 per capita
(McPherson, et al. 2016)
$5.82 returned for every $1
spent (McPherson, et al.
2016)
Calculations are based on the
U.S. Forest Service's i-Tree ·
research and supporting tools.

The $213M amount is based on
the 2017 study by McPherson
that shows the 173.2 million
trees in CA bring a total asset
value of $181 billion- an
average of $1,065 per tree.

Using $1,065 and an estimated
total number of trees in Los
Banos of 200,000 the estimated
asset value was calculated.

Costs are estimated using City
and industry averages.

The $1.2M value is based on the
tree inventory database's tool
using i-Tree research. Benefits
and services include energy
savings, property values.
stormwater reduction. air
quality improvements. and
carbon services.

Costs and benefits are
estimated and may fluctuate as
the urban forest changes.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Public Trees Page I 58
192
Urb,rn ,orest i\natys1s

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR URBAN FOREST BENEFITS

SECTION
Citywide
Urban
Forest
Benefits
and
Services
Public
Street
and Park
Tree
Benefits
and
Services
CostBenefits

RECOMMENDED ACTION
Sustain existing urban
forest benefits and
services by protecting
existing trees.

Enhance the urban
forest benefits and
services through
strategic planting.

Educate the public
about urban forest
benefits and proper
private tree
management to build
support and increase
tree stewardship.

Sustain existing public
tree benefits and
services by protecting
and properly
maintaining public trees.

Enhance the benefits·
and services provided
by street trees by
achieving go% stocking
levels in public rightsof-way.

Educate the public
about urban forest
benefits and proper tree
maintenance to build
support and increase
tree stewardship.

Plant trees that grow
into Large-canopied
specimens where
adequate space is
available.

Continually assess the
costs and benefits of
the urban forest and
public tree population
to inform management.
• • • • •
Continue to enforce and monitor tree ordinances.
standards, and best practices for public and private trees.

Public outreach and education should provide information regarding tree benefits, pest and disease management.
and other information to sustain the urban forest.

In addition to strategic street tree planting, the planting of trees on public properties should also be conducted and guided by a strategic tree planting plan.

Recommendations and guidance for private property
owners should also be provided to collectively grow the urban forest and associated benefits and services.

Most of the urban forest and available planting space
resides on private property (only second to parks and
open space). Therefore, an education program for the
public that discusses urban forest benefits and proper
management will help to protect the valuable resource.

Adherence to and enforcement of the tree ordinances,
standards, and best practices during construction projects and maintenance will protect the existing benefits and
services provided by the public tree population.

Utilizing a strategic planting plan guided by tree canopy goals, community input, and other factors will effectively grow the public tree population and increase overall
stocking Levels.

Maintaining street trees is primarily the City's responsibility though the urban forest is comprised of all trees
throughout the City. An education program that informs
the public of proper private tree maintenance and the
benefits of trees will instill stewardship and a healthier tree population.

Simply achieving improved stocking Levels does not infer enhanced benefits and services . . The appropriate tree species for changing climates and the given site will
increase Longevity and maximize benefits and services.

Maintaining an inventory of public trees and reassessing Citywide tree canopy cover will provide the data to
effectively evaluate benefits and services provided by the resource. As improvements to management are achieved
through the implementation of this Plan. associated costs will likely reduce and an evaluation will inform monitoring and adaptive management strategies.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page 159 193

THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
194
195
Management Framework

THE MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

OVERVIEW
According to the Structure, function and value of urban forests in California communities (McPherson, et al. 2017), California's urban forests on average have approximately five trees for every resident in a community. In Los Banos, this translates to nearly 195 thousand trees across landscapes varying from streets and parks, to natural areas and open space, as well as in private yards and parking lots, essentially all trees in the City. The City directly maintains 12,333 public trees along streetscapes, in medians, on parks and public properties, and in backup lots. A large portion of the urban forest is on private property which emphasizes the need for continued outreach and education for a shared commitment to grow and manage a sustainable urban forest. The following sections provide analyses and guidance for the City-managed urban forest population.

CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
This section describes the relationship of the Urban Forest Management Plan to other City documents that provide goals and policies relating to the urban forest or influence / impact trees in the City. The main documents that influence citywide environmental policy and programs are the City's 2030 General Plan (2009), Los Banos' Landscape Standards and Specifications (2004), Community Design Standards (2008), and the Parks Master Plan (2020).

Los Banos General Plan
California law requires that every city and county prepare and adopt a long-range comprehensive general plan to guide future development and to identify the community's environmental. social. and economic goals. Los Banos' 2030 General Plan, approved in 2009, is a long-range vision which establishes priorities and goals for the future as it relates to the state-mandated elements including land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise, and safety.

The city is currently updated the General Plan ("General Plan Update 2040") that will focus on the City's most important issues: economic development. growth management. Downtown, agricultural mitigation, and water supply. In addition, the General Plan will fulfill recent State required updates that have been enacted since the last update
The Los Banos General Plan is a roadmap to a greater future and this Urban Forest Management Plan provides the framework for addressing sustainability and "greening" the City. The following table summariz(;)~ the chapters. goals, and policies tha1 support the urbc!l:1 forest and the opportunities for the Urban Forest Management Plan to support the 2030 General Plan.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 61 196
Management Framework
Table 16. Goals and policies within the General Plan that are supported by the Urban Forest Management Plan Cha ter
Economic
Development
Land Use
Polic #
I
Polic / Actions Discussion
• Make Los Banos an ideal place to do
business by fostering a business
friendly climate.
• Promote Downtown as a cultural and
entertainment center to bring people
downtown and stimulate business
opportunities.
• Seek and promote particular
businesses or economic opportunities
that provide needed local goods,
services, employment, or those that
enhance the City's physical and social
well being.
• Promote a sustainable, balanced land
use pattern that satisfies existing needs
and safeguards future needs of the City.
• Ensure that new development provides
for infrastructure, schools, parks,
neighborhoods, shops, and community
facilities in close proximity to residents.
• Preserve and enhance Los Banos'
neighborhood character and small town
feel.
• Reinforce the City's image by protecting
historical resources, strengthening focal
points, improving streetscapes and the
safety of neighborhoods.
• Promote environmentally sensitive and
sustainable design in new
development.
• Provide for residential development
with strong community iaentities,
appropriate and compatible scales of
development, identifiable centers and
edges and well-defined public spaces
for recreation and civic activities
• Provide for a transition between higher
density and lower density residential
areas, or require buffers of varying size
between residential uses and nonresidential uses without restricting pedestrian and bicycle access.
• Develop a vibrant. mixed-use
Downtown that is the pride of the
community.

Trees encourage
consumerism and shade
parking lots.

Trees downtown support
consumerism by offering
shade and improved wellbeing.

Trees improve the physical
and social well-being of
residents and visitors.

Strategies for sustainable
urban forest management
is provided in the UFMP.

New development should
consider the appropriate
location, spacing, and
selection of trees.

Preserving existing healthy
trees contributes to a
neighborhood's character.

The City's image and
improved streetscapes
can be supported by
appropriate tree design,
Protection of healthy trees
during development is
critical.

Public spaces with trees
can support this policy.

Transitions and buffers
consisting of trees can
improve visuals and
reduce noise while
supporting pedestrian and
bicycle access.

A vibrant downtown
should include street
trees.

Los Banos General Plan Page I 62
197
Management Framework
Circulation
Parks, Open
Space, and
Conservation
C-G-1
C-G-2
C-G-5
C-G-11
C-G-12
POSRG-1
POSRG-3
POSRG-4
POSRG-5
POSRG-6
POSRG-7
• Promote safe and efficient vehicular
circulation.
• Provide a wide variety of transportation
alternatives and modes to serve all
residents and businesses to enhance
the quality of life.
• Improve the scenic character of
transportation corridors in the City.
• Promote bicycling and walking as
alternatives to the automobile.
• Foster practical parking solutions.
• Establish and maintain a high-quality
public park system for Los Banos.
• Provide ... trail system throughout the
city, including bikeways, pathways,
sidewalks, and other trails that
link ... parks and recreational facilities,
community facilities, public schools,
and downtown.
• Preserve and maintain open space
aroundthe city for future -generations.
• Continue to provide public access to
public open space to the maximum
extent feasible.
• Protect rare and endangered species.
• Protect and enhance the natural habitat
features and open space corridors
within and around the Planning Area.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Proper street tree
maintenance supports
safe vehicular travel.

Alternative modes of
transportation may include
bike lanes and sidewalks
where trees should be
preserved and added as
features.

Transportation corridors
can be enhanced with
street trees and also help
to slow traffic.

Bike and walking lanes
should consider tree
protection and new trees
planted.

Parking solutions should
include tree protection
and planting requirements
and not restrict the space
for trees.

High-quality parks
includes proper tree
maintenance and a
healthy tree population.

Trees should be included
in the design of these
systems.

Preserving trees and
proper maintenance is a
component of this policy.

Continue to plant and
maintain trees in public
open space.

Protecting existing trees
can protect rare and
endangered species and
habitats.

Trees are a vital
contributor to habitat
protection and
enhancement.

Page I 63
198
Noise
Safety
Public
Facilities and
Utilities
POSRG-g
POSRG-13
POSRG-15
, N-G-1
S-G-1
S-G-2
S-G-3
S-G-8
S-G-g
PFU-G1
PFU-G2
PFU-G3
PFU-G5
Management Framework
• Protect the quality of storm water that Trees reduce stormwater discharges into areas in and around Los and improve absorption of Banos. water into the soil.
• Improve air quality to promote public Trees reduce harmful health, safety, and Los Banos' pollutants and particulate environmental quality. matter through absorption
and collection on their
biomass.
• Assume leadership in efforts to reduce Trees reduce harmful toxic air pollutants and ozone depleting pollutants and particulate compounds. matter through absorption
and collection on their
biomass.
• Strive to achieve an acceptable noise Trees can serve as sound environment for the present and future barriers to reduce noise residents of Los Banos. levels.
• Minimize risks of property damage and Properly maintained trees personal injury posed by seismic are pruned to manage risk hazards, soil hazards, and erosion. at acceptable levels. • Protect the community from risks to Trees stabilize soil. reduce lives and property posed by flooding runoff, and reduce and stormwater runoff. stormwater volumes.
• Protect Los Banos' residents and Proper tree selection and businesses from potential wildfire and maintenance can reduce structural fire hazards. fire hazards.
• Minimize the risk of personal injury, A well maintained urban property damage, and environmental forest and a program with damage from both natural and protocols in place can
manmade disasters. minimize risk.
• Improve natural disaster response A well maintained urban capabilities through a variety of forest and a program with preparedness measures. protocols in place can
reduce response time.
• Provide superior educational Messaging around the
opportunities for children and all urban forest should be members of the community. included in this effort.
• Provide public and cultural facilities that The urban forest contribute to Los Banos' positive image, contributes to these enhance community identity, and meet elements.
the civic and social needs of residents.
• Ensure an adequate supply of fresh Trees improve water water to serve existing and future quality and improve the needs of the city. rate of absorption into the
soil.
• Promote the conservation of water Planting the right trees within Los Banos. that are "water-wise" is an
important factor in water
conservation.

Los Banos General Plan Page I 64
199
Management Framework
Los Banos Parks Master Plan PARKS MASTER Pl.AN
crrY OF LOS BANOS
Los Banos' parks and open space are vital components to the Citywide urban forest. The 2020 Los Banos Parks Master Plan is intended to guide the Parks and Recreation Division, Parks and Recreation Commission, and staff in allocating resources over the next 15 years or more and to adapt to changing conditions and population needs. The Parks Master Plan was informed by substantial community input, demographics, and current trends analyses, assessment of parks and facilities, and existing and new policies. The Master Plan describes various types of parks and identifies park facilities and access improvements designed to maintain and improve Los Banos' quality of life for everyone.

A major contributor to that enhanced quality of life is the shade and aesthetics of existing and new trees. The Master Plan provides goals and policies to improve maintenance operations, tree species selection, community engagement, sustainability, and design. Over 430 shade trees are proposed in the Master Plan for various park projects, installations, and renovations. Guidance and recommendations in the Urban Forest Management Plan will support goals and policies of the Parks Master Plan.

OCT08ER 2020
ar
Trees in Los Banos' Parks (Source: City of Los Banos Parks Master Plan) DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 65 200
Goal
Increase capacity to meet future
demand (population growth).

Develop a definitive program for
renovation of existing recreation facilities
and development of future facilities.

Improve connectivity to parks.

Work at achieving sustainable
landscapes, parks and facilities.

Expand financial opportunities.

Address accessibility including park
visitors with disabilities.

Management Framework
Maintain and improve existing facilities. parks. and
trails as identified in this Parks Master Plan.

Look at improving park user satisfaction in City of Los Banos by increasing shade for picnic areas and
playgrounds ... increasing maintenance staff ..

Establish and maintain a high-quality public park
system for Los Banos.

Involve citizens, especially youths, in maintaining park areas through ... park watches ... cleanup and repair.

Retrofit existing parks, as appropriate, to reduce
maintenance cost and water use, and to improve
safety and aesthetics.

Improve the equitable distribution and quality of trail amenities including drinking fountains, trash
receptacles, bike racks, dog waste stations, shade
trees, and benches.

When greenways are included in new communities to
meet the park acreage requirements, at a minimum,
sidewalks and benches shall be installed to connect
streets and neighborhoods to parks and other
facilities.

Pursue the conservation of water in parks and facilities by ... replacing high water use Landscaping such as
decorative turf with drought tolerant and low wateruse planting and hardscape materials where appropriate.

Pursue development of green infrastructure by
incorporating pervious surfaces and bio-retention
features to recharge and cleanse stormwater runoff.

Increase shade and the number of trees within tne
park system.

Develop a 15-year capital infrastructure and
equipment plan that responsibly plans and guides
park needs ...

Encourage volunteerism and community-built
projects, such as community gardens, dog parks, and
bicycle skill courses.

Continue to pursue LLDs for operational funding. The
Parks and Recreation Division has LLDs ... to provide a dedicated funding source related to park
development and maintenance.

Identify ADA access needs within and to City parks
and make improvements.

Los Banos Parks Master Plan Page I 66
201
Management Framework
Table 18. Proposed tree plantings for park improvements listed in the Parks Master Plan Location Number of Shade Trees or Descri tion
]1h Street Ballpark
Cresthills Park
Jo-Lin Park
Regency D Park
Skylark Park and Expansion
Vineyard Basin C Park
HG Fawcett Canal Trail and Wolf sen Park
Rail Trail Extensions
Oliveira Soccer Park
Vineyard Basin A Park
Vineyard Basin B Park
Dos Amigos Park
Gardens Ill Park
Meadowlands I Park
Meadowlands II Park
Orchard Terrace Park
Page Avenue Extension
Presidential Park
Rancho dos Amigos Greenway Park
Ranchwood Park
Regency Tot Lot
Verona Basin Park
TOTAL
Install shade trees along ]1h street
Install pavers at empty tree well
Install 40 shade trees
Install up to 100 shade trees
Install new irrigation, turf, and 40 trees
lnstall ... shade trees
Install park amenities such as shade trees ...

Install 40 shade trees
Install 12 shade trees
Install 25 shade trees
Install 30 shade trees
Install 4 shade trees
Install 6 shade trees
Install 6 shade trees
lnstall ... landscaping and trees and mulch with irrigation Install 20 shade trees
Install 40 shade trees
Grind and remove stump, install new shade tree
Install 20 shade trees
Install 20 shade trees
Install shade trees
Install 30 shade trees
DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 67 202
Management Framework

BENCHMARKS AND COMPARISONS FOR CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
General
Plan
Climate
Plans
Parks Plans
Los BANOS, CA
2009 General Plan
None to date
2020 Parks Master
Plan

COMPARISON
Typically, General Plans are
updated every 5-10 years.

Climate Actions Plans are
beginning to include tree
planting and preservation as
strategies and measures to
address climate change.

Parks and recreation plans
are beginning to integrate
analyses and discussions
around tree canopy cover,
tree plantings, engagement.
and policies for trees in
parks and open space.

CONSIDERATIONS
Goals and policies in the General
Plan and the UFMP align.

Goals and policies in a Climate
Action Plan and the UFMP
should align. The Urban Forestry
Program should work closely
with departments and partners
involved in sustainability, urban
heat reduction, resiliency, and
climate efforts.

Goals and policies in the parks
plans and the UFMP align. The
UFMP provides a summary of
the Parks Master Plan's goals
and policies that impact or
influence the urban forest.

Strategies in the UFMP will
complement the Parks Master
Plan.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS

SECTION
Los Banos
General
Plan
Parks
Master
Plan
Other City
Plans
• • • •• •
Participate in the plan
update process to
include urban forest
management context.

Improve the Urban
Forestry Program by
· -aligning goals and
policies of the parks
Master Plan with the
UFMP.

Update standards,
specifications, and
procedures based on
recommendations in
the UFMP and changes
to resources and the
urban forest.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS
California law requires each county and city in the state develop and adopt a comprehensive plan to guide
future actions of a community. Integrating and
mainstreaming urban forestry within the General Plan
builds support. aligns common goals, leverages
resources, and ensures long-lasting impacts.

Trees in parks comprise the urban forest. Implementing
the Parks Master· Plan will expand this element of the
urban forest along-with improvements to staffing levels, maintenance, and sustainable landscapes.

The City's Landscape Standards and Specifications
(2004) and Community Design Standards (2008) provide
urban forestry-specific standards and best practices.

The UFMP makes recommendations to strengthen
these standards and best practices and related
documents should be updated. Changes to City
ordinances and policies should also be reflected in
these documents.

Los Banos Parks Master Plan Page I 68
203
Management Framework
CURRENT STRUCTURE FOR MANAGING Los BANOS' URBAN FOREST
Parks & Recreation
Recreation Park
• Youth Maintenance
Services • Park
• Adult Maintenance
Services • Urban
• Senior Forestry
Services • Landscape &
• Special Lighting
Programs Districts
,.,
-•-
'•'
CITY OF Los BANOS, CA

URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN
• Inspections
• Development
Review
• Capital
Improvement
Program
Public and
private tree
services and
impacts
PubUcWorks
Operations
Streets Fleet&
• Street Facilities
Maintenance • Fleet Maint-
• Sidewalk. enance
Curb. & • Fleet
Gutter ReplaceReplacement ment
• Special • Building
Projects Maint-enance
• Preventative
Maintenance
Other Sections
Water
Solid Waste
Wastewater
Airport
Subdivision
review.
annexations,
area plans,
final
development
plans, site
plan review,
use permits,
CEQA zoning,
General Plan,
GIS, variances
Housing
Rehab
Program,
Home-buyers
Program,
Neighborhood Stabilization
Program.

Code
Enforcement
Figure 32. Organizational chart detailing the departments and divisions involved in urban forestry activities DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Retail&
Industrial
Recruitment,
Business
Retention &
Expansion,
Marketing,
Downtown
Revitalization
Page I 69
204
Management Framework
Public Tree Management Structure
The City of Los Banos is responsible for the maintenance, removal, and planting of street trees as well as the pruning of trees for street and sidewalk clearance, and the removal of dead, weak, or hazardous limbs. While pruning conforms to accepted professional standards, street trees are not pruned for aesthetic purposes. Pruning may be done by the adjacent property owner with a permit. The City requires the pruning by permit to adhere to City standards in order to protect the health and vitality of public trees.

The Los Banos Tree Commission serves in an advisory capacity to the Parks & Recreation Commission and to the Public Works Department regarding the importance of trees to the community. The Commission was formed as part of the City's commitment to being a Tree City, USA. It has helped the City be acknowledged as a Tree City USA every year since 1991. The Commission makes recommendations on the planting and maintenance of trees. It also provides recommendations regarding the present and future needs of the City in connection with trees in public spaces, commercial locations, and residential areas. The Tree Commission works closely with the Director and staff of the Public Works Department. The Commission also helps educate community residents on the importance of trees and the proper planting and maintenance of trees.

The City of Los Banos' Public Works Department's Parks and Recreation Division oversees public tree management and other programs and services. The Division is comprised of the Recreation and Park Maintenance Sections. Park Maintenance oversees park maintenance, urban forestry, and landscape & lighting districts. In addition to the Park Maintenance Section, Public Works Operations Division's Streets and Fleet & Facilities Sections play a role in public tree management. For private trees, the Public Works' Engineering Division conducts inspections, development review, and projects as part of the Capital Improvement Program. The Engineering Division and the Community and Economic Development Department's role in urban forestry is summarized in the upcoming section.

Recreation Services
Recreation Services provides a diverse array of offerings and opportunities for all members of the community. Recreation provides several spaces for recreational activity including community centers, recreation halls, sports fields, and 40 parks in the community. Recreation provides administrative support for partner programs and services, fundraisers, community events, and City programs. The Recreation Section supports enhancing shade trees in public areas and retaining the City's Tree City USA status.

Future outlooks and roles for Recreation Services include activities, events, and resources for seniors:
work with youth programs: establish best practices for contracts:-1inprove the Community Center overflow parking area: and pursue partnerships.

Engineering Division
The Division is committed to providing quality engineering direction, decisions, and technical support to all City Departments. The Division reviews and inspects public and private projects to ensure City Standards and Specifications are being met. Engineering is also responsible for monitoring state permits and prepares all required annual reports related to those permits.

Future outlooks and roles for the Engineering Division include studying alternatives for supplying quality drinking water, support the Planning Division in the technical review of plans, update the City's Improvement Standards, design and construct Utility Master Plan projects, construct storm drain basins, develop plans relating to traffic, utilities, and parks, and repair manholes.

Street Services of Public Works
Street Services is responsible for the maintenance, repair, and improvements of the City's 123 miles of streets, five miles of alleys, 227 miles of curb and gutter, and 216 miles of sidewalks. Services include Public Tree Management Structure Page I 70
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pavement management, concrete improvements, sidewalk maintenance, streetlight maintenance, painting street markings and curb markings, traffic signs and signals, bridges, minor construction, flood control, and traffic surveys.

Future outlooks and roles for Street Services include repairing curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and storm drains; install ADA corners; annual sidewalk surveys; and purchase and implement an asset management system.

Park Maintenance Services
Park Maintenance Services maintains and operates the City's approximately 200+ acres of park, open space, and landscape areas. Park Maintenance provides services and improvements for 14 park buildings and restroom facilities. Maintenance also oversees the landscaping of City median, right-ofway, and planters throughout the City. Park Maintenance is responsible for servicing and improving the City's Urban Forestry Program. This includes the maintenance of designated City-owned street trees and park trees.

Future outlooks and roles for Park Maintenance Services primarily hinges on the implementation of the Urban Forest Management Plan but may include increased shade through tree plantings in parks and green spaces; installation of a dog park; creation of a Parks Maintenance Management Plan:
implementation of the Parks Master Plan; development of a Tree Master Plan for planting and maintenance in line with the UFMP: pursuit of green infrastructure grants and funding opportunities:
and maintenance of parks and green space while adhering to water restrictions.

Park Maintenance is responsible for all tree-related activities that occur in City parks and properties, including planting, establishment care, pruning, and responding to emergency situations. Parks Maintenance manages up to an estimated 3,400 trees in maintained areas of City parks. The total number of trees and frequency of park users necessitates trees being maintained at an optimal level for the safety of park users. Without an adequate number of professionally trained and certified arborists on staff, Park Maintenance is unable to ensure all park trees are in a safe condition and actively address potential risks before an emergency occurs.

City staff observed the tree population to be aging and declining in population, with many trees experiencing limb or whole tree failure. Park Maintenance supports planting trees and increasing tree canopy cover, however, challenges with space, staffing, and available irrigation sometimes prohibit that from occurring. Another challenge of tree planting in City parks is a lack of coordination on tree placement and species selection during new facility planning and construction. The design and installation of new park facilities is manage_d outside of Park Maintenance. The process does not require consultation with Park Maintenance staff about how the design will impact existing trees or to make decisions as to what tree species are appropriate for the location. It was stated during interviews with Park Maintenance staff that this level of coordination happens on an ad hoc basis, and in some instances. Park Maintenance staff are not made aware of the pending development project. On some occasions. the lack of coordination resulted in existing trees being removed that could have otherwise been preserved, and inappropriate species being planted at the site. However, these issues are largely avoided when Park Maintenance or the Urban Forestry Program are involved in the development process from the beginning of the project. As such, the development process should be updated to include mandatory review by Park Maintenance staff and professional arborists within Park Maintenance or other divisions at project initiation and before plans are finalized.

The planting of new trees in parks also presents the challenge of how establishment care will occur, and who will be responsible for the tree watering. City parks are a favorite location for tree planting events for City Council offices and corporate groups, many of which are coordinated with the assistance of volunteers. Parks provide a setting to effectively manage volunteers and create a good DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page J 71 206
Management Frameworl
volunteer experience. Park Maintenance staff welcome the opportunity to have volunteer groups plant trees in parks, but do not have the capacity to provide establishment care and watering or manage the volunteers and events. Often the care is cost prohibitive to provide automated irrigation to the newly planted trees, and funds are not available to contract out watering. As a result, the group who planted the trees are responsible for tree watering. A newly planted tree in Los Banos will require up to three years (sometimes longer depending on weather) of regular watering to remain healthy and establish its root system. This long-term commitment is usually difficult for a community or corporate group to fund or provide, and eventually the care will drop off. If community members, corporate groups, and elected officials desire to continue to plant trees in City parks for community engagement and volunteer activities, there must be an established watering and maintenance plan before the planting project moves forward. Without a maintenance plan in place, Park Maintenance cannot guarantee trees planted by volunteers will survive through the establishment period.

Private Property Tree Management Structure
The primary limitation of the current structure of Los Banos' departments and divisions is delineating the management of trees on private property to the Community and Economic Development Department (CED), This structure reduces the emphasis and priority of trees due to other competing planning responsibilities, such as the development of zoning and planning policies and amendments, plan review, and enforcement of zoning codes. Despite requiring tree removal permits, CED does not have an ISA Certified Arborist on staff to make science-based decisions about tree-related issues.

Arboriculture knowledge and experience is not typically associated with the education and experience of Community and Economic Development planners and engineers.

Community and Economic Development (CED) Department Overview CED is committed to working with the public, development community, business community, and non-profit organizations to enhance the quality of life in the community; promote safe, attractive, and sustainable development; and facilitate development projects that meet the City's objectives and standards.

The mission of CED is to guide the physical development of the City in a manner that will foster positive social and economic growth, which is consistent with the goals of the General Plan and build a stronger community by planning, promoting, and facilitating economic development; increasing, improving, and preserving existing jobs and creating new ones; working to implement the City's General Plan; and- to as great a degree as possible- working with owners and tenants to increase entrepreneurial opportunity and property values in the community.

CED is committed to developing and implementing programs to support the City's General Plan. The Department promotes sustainable development and encourages quality design and livability of residential neighborhoods, commercial areas, and industrial zones within the City's sphere of influence. CED provides a variety of services to fulfill the objectives of the General Plan, provide efficient permit processing services, and encourage public participation in the land use process. CED is responsible for implementation of Los Banos' General Plan. Zoning Ordinance, adopted specific plans and other associated ordinances. Responsibilities include:
• Responding to public inquiries related to land-use and property development regulations. • Providing solution-oriented customer service to support economic development opportunities whenever possible.
• Reviewing land-use entitlement applications (e.g. tentative map, conditional use permit, annexation, general plan amendment, site plan review, etc.) for conformance with adopted policies and regulations.

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• Administering the California Environmental Quality Act (CEOA) for environmental review related to planning and development proposals.
• Updating and maintaining the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance. • Administration of the Business License Program.
• Providing staff support for the Planning Commission and the Economic Development Advisory Commission.
• Resolving land-use related violations alongside Code Enforcement.

As noted in departmental interviews, several CED staff expressed this same concern, recognizing arboriculture is outside of their skillset and experience and indicating their preference is to not make decisions on tree-related issues. As a result, the Parks and Recreation Division often weighs in on planning and designs, further stressing staff capacity. This scenario provides a workable short-term solution for including arborist review of planning projects that may be more controversial, but also redirects limited Parks and Recreation Division staff time and resources from managing public space trees. Since this short-term solution redirects Parks and Recreation's attention from public space trees to private space trees, it should not be considered a viable long-term solution for the City to effectively manage trees on private property.

Planning Division
The Planning Division within Community and Economic Development is responsible for tree issues on private property when it relates to the implementation of tree ordinances and tree removal permits.

Each of these responsibilities requires the knowledge of an experienced arborist to ensure arboricultural and best management standards, as defined by ISA, are correctly applied. When deciding whether a private property tree removal permit should be approved, Planning Division staff must assess whether the tree is alive or dead, whether it poses a risk to people and property, and if there are alternatives to preserve the tree.

Together, these departments and divisions strive to improve the health, wellness, and quality of life for Los Banos residents by offering a wide variety of programs and services. Through the Park Maintenance Section, over 12,000 public trees are managed, new trees are planted, and long-range planning is applied to the Citywide urban forest comprising 14 percent of Los Banos' land area.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page 173 208
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Park Maintenance Funding Structure
To maintain and grow Los Banos' urban forest, Plan goals must be adequately funded to support successful implementation. There are several factors that can be used to determine if the City is funding the Urban Forestry Program to meet established safety and economic goals, while maximizing the environmental services provided by trees. These factors include (1) maintaining trees in a safe condition, (2) adequate staffing to enforce ordinances and implement policies, and (3) managing new tree planting to expand Citywide canopy cover in support of the climate, sustainability, public health, and equity goals. Additionally, as the City's economic conditions change, funding should be thoughtfully allocated to prioritized urban forest management actions so the City can continue to progress towards a sustainable urban forest. Analysis of the City's Urban Forestry Program funding incorporated the use of methods that are based on (1) current program goals, (2) a comparison of funding levels with other municipalities' urban forest management programs, and (3) applicable sustainability principles.

Urban Forestry Program Funding
To develop a sustainable urban forest program sufficient funding is necessary. There is no set standard for what a city will need to invest in managing its tree population to support a sustainable urban forest program. The funding allocation will vary depending on the City's health, safety, and environmental goals.

City budgets to manage trees in the public space vary considerably for per-tree spending, from as low as $9 (City of Los Banos) to as high as the $37 per tree average for cities with a population of 25,000 to 50,000 people (Hauer, et al. 2014). Locally, per tree values of over $100 can be found in cities like Palo Alto ($119 per tree). The substantial gap in per-tree spending requires further examination to understand if it progresses a City's urban forest program goals and is sufficient to support tasks needed to manage a tree population (i.e .. such as maintaining a 5- to ?-year pruning cycle and annually planting trees to increase canopy cover).

In analyzing the current funding levels of Los Banos' Urban Forestry Program, this Plan reviewed the annual budgets for all tree-related work, considered the amount of work completed in those years, and compared funding to other municipal tree budgets. Based on a budget of $115,000 from fiscal year 2019, and an estimated public tree population of 12,300, the City of Los Banos spends approximately $9 per tree annually. It should be noted, it is estimated the public open space and natural areas in the City may contain hundreds of thousands of trees though these trees are not actively managed. Tree management in these areas occurs primarily along the wildland-urban interface and trails in the form of storm damage cleanup and removals.

An important factor in determining if funding is sufficient, is understanding whether maintenance practices are supporting program goals and other goals developed in the Plan. Some maintenance practices, such as the frequency with which a newly planted tree is watered, are specific to local climate conditions and annual rain totals in an area. Others, such as maintaining a 5- to ?-year pruning cycle (Miller, et al. 1981 and Hauer et al. 2015) are relatively consistent for all tree management programs. As such, the City's pruning cycle is a useful indicator to understand its funding needs. The Identifying Optimal Pruning Cycles subsection within the Urban Forestry Best Practices section details the estimated costs for various pruning cycle scenarios.

Based on the analysis, the City does not currently dedicate enough funds to implement an industryrecommended pruning cycle and may consider options to incrementally increase tree management.

As such, current funding does not support additional management actions recommended in this Plan, like proactively maintaining all City trees. If the City were to take on additional management of street trees, one possible avenue to increase funding could come through a special assessment fee, use of the Gas Tax, or tax paid for by residents. To that end, the public survey asked respondents if they Park Maintenance Funding Structure Page I 74
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Management Framework
would support additional funding to services provided by the Urban Forestry Program. The results indicate a measure of support for enhanced management- 74 percent support funding to decrease the response time for the City to prune, maintain, and address dead tree removal requests. See the Engagement to Inform the Plan section for more details.

To make an informed request for increases to the program budget, an analysis of the current funding for the Urban Forestry Program and Parks Tree Maintenance section was completed.

Tree Tree
Total UF Per Capita Tree Planting and Maintenance Removal Management Budget Budget Initial Care Budget Budget Budget Budget
$115,000 $45,000 $35,000 $20,000 $15,000
Table 19. Los Banos Urban Forestry Program budget summary reported for free City USA 2019 Trees Planted 2019 Trees Pruned 2019 Trees Removed 2019 Volunteer Time 2,000 2,000 30 1,200
Table 20. Los Banos Urban Forestry Program activity summary reported for Tree City USA 2019 The tables above summarize the Urban Forestry Program budgets and activities as reported to the Arbor Day Foundation for Tree City USA accreditation. Consultations with the City's Parks and Recreation Operations Manager uncovered additional structures and details regarding budgets for tree-related services and programs.

Budgets from Landscape & Lighting Assessment Districts (LLDs) have specific line items and allocations for tree care. Line item (Account) 225 is specifically for tree care and is assigned to a contractor. Parts of Account 221 (Parks Maintenance) are used for tree care, though no more than 5 percent. The majority of funds in 221 are used for irrigation repairs and site improvements. The City often uses Account 221 to buy trees that are planted in parks or rights-of-way.

In the General Fund Maintenance Budget line item that ends in 238, technical services are used for contracted work. A bulk of this is allocated to irrigation repairs, a remainder is for tree care and occasionally smaller projects. Most recently, approximately $20,000 of this budget for line item 238 is for tree care.

The City commonly contracts tree care for two reasons- 1) It is underneath powerlines. The City does not have staff to conduct tree trimmings when power lines are involved, and 2) tall trees that cannot be reached with the City's current equipment. Examples of these would be the palm trees at Talbott Park.

Recently, a capital project was funded specifically for trees in the amount of $20,000 for Canal Trail trees. It also included irrigation retro-fitting to allow for future tree planting. As of 2021, 50-100 trees were expected to be planted as part of the project. If approved, in order to fill gaps along the trail.

In 2021, the Urban Forestry Program requested a new stump grinder and aerial boom truck for equipment pending approval as of April 2022.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Pagel75 210
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Workflows, Shared Priorities, and Challenges
In September and October of 2021, the urban forestry consultants met with members of the community to identify existing workflows, measures of success, concerns, priorities, and shared goals and outcomes as it relates to trees in the City. A total of 23 staff or commission members were invited to participate in a five-question survey and participate in follow-up interviews if desired. A total of nine survey responses were received from staff representing the Public Works and the Community and Economic Development departments. In addition, members from the Tree Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission participated. The figure below provides the summary of responses.

Figure 33. Illustration of the responses from the staff and commission member survey From the surv~y, it ".<'as found th~ majority serve as advocates for public tree_s and park irriprovements and over half are involved with City ordinances and Code enforcement. Over half of the respondents noted the current staffing levels as a challenge, along with needed improvements as it relates to storm response, pest and disease management, climate change mitigation, wildfires, and drought (44 percent). Improved standards, protocols, and budgets were also a challenge noted, each at 44 percent. The respondents noted their top priorities to address in the Plan as Code enforcement to meet the 50 percent shade requirement for improvement projects, replacing dead or dying trees, planting in underserved areas, providing the proper care for trees, addressing tree and utility conflicts, planting the right tree for the site, and providing public education and volunteer events. Respondents would like to see this Plan address staffing (15 percent), community engagement (11 percent), resource shortages (11 percent), training (g percent), and tree-related data (g percent). Other desired outcomes include forestry equipment, improved program structure and efficiencies, and long-range goals.

By utilizing the input shared by staff and commission members, along with the benchmarking research, the inventory and canopy analysis, public engagement, and the Urban Forest Audit, this Urban Forest Management Plan provides goals and strategies to address shared concerns and priorities.

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BENCHMARKS AND COMPARISONS FOR PROGRAM STRUCTURE
·Los BANOS, CA COMPARISON CONSIDERATIONS
Statewide: 75% are The structure and form of General Law government influences Form of General Law 2021 Urban Forest programs, services, Government Council-manager Benchmarking of 30 CA authority, funding mechanisms, among
Cities: 50% are General other characteristics.

Law
2021 Urban Forest The planning process to
Location of Benchmarking of 53 CA develop the UFMP
Urban Parks and Recreation Cities: 49% have a Tree identified areas for Division within the Public or Urban Forestry improving efficiencies one Forestry of which includes Works Department Division consolidation of urban Program 35% are in Public Works forestry programs into
(Thompson, et al. 2018) one work section.

Industry recommends 1
staff for every 10,000

1.00 FTEs public trees as a
Parks and Recreation baseline.

Urban Operations Manager (1.00)
Forestry 1:12,622 (1 staff for every 12.6k Average for cities with Park Maintenance and Program trees) 25-5ok populations: 1 other divisions/sections staff for every 5,967 have a role in urban forest
Staffing Suggorting Divisions: public trees. management Levels Public Works Street Services (Hauer, et al. 2014) CED Planning Division
Publics Works Engineering 70% of CA cities have o4 FTEs (Thompson, et al. 2018)
The primary source of
funds for urban forest
-$115,000 (2021) 2014 average budget management come from the General Fund but Fundin.g Primary Source: General for cities with 25-5ok otlcler sources include Structure Fund population: $344k permit/mitigation fees, (Hauer, et al. 2014) Landscape and Lighting
District. and Capital
Improvement Fund,
among others.
10 of 32 (31%) CA cities
have a free street tree
Arbor Day and Earth Day planting program
Urban 2 of 32 (6%) CA cities
New programs may
emerge and existing
Forestry Tree Permits: TBD have a cost-share programs may expand as program for street tree a result of implementing
Programs Count of Heritage Trees: maintenance this Plan.

TBD (2021 UFMP
Benchmarking)
DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page 177 212
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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROGRAM STRUCTURE

SECTION RECOMMENDED ACTION KEY CONSIDERATIONS
Program
Structure
Establish, document. or
strengthen Standard
Operating Procedures
between City
departments and
divisions.

Utilize the findings from
the UFMP to increase
capacity and resources.

Consolidate treerelated programs to
increase effidency,
capacity, and levels of
service.

Multiple city departments and divisions are involved with trees in the City. Standard Operating Procedures provide agreed upon guidance and workflows to ensure projects
and services do not hinder goals and priorities of others.

The tree inventory data provides the priority maintenance and removals necessary for a safe and sustainable public tree population. The ecosystem benefit analyses provide information that resonates with community members, City Council. and even other City departments. Utilize the
summaries provided in the UFMP to build support for
increasing staffing Levels and the necessary funding for proactive tree care and Citywide urban forest
management.

Tree responsibilities are dispersed across multiple City departments and divisions in a fractured system which
contributes to inefficiencies in management. One
possibility to streamline tree management is to create a new work section that encompasses all tree management
activities within the City. If all tree-related management activities, permitting, enforcement. customer service, and planning decisions were coalesced into one section with added service Lines, it would maximize efficiency and
productivity. The main benefits are increasing efficiency, changing workplace culture, and the capacity for the
manager to assume more responsibility over service lines as needed. Considerations for a new Urban Forestry
Division should be explored in the long term.

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SECTION
Funding
Structure

RECOMMENDED ACTION I KEY CONSIDERATIONS
Further study the
funding mechanisms
most appropriate to
support community
forest management.
and the degree to
which residents or the
City would generate the
funding.

To fund the proactive
pruning for street trees
and the necessary
equipment and
resources. explore the
potential to use
alternate funding
sources.

Continue to maintain
the tree inventory and
program records to
justify budget requests.

Acquire and sustain
staffing levels that more
closely align with
industry ·
recommendations and
the needs of the City's
urban forest and
customer service.

Public survey respondents showed varying opinions on
where additional funding should be allocated but the
majority support the improved response time by the City for street tree maintenance.

Alternative funding sources such as the City's portion of the Gas Tax should be explored to support the Urban
Forestry Program's staffing levels and levels of service.

The necessary resources and staffing to manage the
urban forest sustainably should be informed by data
derived from tree inventories, public surveys, staff reports, and other sources.

Los Banos' total staffing Citywide is below the average for cities in the region. Specific to the Urbari Forestry
Program, there is a shortage of 1:So full-time employees compared to the average when looking at the proportion
of public street and park tr:ees to the number of staff. This analysis does not account for the estimated 480,000 trees in natural areas and open space but these trees are not to be managed as intensively as street and park trees.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page 179 214
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EXISTING TREE CODE AND REGULATIONS
Tree ordinances are among the tools used by cities striving to attain a healthy, vigorous, and wellmanaged urban forest. By themselves, however, tree ordinances cannot assure that the trees in and around a community will be improved or even maintained. Tree ordinances simply provide the authorization and standards for management activities. If these activities are not integrated into an overall management strategy, problems are likely to arise. Without an overall strategy, management will be haphazard, inefficient, and ineffective, and the urban forest will suffer. This section provides an overview of the existing ordinances in Los Banos that address trees and the urban forest.

Street Trees
The ordinance that regulates street trees is located in Title 10, Parks and Recreation, Chapter 1: Trees, Shrubs, and Plants within Los Banos Municipal Code. This ordinance addresses planting and removal of trees within public rights-of-way and contains provisions governing maintenance or removal of private trees which pose a hazard to the traveling public.

The trees regulated under this ordinance are defined along with the requirements to adhere to industry standards and best practices. The ordinance also includes the process, criteria, fees, enforcement, and appeals as part of the tree permitting program. Currently, there is no fee for the street tree permit though a tree that is in question or disputed may require an arborist report at the property owner's expense.

In addition, Los Banos' street tree ordinance protects public street trees by defining the fees and course of action for interference with City actions and damage to public trees. And lastly, heritage trees are defined and regulated along and the requirements for tree protection of all trees are detailed.

As part of the Urban Forest Management Plan project, recommended revisions to the ordinance regarding public trees were provided to align with industry standards, best practices, community input, resources available, and the needs of the urban forest.

Private Property Trees
One factor to developing a sustainable urban forest is the extent to which the City can effectively influence the management of trees on private property as most of the urban forest exists on privately owned land. These trees are managed differently than street trees on public property, and are under the purview of the Community and Economic Development Department. The City's methods by which it can influence tree management on private -property are a combination of indirect actions, such as community education campaigns, and direct actions, such as city ordinances, policies, and permits.

An attractive quality of a robust community education campaign is voluntary participation from private landowners to contribute to reaching environmental and sustainability goals by implementing city standards for tree management. While some private landowners will adopt and implement city tree management standards, it is not reasonable to expect all private landowners to do so, which is the impetus for city ordinances, policies, and permit procedures to further enforce tree management standards on private property.

Private Property Tree Removal
In addition to ordinances for street trees, the City has ordinances that regulate trees and landscaping on private property- primarily in Title g, Planning and Zoning, Chapter 3: Zoning. The hardscape and landscape requirements are detailed for each zoning type and as part of the Urban Forest Management Plan project, recommended revisions to the ordinance for a sustainable urban forest and smart growth were provided.

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BENCHMARKS FOR TREE CODE AND REGULATIONS

ATTRIBUTE
Effectiveness
of
Ordinances
Tree
Removal
Fees
Los BANOS, CA
(2021)
Count of permits
received: TBD
Count permits
approved: TBD
Count of violations:

TBD
There is currently
no street tree
removal permit fee.

Fees for private
property permits
are established by
resolution of the
City Council.

COMPARISON
• New residential tree planting:
65% effective
• New commercial tree planting:
64% effective
• Private property tree hazard
abatement: 45% effective
• Tree preservation during
development: 33% effective
• Assists tree canopy cover goals:
30% effective
(Thompson, et al. 2018).
3 of 32 CA cities have a fee for
street tree permits
Average private tree removal
permit fee for 32 CA cities is
$364 ($40 - $2,599)
(2021 UFMP Benchmarking)
DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022

CONSIDERATIONS
The count of permits and
violations serve as an
indicator of ordinance use
and effectiveness.

Recommendations for
updates to tree-related
ordinances were
provided as part of this
Plan.

Generally, it is
recommended not to
impart a fee for street
tree removal permits but
the fee for private
property tree removal
permits should reflect
industry
recommendations,
regional averages, and
City-specific impacts and
needs.

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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TREE CODE AND REGULATIONS

SECTION RECOMMENDED ACTION I KEY CONSIDERATIONS
Street
Trees
Private
Property
Trees
Landscape
Design
Standards
Review and refine the
recommended
changes to Title 10,
Chapter 1 of Los Banos
Municipal Code.

Review and refine the .
recommended
changes to Title g,
Chapter 3 of Los Banos
Municipal Code.

Update the City's
landscape and
improvement
standards and ---
specifications as
changes to ordinances
occur
Strengthening the foundation of sound policies enables
tong-term success of the Plan. The process to develop
the Plan included a comprehensive review and analysis
of existing ordinances, policies, procedures, and
guidelines. This evaluation was informed by City staff
interviews. benchmarking research of other CA cities.
and a cross-examination of Los Banos' regulations to
industry standards and best practices. The
recommendations for revision to these regulations are
provided as a separate study to the Urban Forest
Management Plan project.

Strengthening the foundation ·of sound policies enables long-term success of the Plan. The process to develop
the Plan included a comprehensive review and analysis
of existing ordinances, policies, procedures, and
guidelines. This evaluation was informed by City staff
interviews, benchmarking research of other CA cities,
and a cross-examination of Los Banos' regulations to
industry standards and best practices. The
recommendations for revision to these regulations are
provided as a separate study to the Urban Forest
Management Plan project.

As part of the development of the Plan,
recommendations for changes to the tree-related
ordinances, design standards, and practices were
·· provided. The City should further evaluate the
recommendations to amend these policies and
regulations that will support the implementation of the Plan.

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URBAN FORESTRY BEST PRACTICES
Urban forest management priorities should in part be determined by the current maintenance practices and how well they support program goals and the Plan's goals. Some maintenance practices are specific to local climate conditions and number of trees to manage. Others, such as maintaining an optimal pruning cycle are relatively consistent for all tree management programs. As such, the City's current pruning cycle can be used to identify the funding and staffing needs.

Identifying Optimal Pruning Cycles
A study (Miller, et al. 20154) was conducted for Milwaukee, Wisconsin to determine the optimum pruning cycle by comparing the marginal cost of pruning to its marginal return. For example. a portion of Milwaukee was inventoried to record tree condition and calculate tree value. Since condition class influences tree value, the date of Last pruning and average condition class for each work unit inventoried was subjected to regression analysis. This analysis determines the relationship between pruning and condition class (see Figure 43 below). Marginal costs were calculated based on the Loss of tree value, using condition classes, for each one-year extension of the pruning cycle. Marginal returns are the savings in pruning costs for each one-year extension of the pruning cycle. For Milwaukee, the relationship between marginal cost and return indicates that the optimum pruning cycle for the city is five years, assuming the management goal is to provide the highest-value tree population for dollars expended .. This study provides an example of the framework to utilize in Los Banos to address deferred maintenance. City-specific scenarios are provided further in this section.

Figure 34 a) Relationship between pruning cycle length (number of years since last pruning) and condition class rating. Asterisk t) indicates regression is significant at the 0.05 level. b) fv1arginal cost (loss of tree value) and marginal return (savings in pruning costs) for pruning cycle lengths. For this study, the optimal pruning cycle is where marginal costs and marginal returns intersectat 5 years. Figure recreated from fv1iller and Sylvester (1981). - The Costs of Maintaining and Not Maintaining the Urban Forest: A Review of the Urban Forestry and Arboriculture Literature (Jess Vogt, Richard J. Hauer, and Burnell C. Fischer, 2015) 80 a 200,000 b - Marginal cost
180,000
I
78 • • I - - - Marginal return
I 0 • 160,000 I The point at which
I marginal costs and
76 I marginal returns
140,000 I intersect i.e., the
I optimal pruning
i74 I cycle. 120,000 I VI
VI I ro Ill
0 ... I
C: 72 • ..!3! 100,000 I 0 • 0 ·,.:; C I ~ \ C: 80,000 8 70 \ J \
60,000 \
- 2* Y a 76.7 + o.196X - 0.07 4X 40,000
66 20,000 ...... _
... ---- 64 4 0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Number of years since last pruning Pruning cycle length (Years) 4 Miller, R. W., Hauer, R. J., & Werner, L. P. (2015). Urban Forestry: Planning and Managing Urban Greenspaces, Third Edition.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 83 218
Management Framework
An Optimal Pruning Cycle for Los Banos' PubUc Trees
As illustrated in the 2015 study for Milwaukee (Figure 33), a 5- to ?-year pruning cycle is the optimal intersection of efficiency and safety. If each public tree were to be maintained within a 5- to ?-year window, research shows the trees would be in a safer condition while limiting city expenses. Based on the analysis (Figure 33), a pruning cycle on a shorter timeframe has a higher cost to a city but does not correlate to a proportional increase in safety. Conversely, a longer timeframe lowers costs to a city, but also decreases tree safety.

Figure 35- As the time (years) between street tree
pruning increases, tree health and safety decrease
and costs increase
PRUNING ROTATION 1'
E HEALTH w
SAFETY w
TIME ➔ ➔ ➔
In Los Banos, the City is responsible for caring for 7,997 trees along streets, in medians and backup lots, and 3,393 trees in maintained areas of public parks. A total of 943 public trees also exist in vacant lots or areas classified as "other". Historical records show an average count of public trees pruned annually is approximately 2,000 trees of the 12,333 public tree population. This results in an
approximate cycle of six years. Maintaining this cycle is or even a reduced cycle of five years is recommended to
prevent an accumulation of maintenance needs and
added risk. If prolonged deferred maintenance occurs,
there is a triple negative effect on costs- it reduces the health and sustainability of the urban forest, it costs the residents and adjacent property owners as the associated benefits of trees are diminished as tree health declines, and costs the City in terms of increased callouts and liability management.

The following analysis is based on determining what funding may be needed to maintain the entire public tree population on a 5-year pruning cycle, to create a baseline for the City to measure its progression towards sustainable urban forest management.

Based on a market comparison of the costs of program pruning, guidance for implementing programmed pruning is listed for street (and median, backup lot, alley) trees (7,997), vacant lot trees (943), and trees in maintained areas of public parks (3,393). The trees in open space and natural areas and public trees in unmaintained areas of the City are not included in the following study. • • ••
Scenario All Public Trees
Total Public Tree CQ.lJrit (inventoried)~
Total Live Public Trees
Public Street Trees
Public Park Trees
Public Trees in Vacant or "Other" Areas
Count of Trees Eligible for Routine Pruning
Current Cycle (-6 years)
Current Cycle Annual Cost
5-Year Cycle
5-Year Cycle Annual Cost
12,622
12,333
7,997
3,393
943
11,987
2,000 trees per year
$300,000 (est.)
2,400 trees per year
$360,000 (est.)
Cycle Gap (Current vs. 5-Year Cycle) 400 more trees
Cycle Gap Annual Cost $60,000 added cost
·sased on an analysis of the inventory in December 2021 and provided as a coarse summary.

Identifying Optimal Pruning Cycles Page I 84
219
Management Framework
$150/tree
400 more trees
$60,000 added cost
$150/tree
400 more trees
$60,000 added cost
$70.35/tree
400 more trees
$28,140 added cost
$200/tree
400 more trees
$80,000 added cost
The tables above provide a summary of the costs to support programmed pruning of the public tree population. It should be noted that there are assumptions to the estimated costs for public tree maintenance. Table 22 above uses the estimated maintenance cost of $150 per tree based on the City's maintenance budget and the current average number of trees pruned annually (2,000). Also, the market research on costs for street tree maintenance found that the estimates are based on existing grid pruning programs that have been implemented for a number of years. The City of Los Banos largely has not been maintaining street trees in a programmed manner. Therefore, the per tree cost for grid pruning in Los Banos may be greater in the first rotation due to deferred maintenance causing increased maintenance needs and associated time. For this study, the cost estimates detailed above are used and summarized in Table 22 for a recommended 5-year rotational programmed pruning cycle compared to the current ~6-year pruning cycle.

A recommended programmed pruning cycle is typically five to seven years depending on the city's size, number of trees, types of trees, history of programmed pruning, available funding, staffing resources, and other factors. For this study, a rotation of five years is recommended. Based on the local costs and industry estimates, the costs to prune one-fifth of the public tree population would increase by $60,000. This requires the pruning of 2,400 trees annually- 400 more trees than the current average. In addition to street, median, backup lot. facilities, and trees in maintained areas of parks, trees in unmaintained areas of parks, open space, and natural areas also need to be maintained on occasion. The need for pruning may be due to clearance issues, trail hazards, pest and disease concerns, fire risk reduction, tree risk reduction, or a combination of factors. These trees are not included in the rotational pruning study. It should be noted that the costs associated with programmed pruning do not include the costs for tree removals among other management activities.

This study aims to provide a baseline assessment for consideration of the total potential costs for the City to enhance public tree management to address the detrimental effects of prolonged deferred maintenance. It is not the intended to serve as a formal recommendation in the Plan.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 85 220
Tree Inventory Best Practices
Management Framework
The City of Los Banos has an inventory of public trees that was completed in 2021. To maintain efficient management. grow a sustainable and resilient urban forest. communicate the benefits of trees, and adapt Plan strategies, the public tree inventory needs to be maintained and updated as
changes occur such as maintenance, removals, and
plantings. It will be necessary for the City to reassess each public tree to update the condition, size, observations, and maintenance needs that will support and inform urban forest management in the future. In conducting future inventories of public trees, the City should adhere to the International Society of Arboriculture's Best Management Practices - Tree Inventories, Second Edition (2013) resource that details the standards, practices, and protocols.

Tree Maintenance Best Practices
The following provides an overview of tree maintenance best practices. It is not intended to be an extensive or comprehensive summary of best practices. All tree maintenance practices should follow the American National Standards lnstitute's (ANSI) A300 Standards (Parts 1-10).

Reasons for Tree Pruning

1. Pruning for Safety
Involves removing branches that could fall and cause injury or property damage, trimming branches that interfere with lines of sight on streets or driveways, and removing branches that grow into utility lines. Safety pruning can be largely avoided by carefully choosing species that will not grow beyond the space available to them and have strength and form characteristics that are suited to the site.

2. Pruning for Health
Involves removing diseased or insect-infested wood, thinning the crown to increase airflow and reduce some pest problems, and removing crossing and rubbing branches. Pruning can best be used to encourage trees to develop a strong structure and reduce the likelihood of damage during severe weather. Removing broken or damaged limbs encourages wound closure.

3. Pruning for Form
Improves the structure of trees and removes branches that are more likely to fail. Branches that are poorly attached may be broken off by wind and accumulation-of snow and ice.

Branches removed by such natural forces often result in large, ragged wounds that rarely seal.

4. Pruning for Aesthetics
Involves enhancing the natural form and character of trees or stimulating flower production.

To reduce the need for pruning it is best to consider a tree's natural form. It is very difficult to impose an unnatural form on a tree without a commitment to constant care.

Common Types of Tree Pruning

1. Crown Cleaning
Consists of the selective removal of dead, dying, diseased, and weak branches from a tree's crown. No more than 25 percent of the live crown should be removed in any one year, even for young trees.

2. Crown Thinning
Primarily for hardwoods, thinning is the selective removal of branches to increase light penetration and air movement throughout the crown of a tree. The intent is to maintain or Tree Inventory Best Practices Page I 86
221
Management Framework
develop a tree's structure and form. To avoid unnecessary stress and prevent excessive production of epicormic sprouts, no more than one-quarter of the living crown should be removed at a time. If it is necessary to remove more, it should be done over successive years.

Branches with strong U-shaped angles of attachment should be retained. Branches with narrow, V-shaped angles of attachment often form included bark and should be removed.

3. Crown Raising
The practice of removing branches from the bottom of the crown of a tree to provide clearance for pedestrians, vehicles, buildings, lines of site, or to develop a clear stem for timber production. After pruning, the ratio of the living crown to total tree height should be at least two-thirds. On young trees temporary branches may be retained along the stem to encourage taper and protect trees from vandalism and sunscald.

4. Crown Reduction
Most often used when a tree has grown too large for its permitted space. This method, sometimes called drop crotch pruning, is preferred to topping because it results in a more natural appearance, increases the time before pruning is needed again, and minimizes stress.

Crown reduction pruning, a method of last resort. often results in large pruning wounds.

Before
Figure 36. Examples of the types of tree pruning
Crown
Cleaning
----- Crown
Thinning
Crown
Raising
Image source: Arbor Day Foundation
Tree Pruning Cuts
Crown
Reduction
Pruning cuts should be made so that only branch tissue is removed, and stem tissue is not damaged.

To find the proper place to cut a branch, look for the branch collar that grows from the stem tissue at the underside of the base of the branch. On the upper surface, there is usually a branch bark ridge that runs parallel to the branch angle, along the stem of the tree. A proper pruning cut does not damage either the branch bark ridge or the branch collar. A-proper cut begins-just outside the branch bark ridge and angles down away from the stem of the tree, avoiding injury to the branch collar.

Figure 37 Types of pruning cuts and proper branch cutting technique I I I I Heading cut
I Reduction cut
I IStub cut
!Thinning cut
f
Dead Bl'anch \ Living Branch
. B
'I.,.
~ ~.,.-,_,,,..

Branch collar \ · y
l

HARDWOODS
Branch
collar
,1
I ~
ril• or dead I I(
branches

CONIFERS
Natural target pruning properly removes a branch while protecting the branch collar, which is essential for wounds to heal. First cut A, second cut 8, and third cut C-D.

Image source: Pennsylvania State University Urban Forestry Extension DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 87 222
Utility Tree Maintenance Best Practices
Utility Tree Pruning Overview
Management Framework
The City should work with the utility companies to ensure proper pruning practices are followed and that open communication between the company, the City, and the public are maintained. The International Society of Arboriculture provides guidelines for maintaining trees near power lines (Best Management Practices - Utility Pruning of Trees, G. Kempter, 2004).

Maintaining power lines free of tree growth is based on a consistent. planned trimming cycle of the utility vegetation management company. This approach improves electric service to all the customers who get their power from that line. A sensible approach to trimming trees means having a thorough maintenance plan that improves the safety and reliability of electric service to residents. Residents and the City staff should not attempt to trim any vegetation growing near or on any overhead power lines.

Utility Tree Maintenance Techniques

1. Directional Pruning
Removes entire branches and limbs to the main trunk of the tree and future growth is directed away from the power lines. Reduction cuts are used for removing these branches and limbs and should be pruned properly back to a lateral branch that is at least one-third the diameter of the branch being removed. This allows for good wound closure and protects apical dominance and reduces sprouts. Avoid topping or rounding over trees. This removes more foliage than directional pruning, increases the number of tree wounds, stresses the tree, causes unstable decay, and increases water sprouts.

2. Right Tree Right Place
Selecting the right tree for the site can reduce potential safety hazards and improve the reliability of the electric service. Smaller trees near power lines do not need to be excessively pruned and do not lose their natural form.

3. Recommended Trees
Trees potentially suitable for planting adjacent to power lines should be shorter and slow growing to prevent clearance issues.

Figure 38. Examples of trees directionally pruned for clearance from power lines Photo source: Pennsylvania State University Urban Forestry Extension Utility Tree Maintenance Best Practices Page I 88
223
Management Framework
Young Tree Maintenance Best Practices
Proper pruning is essential in developing a tree with a strong structure and desirable form. Trees that receive the appropriate pruning measures while they are young will require less corrective pruning as they mature.

Young Tree Maintenance Techniques

1. Consider the Natural Form and Desired Growth
Accentuate the natural branching habit of a tree and correct any structural problems over time, if needed. to not stress the tree.

2. Pruning in 1-2 Years after Planting
Prune as little as possible after planting to ensure there are enough temporary branches to produce food for new growth of roots, trunk, and branches. Prune only dead, broken, malformed, or diseased branches. Remove codominant leaders to maintain one dominant trunk Prune for clearance if absolutely necessary. Keep size of branch removed to less than one inch in diameter.

3. Pruning 2-3 Years after Planting
Prune any dead, broken, malformed, or diseased branches. Remove any suckers from the base of the tree. Next, determine the permanent branch structure. Apply the following:
❖ Remove, thin, or cut back any competing leaders.
❖ Remove crossing or rubbing branches, keep the branch that maintains the natural form . ❖ Thin excessively crowded branches but do not lions-tail. ❖ Remove branches with narrow angles between the branch and trunk (consider species). ❖ Remove branches to maintain well-spaced branches along the trunk. Ideal mature trees will have lateral branches that are 18-24 inches apart (depending on species). ❖ Avoid pruning near time of bud break
❖ Prune flowering trees after flowering.

Figure 39. Example of branches to be pruned for newly planted trees to promote good structure

1. Prune competing leader

2. Prune malformed branches

3. Remove crossing branches

4. Remove water sprouts

5. Remove branches with poor angles

6. Prune broken or damaged branches
7, Prune temporary branches over time

8. Remove suckers
g. Apply 2-3" of mulch
Photo source: Pennsylvania State University Urban Forestry Extension DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 89 224
Management Framework
Tree Planting Best Practices
The following provides an overview of best practices that should be considered and followed before during and after planting trees.
❖ Trees to be planted should be selected from an approved tree planting list developed to maintain and enhance species diversity that are suitable for the Los Banos, CA Plant Hardiness Zone and changing climates.
❖ Planting material will conform to the latest version of the American Standard for Nursery Stock (American National Standards Institute [ANSI) Z60.1). Trees to be planted should be of standard quality or better, and should be true to name and type of their species variety. ❖ Trees should not be planted in tree lawns less than two feet in width or in planting pits less than five feet long by five feet wide.
❖ Trees should not be planted within 50 feet of any major intersection, or within 20 feet of a fire hydrant, a driveway, or a pole supporting a light.
❖ The burlap and twine from balled-and-burlap trees should be removed from the tree and the tree pit. Wire tree baskets may remain on the root ball. but the top one-third should be clipped and removed from the planting hole.
❖ Mulch should be placed around trees in a minimum three-foot circle and three-inch depth to protect trees from lawnmower damage and competition from turf: mulch will be kept away from tree trunks.
❖ Newly planted trees should be irrigated weekly during droughts in the growing season for three years.
❖ As recommended in the UFMP, an updated tree planting detail should be added to the City's Improvement Standards and Specifications, the City's Landscape Standards and Specifications, and corresponding documents.

Tree Irrigation Considerations and Best Practices
❖ Current limiting factor is budget for watering newly planted trees. ❖ With dry and increasingly hot summers this is a critical requirement for new tree establishment. ❖ Establishing new trees requires four to five years of supplemental irrigation during the summer months.
❖ Based on industry estimates, 400 trees currently costs $100,000, so every 100 new trees planted requires an additional $25,000.
❖ Development of a certain size or where frontage improvements trigger tree planting should be required to install permanent in-ground irrigation S'l§tems.

Tree Planting Best Practices Page I go
225
Management Framework
Private Property Tree Management Best Practices
One factor to developing a sustainable urban forest is the extent to which the City can effectively influence the management of trees on private property as most of the urban forest exists on privatelyowned land. These private property trees are managed differently than street trees, and are under the purview of the Community and Economic Development Department. The City's methods by which it can influence tree management on private property are a combination of indirect actions, such as community education campaigns, and direct actions, such as City ordinances, policies, and permits.

While each method has a different approach to influence private property owners, the goal is the same: to grow and maintain healthy trees on privately-owned land.

An attractive quality of a robust community education campaign is voluntary participation from private landowners to contribute to reaching environmental and sustainability goals by implementing City standards for tree management. While some private landowners will adopt and implement City tree management standards, it is not reasonable to expect all private landowners to do so, which is the impetus for City ordinances, policies, and permit procedures to further enforce tree management standards on private property.

The Existing Tree Code and Regulations section further details the ordinances and regulations in place for private property trees. This section expands on the community outreach and education element to the indirect actions that the City can implement.

Public Education Regarding Ordinance, Permitting, Programs, and Best Practices Frequent communications and messaging relating to urban forest management best practices and industry standards keeps the public informed and reminded of the importance of proper tree care.

The details regarding private property tree ordinances, regulations, permitting processes, and programs can be shared on the City's website, included as call-out box reminders in the permitting process, added to utility mailings, among other mediums and platforms. It is important to consider the barriers that inhibit public access to information and materials. Strategies to remove barriers include language translations, accommodating vision and hearing impairments, among others. It is recommended the City pursue or strengthen these outreach approaches after implementing portions of this Plan that pertain to updating tree ordinances and regulations.

Additional Best Practices for Urban Forest Management
Pest and Disease Management
A principle to controlling insect pests, invasive plant species. and tree diseases is an innovative strategy known as Integrated PestManagement (1PM), which integrates cultural (growingl-practices, monitoring, threshold and life cycle analysis, and chemical application strategies to effectively manage urban forest pest populations in an ecologically-sound manner.

Encoura e Naturall Occurrin Biolo ical Control
Biological control uses living natural enemies. antagonists. or competitors (biological control agents) to control other living organisms. Examples of naturally occurring biological controls include lady beetles, lacewings, parasitic wasps, predatory mites, spiders, earwigs, insectivorous birds. and bats.

By using plants that attract the living organism above, chemical use for preventing and treating tree pests and diseases is minimized.

Use Alternate Plant S ecies
With tree inventory data that describes the composition of tree species in the urban forest. concentrations of susceptible trees and problematic trees can be thoroughly identified and understood. The information can be utilized to update the palette of trees that are planted by the City to reduce the likelihood of tree pest and disease issues. Some well-known alternate tree species that are resistant to tree pests and diseases include the 'Frontier' elm or Asian elm species that are resistant DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 91 226
Management Framework
to Dutch Elm Disease and powdery mildew resistant cultivars of crapemyrtle. In addition, the City should consider reducing or eliminating the planting of Chinese or European hackberry trees that are prone to honeydew producing hackberry woolly aphid and oak trees should not be planted where oak root fungus is known to exist or propagate.

Use Cultural Practices
Cultural practices discourage pest invasion and some of the practices include good tool sanitation, removing debris and infested plant material from the site, proper watering and fertilizing, growing competitive plants, or using pest resistant tree species. Expanding on the examples, the City should avoid sprinkler irrigation around trees that are susceptible to anthracnose such as Chinese elms and sycamores and avoid irrigation around the trunks of native oaks in the dry season. Thinning out tree canopy can reduce foliar disease problems and pruning trees at certain times of the year can reduce pest problems. For example, to avoid bark beetle infestations, it is recommended to prune pines and elms in the winter. If a disease or insect is spotted in a tree, it can be removed and properly disposed of to potentially reduce the spread. Another example of a pest and disease best practice is to only fertilize trees when absolutely needed. The use of fertilizers can be reduced or eliminated if the appropriate trees for a given site are planted. Lastly, the habitat can be altered to make a site less suitable or compatible for pest development. Examples include planting trees at or above grade to reduce crown rot problems and frequent monitoring and management of trees near specimen coast live oaks where Sudden Oak Death is an issue.

Tree and Infrastructure (Sidewalk) Conflicts
The City should refine and formally adopt the decision checklist and protocols provided in Appendix C and include alternative solutions in design guidelines and standards. Alternative solutions may offer cost savings in some instances though generally, the City's sidewalk program is underfunded.

Primarily, the City maintains and replaces sidewalks and curb and gutters as needed and as funding enables. In most California cities that are not responsible for sidewalk maintenance but offer or would like to offer a cost-share program, funds are generated through a ballot-approved Sales and Use Tax.

Sales tax rates for funding sidewalk programs average 0.2 percent. In addition to local funds, state or federal grants exist to support cost-share programs. And though grant funding may be available for sidewalk repair it is not a consistent long-term option. Other funding options or mechanisms include special citywide assessments, bonds, improvement districts, gas tax, or tax incremental financing.

Whenever new development triggers frontage improvements there are opportunities for improved street tree planting and would be an appropriate time to levy enhanced use fees and consider alternative solutions to tree ~moval or sidewa.~k replacement. The City should explore these <?Ptions such as the Sales and Use Tax or the Gas Tax to address sidewalk repair and replacement needs per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.

Urban Wood Utilization
Trees in the urban environment are part of a continuous cycle. A tree is planted, it grows for a period of time, and then inevitably it declines and must be removed. Historically, tree removal has been considered a negative side of urban forestry. The cost of removing a tree and then disposing of the resulting debris is seen as a burden to homeowners and municipalities alike and creates a gap in the urban tree cycle. Urban wood utilization is a term and practice describing the reuse of wood with the goal of diverting organic waste from landfills where materials decompose and release methane, a greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. Wood biomass from the urban forest is often disposed of rather than put to use in some new manner. To complete the cycle of urban trees there is a need and opportunity to make use of the resulting biomass to keep the carbon in the wood rather than be released into the atmosphere. Good logs can be milled into lumber for furniture, flooring, or kitchenware and lower quality materials can be used as a biofuel to displace fossil-fuel use or composted into quality soil amendments like mulch.

Additional Best Practices for Urban Forest Management Pagel92 227
Management Framework
In 2016 California passed SB 1383 to reduce emissions from short-Lived climate pollutants which calls for the reduction of organic waste among other requirements. With this bill, organic waste disposal needs to be reduced by 50 percent by 2020 and 75 percent by 2025. Urban wood utilization is one practice to address these requirements and goals, and is in alignment with Los Banos' current climate action and sustainability goals.

Currently, Los Banos does not implement an urban wood utilization program and could explore the financial costs and return on investment to implement a program. In addition to the environmental benefits of carbon storage, urban wood utilization programs contribute to the green economy of Los Banos and can provide employment opportunities throughout the entire process to remove, store, treat. and prepare wood for its second life.

To develop an urban wood utilization or urban wood use program, it is recommended the City start simple and allow the program to evolve. One of the first steps is to inventory the volume of biomass generated annually and identify other local partners that can add to the volume. From the inventory, the City can assess its operational, equipment. personnel. and administrative needs and begin to identify local and regional markets and partners that have a demand or need for the biomass. With this understanding, the program can then establish goals and begin implementation. Additional information and resources are available online and one local example to potentially model is the Sacramento Tree Foundation's Urban Wood Rescue Program (urbanwoodrescue.com). Another example is the urban wood recycling program created by West Coast Arborists, Inc. in partnership with CAL FIRE where urban forest biomass generated from city tree maintenance is recycled (streettreerevival.com).

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page 193 228
Management Framework

BENCHMARKS AND COMPARISONS FOR BEST PRACTICES
ATTRIBUTE I Los BANOS, CA COMPARISON CONSIDERATIONS
• Recommended 5-year Research has shown a pubLic cycle for public trees tree pruning rotation of 5 years (Miller, et al. 2015) is optimal for efficiency, tree
Public Tree • Average of 6.6 years for health, and public safety. The • City-maintained 227 cities (all public trees) City currently prunes an Pruning trees: -6 years • Average of 6-4 years for average of 2,000 public trees Cycles per year of the 12,333 total living
all public trees in cities . trees suitable for routine with population of 25-5ok pruning. This results in a 6-year people cycle. Pruning 2,400 trees per
(Hauer, et al. 2014) year would equal a 5-year cycle.

Industry average cost per
tree: $180
3 trees can be pruned
Preventative • Estimated annual proactively for every 1 tree reactively pruned in terms Proactive pruning greatly
Maintenance cost to prune 2,400 of time (Wagner, 1970 and reduces long-term costs, Pruning trees per year is field tested by the City of improves the health of the $360,000. Results urban forest. and enhances
Program in a 5-year cycle. Milwaukee, WI in 2020). public safety. 57% of CA cities have a
systematic pruning cycle
(Thompson, et al. 2018)
• City adheres to
ANSI Standards
and ISA BMPs. Adhering to industry standards
• Standards and Prominent, robust urban and best practices ensures Best BMPs are available forestry programs adhere urban forest sustainability and Practices
to the public. to ANSI Standards and ISA appropriate management of • Standards and tree risk among other vital
BMPs are
BMPs. aspects of an urban forestry
documented in program.

City-Code, policies,
and manuals.

Most preferred genera for
street tree planting in 2016
Sustainable management
• Recommended (Thompson, et al. 2018): includes properly maintaining Tree Master Street Tree • Lagerstroemia, Ouercus. existing canopy and growing an List is being Pistacia, Platanus, Pyrus, urban forest that is resilient to Planting updated. Palm. Lophostemon, climate change, pests and Best • Updated standards fvfagnolia, Acer, diseases. and other risks. The recommended Master Street
Practices and best practices Liquidambar, Ginkgo Tree List fo·r Los Banos was for planting and Preferred nursery stock completed as part of the 2021- tree selection. (Thompson, et al. 2018):
2022 urban forest planning
• 24-inch or greater tree project.
box
Additional Best Practices for Urban Forest Management Page 194 229
Management Framework

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BEST PRACTICES

SECTION RECOMMENDED ACTION
Pruning
Cycles
Tree
Inventory
Review and finalize the
total costs for a
pruning cycle of 5
years for all public
street. median, backup
lot, facility, and park
trees.

Maintain the public
tree inventory records.

Update the public tree
inventory.

Analyze the inventory
to report on ecosystem
benefits and utilize as
part of budget
planning.
• • • • •
Evaluating the costs of an optimal scenario where all
public trees are pruned on a recommended cycle
provides baseline values for comparison to annual
budget requests. For example, an increase of $60,000
annually for tree maintenance would change the
City's current 6-year cycle to the recommended 5-
year cycle.

The City has an online software program for managing
its urban forest. The program includes the Citywide
public tree inventory data and public-facing features
as an online GIS. The tree inventory should be
maintained and updated as changes to the tree
population occur such as tree plantings, maintenance,
removals, service requests, and work orders.

Completing an updated inventory of street and park
trees every 5-10 years will ensure management
decisions are made with the most recent and accurate
information. Consider a reevaluation of potential
public planting sites_to inform planting strategies tied to canopy goals.

The tree inventory provides data to calculate the
associated benefits and services automatically or
manually. This information can be used to monitor
urban forest performance, adjust management and
planting strategies, and connect budget requests to
ecosystem service performance.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page 195 230
Tree
Maintenance
Utility Tree
Maintenance
Young Tree
Training
Implement and adhere
to best practices and
standards for City-led
tree maintenance.

Share resources and
information with the
public regarding
proper tree
maintenance.

Create a registry and
requirements for a
City-approved Tree
Contractor program.

Maintain and update as
needed the tree
contractor
specifications and
requirements.

Regularly meet with
utility companies and
utility vegetation
management
companies to ensure
best practices are
maintained.

Establish a young tree
maintenance plan for
all City-led plantings
and structurally prune
every three years for· at
least two cycles.

Management Framework
Adhering to the ISA Best Management Practices and
ANSI Standards ensures proper management of the
urban forest and sets an example for private property
owners to follow.

The majority of trees comprising the Citywide urban
forest are the responsibility of private property owners to maintain. To sustain the urban forest. property
owners, tree care companies, and property managers
need to be aware of the best practices and standards
for tree care.

A list of certified arborist-represented companies and
those tree care professionals that adhere to industry
standards and best practices will support the goals of
maint':'ining the urban forest.

Continue to inform contractors of tree regulations and
standards, maintain contractor specifications, and
inspect the completed work.

Coordination with companies and agencies involved
with utility tree pruning will improve communications
and outcomes. It will also ensure adherence to best
practices as defined in the ISA Best Management
Practices - Utility Pruning of Trees (2004).

Within the public tree population, a total of 4,365 trees are under six inches in diameter and qualify for young
tree pruning. Young tree maintenance improves a
tree's structure and reduces future maintenance
costs.

Additional Best Practices for Urban Forest Management Page I 96 231
Management Framework
Tree
Planting and
Irrigation
Adhere to industry
standards and best
practices when
planting trees.

Review and finalize the
Master Street Tree List
and utilize for all Cityled projects and
encouraged to private
property owners.

Develop Citywide and
local species diversity
goals by potentially
using a three-tiered
approach.

The City should update its Standard Detail for tree
planting and staking. In addition, choosing quality tree nursery stock for planting is essential to long-term
growth and health. The City should continue to adhere
to ANSI Z.60.1 Nursery Standards. Development
projects should follow the same requirements and
trees planted should be inspected to conform with
City and industry standards. Align efforts with other
city goals such as climate change, water conservation,
and sustainability.

As part of the Urban Forest Management Plan project.
a draft list of trees recommended for City projects and street trees was developed that contains various
attributes for each tree species for making the
selection for a desired project. The trees in the list are suitable for Los Banos' current and changing climate
and private property owners should be encouraged to
utilize the list. The review of the list should include the following considerations:

Ensure the total number of species recommended by
the City can meet species diversity goals. Prioritize
planting trees rated by Water Use Classification of
Landscape Species (WUCOLS) as very low and low
water users. Identify trees that are not expected to
adapt to changing climate conditions and replace
them with new suitable species.

Make sure there are enough small and medium-sized
tree species in the list to provide more options in
locations that have limited soil volume.

Tier 1. Citywide Species Diversity Goal: The City should adopt a goal of having no one species comprise more
than 10% of the City tree population and no one genus
comprise 20%. This goal will help to ensure that the
overall inventory is resilient to threats as it is dispersed across the City. The established goal can then be used
to further inform a more nuanced plan for individual
neighborhoods or geographic areas of the City.

Tier 2. Implement Goal on Neighborhood Scale: The
City should determine smaller geographic portions of
the City and apply the species diversity goal to those
areas. Boundaries could be formed from existing
defined neighborhoods, Council Districts, or other set
boundaries within the City. This strategy would help to identify what species dominate a specific area and
plan for the introduction of new species to provide an
additional layer of species diversity and protection
from threats. This approach would also necessitate
specific planting palettes for each area that factor in the current neighborhood-level species diversity
percentages into what species are planted.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page 197 232
Best
Practices for
Private
Property
Trees
Additional
Best
Practices
Continue to provide
information· and
enforce tree
regulations for trees on
private property.

Implement an
Integrated Pest
Management (1PM)
program for all Citymaintained trees as
necessary.

Conduct visual
assessments of 15% of
the public tree
population annually to
monitor for pests and
diseases.

Provide information
and training to the
public regarding tree
pest and disease signs,
symptoms, prevention,
and treatment.

Implement best
practices to reduce
and address tree and
sidewalk conflicts.

Explore the financial
costs and return on
investment to
implement an urban
wood utilization
program.

Management Framework
Tier 3, Street Level Diversity: The City should
incorporate species diversity on a street or street
block level. At this scale, species diversity decisions would include determining whether a street is planted
with two or three alternating species, and the extent
to which monoculture street plantings would be
allowed. The planting palette for individual streets
would be formed by decisions made in Tier 2 of the
planning process. This tier would not include
maintaining the Citywide species diversity goal as
continuity and aesthetics are important
considerations for developing neighborhood
character and would be difficult to achieve with 10 or
more species planted on a street.

Community education campaigns and direct actions
such as City ordinances, policies, and permitting
programs are the interfaces between the City, the
urban forest. and private property. Sharing of
information and enforcing tree regulations ensures
the tree canopy on private property is sustained.

A healthy urban forest provides the greatest return on
investment. Effective management of tree pests and
diseases requires an integrated approach of
monitoring, adequate resources, and various
treatment techniques.

The public tree inventory data can provide
information to establish zones or areas of concern
where trees are susceptible to pest and disease
outbreaks. To identify possible concerns a routine
visual assessment of a portion of the tree population
each year can potentially halt an outbreak or identify
a new concern. Data should be logged in the City's
tree inventory software and used to inform budget
requests.

Outside of parks, open space, and natural areas,
private property has the most trees comprising the
urban forest. Education, resources, trainings, and
other public engagement can help to grow and
manage an urban forest that is resilient to tree pests
and diseases.

The Solutions Workbook and Possible Guidelines for
Tree and Sidewalk Conflicts appendix to this Plan
provides guidance for consistent and transparent
evaluation of conflicts with alternative solutions to
tree removal or sidewalk replacement.

In addition to the environmental benefits of carbon
storage, urban wood utilization programs contribute
to the green economy of Los Banos and can provide
employment opportunities throughout the entire
process to remove, store, treat. and prepare wood for
its second life.

Additional Best Practices for Urban Forest Management Page I 98 233
Management Framework

FUNDING BEST PRACTICES
Funding Mechanisms
Urban forests are an essential component of a municipality's infrastructure. Well-managed urban forests boost community livability and build resilience through a myriad of ecosystem services.

However, the budgets afforded to urban forestry programs do not always represent this "essential" status and forestry managers often need to work with budgets that are below their needs. Urban forestry budgets are also prone to large swings in need, as is currently being observed in midwest and eastern cities with the emerald ash borer causing spikes in tree removal demand. It can also be difficult to finance singular, capital intensive projects, like a public tree inventory, that provide critical data for forest planning and management. The general fund has long been the core of urban forestry program funding across the country, and it remains a stable and popular option today (making up 72% of urban forestry funding in 2014, Hauer et au.

The general fund is also beholden to many other community needs and it is often stretched thin to meet all these demands. The best strategy for overcoming these budgetary challenges is to leverage a variety of sources, both public and private, to supplement allocations from the general fund. A diverse portfolio of funding streams allows urban forestry programs to weather resource restrictions and provide higher levels of service, like advancing from reactive to proactive maintenance cycles and implementing the Urban Forest Management Plan.

Street Tree Fund
According to section 10-1.35 Trees in New Developments in Los Banos' Municipal Code, in lieu of planting replacement trees on new development projects the applicant may pay a fee established by City Council. These fees along with building permit fees received, tree removal mitigation fees, and other fees could all contribute to a Tree Fund.

Special Assessment Districts
Many properties in Los Banos are included in unique special financing districts of different types, especially in newer or redeveloping areas of the City. Currently, the City has a total of 19 districts and intends to levy and collect assessments within districts 1-7 and 9-19 during the fiscal year 2021-2022.

These districts are ordinarily initiated by the developer of a property but are approved by City Council.

The purposes of these districts may include financing of public improvements, ongoing maintenance and operations, or a combination. In general. these districts either serve to reimburse the developer for public improvements they are required to provide or to augment public facilities and services which might not otherwise be available to_rnost City residents. Most districts obtain their revenue _y_ia a property tax, although some may also charge fees or collect assessments. Residential districts have an eventual time limit for debt service, but in some cases they may operate more or less in perpetuity to provide maintenance and/ or services.

In Los Banos, several special assessment districts may be considered, including Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), General Improvement Districts (GIDs), Special Improvement Maintenance Districts (SIMDs), and Local Improvement Districts (LIDs). Others include water districts, fire protection districts, sanitation districts, and parks and recreation districts.

Focusing on areas with higher concentrations of street trees or maintenance needs, such as business districts, may capture property owners who are more willing to pay for tree care. This approach may be more politically palatable and could potentially lead to a citywide special assessment district where existing districts could be consolidated and organized into separate benefit zones, each with its own budget.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page 199 234
Management Framework
R uirements for a Com rehensive PubUc Tree Pr ram
Special assessments are usually calculated per linear foot, based on the idea that benefits to property owners are directly related to street frontage. In some cases, special assessments include additional metrics such as building and/or lot square footage to account for the added benefit associated with larger buildings that have more occupants.

Parcel Tax
A parcel tax is a special tax levied for the provision of special benefits. Revenues from special taxes must be used for the specific purpose for which they are intended, so a parcel tax would create a dedicated funding stream for street trees. Similar to a special assessment, a parcel tax cannot be based on the value of property: however, the amount levied on each parcel does not need to be directly related to the benefits provided. Cities have the flexibility to levy parcel taxes as they see fit, but they are typically based on lot square footage or levied as a flat tax, with the same amount per parcel.

Parcel taxes are designed to encompass entire cities and therefore, are good candidates for a citywide street tree program, as opposed to the district-level approach that often occurs under special assessments. Parcel taxes typically fund more than just street trees. For example, a tree maintenance tax per parcel may include provisions for the maintenance of parks and open space and improvements to recreation facilities.

A parcel tax requires strong public support. as it must be approved by voters, rather than just the majority of property owners, as with a special assessment. Because a parcel tax must be voted on in a general election, rather than via mail-in ballot. it is likely to receive heightened political attention.

However, general elections capture the votes of renters, who may be more apt to approve a tax borne by property owners.

Re uirements for a Com rehensive Public Tree Pro ram
A parcel tax for urban forestry operations and maintenance (O&M) may be levied as a flat tax, or it may be based on lot size (square footage). This study evaluated the parcel tax amount required to finance a City-operated street tree program according to both approaches.

Los Banos currently has approximately 13,790 parcels Citywide according to the Merced County GIS database. In the case of a flat parcel tax, the City would need to levy approximately $26.11 per parcel per year to cover the full costs of the public tree maintenance pruning program (11,987 trees on a 5- year cycle, ~$360,000 per year).

Los Banos' parcels total approximately 381.2 million-square feet. To annually fund the preventative maintenance program, a parcel tax levied according to lot size would translate to an annual tax of $0.0009 per square foot. For a typical 2,500-square foot lot (25 feet wide and 100 feet deep), a parcel tax based on lot size would amount to $2.36 to fund tree maintenance annually.

Another approach to consider is the average parcel lot area of 27,642 square feet ($26.11 per year) or classifications of parcels by counts within area (square feet) ranges.

Considerations and adjustments to these numbers must be made for properties with multiple rightof-way trees, HOA-managed trees, and maintenance responsibility stated in plat plans. The City should evaluate and refine these numbers, but the study provides a starting point for funding considerations.

Funding Mechanisms Page I 100
235
Management Framework
• • ••
Public Tree Maintenance Pruning Program
Metric (-11,987 trees on a 5-Year Cycle)*
Number of Parcels
Recommended Annual Tree Maintenance Budget
Flat Tax (budget by parcel)
Parcel Square Feet (sq. ft.) Total
Tax by Lot Size
Typical Parcel (2,500 sq. ft.) Annual Tax
Average Parcel Size (sq. ft.)
Average Parcel Size Annual Tax
Estimates only. Additional analyses are necessary to finalize estimated costs.

General Obligation Bonds
13,790 (est.)
$360,000 (est.)
$26.11
381,178,927
$0.00094
$2.36
27,642
$26.11
Local governments commonly use General Obligation (GO) bonds to fund the construction and improvement of projects involving real property (e.g., buildings, infrastructure, and parks). GO bonds typically carry low interest rates, making them attractive for capital projects, which may include tree planting. However, funding is available for discrete projects, often over a limited time rather than an extended period. In addition, ongoing maintenance is ineligible for GO bond funding pursuant to federal tax law. California cities may pay debt service from GO bonds through property taxes (in proportion to the estimated value of the goods or transaction concerned), where assessments are based on property value. As a result. the issuance of GO bonds requires majority voter approval.

GO bonds may be a tool for financing the planting of street trees in Los Banos as part of a larger package of capital improvements, as bonds are typically issued for large amounts. For example, voters may approve a Road Repair and Street Safety Bond, with funds designated for streetscape and street safety improvements that included street tree planting. GO bonds may include tree planting among streetscape improvements through street enhancement programs such as "complete streets" programs. However, these bonds may allocate funding for street tree planting to the streets program, rather than the City's Urban Forestry Program. A bond specifically focused on a major street tree planting effort may be appropriate in the future.

R uirements for a Com rehensive Public Tree Pro ram
Because GO bonds only fund capital costs, they could only be used to finance tree planting and establishment activities under a comprehensive city-operated street tree program.

Adjust Gas Tax Appropriatio~ to Funcf l,Jrban F.:<>rest Management The City should evaluate the feasibility of utilizing the statewide gas tax and vehicle fees. According to the Guidelines Relating to Gas Tax Expenditures for Cities and Counties (2019), funds can be utilized for mowing, tree trimming, and watering within the street right-of-way (page 430 "Maintenance"). The City's budget has a Gas Tax Fund (215) for the construction and maintenance of the street system. The City should evaluate the feasibility of applying funds to risk mitigation and preservation pruning of street trees in the public right-of-way.

Grants
CAL FIRE Urban and Communit Forestr Pro ram
The Urban and Community Forestry Program has grant opportunities to fund city tree planting. inventories, urban wood and biomass utilization, blighted urban lands improvements, and innovative nature-based solutions (e.g., planting and managing trees and urban forests) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the grant program had an estimated $10 million available to fund a variety of urban forestry projects California.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page J 101 236
Management Framework
California Natural Resources A enc (CNRA Urban Greenin Grant Pro ram The Urban Greening Grant Program administered by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) aligns with Assembly Bill 32 Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 and funds projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The competitive grant program, funded by a $50 million Specified General Fund appropriation, gives priority consideration to projects located within and benefiting disadvantaged communities and addresses climate change through urban greening and urban forestry.

CRNA Environmental Enhancement Miti ation Pro ram
The Environmental Enhancement Mitigation Program was established by legislation in 1989 and later amended in 2013. It encourages projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve water use efficiency, reduce the impacts from climate change, and utilize partnerships and collaboration to mitigate the environmental impacts caused by new or modified public transportation facilities. The 2021-2023 funding cycle for the program has approximately $13,4 million to support urban forestry projects such as tree planting and habitat restoration.

CRNA Urban Flood Protection Grant Pr ram
Created by Proposition 68, the Urban Flood Protection Grant Program focuses on multiple benefit and solution projects in urbanized areas to address flooding and protect people and property. Urban forestry related projects supported by this program include tree planting and establishment care and integrating native Landscapes into stormwater management such as bioswales. For the 2020-2021 grant round, the program had a total of $92.5 million available.

California Strate ic Growth Council Affordable Housin and Sustainable Communities (AHSC Pr ram The Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program aims to reduce driving by making housing, jobs, and key destinations accessible by walking, biking, and transit. Core components supported by this program include urban forestry projects like vegetated swales, bioretention basins, riparian buffers, shade trees, and parks and open space. These elements are vital components to roadway, sidewalk, and infrastructure projects. There was an estimated $452 million in 2021 available to Localities, program operators, and developers.

California artment of Trans ortation Active Trans ortation Pr ram This program provides funding to encourage increased use of active modes of transportation, such as biking and walking. Trees and other vegetation are significant components of several eligible projects under the Active Transportation Program, including parks, trails, and safe routes to schools. $440 million will be distributed to project applicants from 2019 to 2023.

Additional Financing Options
Parkin Benefit District
Parking Benefit Districts (PBDs) generate revenue within a special district for improvements and services related to streets, streetscapes, and landscapes. Because revenue derives from parking meters, visitors to PBDs fund the majority of improvements. As a result, Local governments may create PBDs via ordinance without requiring a vote of property owners, setting them apart from other special assessment districts. Although only commercial areas with parking meters provide revenue, improvements may be implemented beyond PBD boundaries. The ordinance that creates the PBD determines the share of revenue that must be applied to improvements within the district, known as the "local return" portion. A committee of residents, property owners, and business owners advises the Local agency administering the PBD on how to expend revenue. Adjustments to City policy regarding the agency receiving excess meter revenue may be required to enable the use of this financing option for a street tree program.

While activities may include street tree planting and maintenance, a PBD is Likely to cover other improvements related to neighborhood beautification. It is possible to create a dedicated funding Funding Mechanisms Page I 102
237
Management Framework
stream for improvements, including street tree planting, sidewalk maintenance, and the installation of street furniture and light fixtures. This may present an opportunity to finance a portion of Los Banos' public tree maintenance costs: however, this strategy requires additional analysis to determine the likely amount of revenue to be generated for street trees, along with the potential for adding parking meters in new areas of the City.

General Fund
Los Banos' General Fund has historically funded a share of street tree planting, establishment, and maintenance activities through the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). However, appropriations have not kept pace with the needs of urban forest management to keep it sustainable. Because the General Fund is not a dedicated funding stream with a consistent budget amount. and is subject to changing economic conditions and political support, the General Fund is a volatile funding source. Nonessential services are the first target for cuts when expenditures exceed revenues, and there is no guarantee that one year's appropriations will equal the next, as the City's current funding for public trees demonstrates. Given the current status, reliance on Los Banos' General Fund is not ideal for long-term planning of a program that will require a substantial commitment of resources (e.g., new staff, funding for partners). A mixed General Fund and Special Assessment model is often considered an appropriate compromise but can lead to decreases in General Fund budget allocations over time, as the assessment bears a large share of the burden of maintenance.

Partnershi s
A number of opportunities for partnerships exist to help implement a public tree program in Los Banos and cover a portion of the costs. Continued collaboration with the CAL FIRE, regional partners, community groups, and corporations would advance the City's planting agenda, particularly if Urban Forestry Program does not have the resources to conduct all the work Many communities across the country partner with local non-profit organizations (NPOs) that conduct tree planting. Based on conclusions from the needs assessment conducted as part of the Plan, a nonprofit organization devoted to the planting and stewardship of public and private trees in Los Banos is only beginning to take shape. The Plan provides recommendations and action steps to pursue in an effort to establish additional partners and support from entities such as NPOs.

Public agencies, such as the U.S. Forest Service and regional air quality management districts, may also provide grant funding, although these are typically one-time contributions rather than a sustainable funding source. As an alternative or addition to NPOs and public agencies, corporate partnerships may present an opportunity for financing a share of Los Banos' street tree planting and maintenance activities. Communities often establish adopt-a-tree programs and a correspoA-Eling fund that accepts donations for street tree activities, but a formal corporate partnership program could be a component of corporate social responsibility programs, particularly for Los Banos-based businesses. In particular, large goals like increasing the City's tree canopy may attract corporate partners interested in environmental stewardship and a positive public image. Emphasizing the benefits of street trees, such as clean air and water, may expand the pool of funders to areas like public health. For example, large health or fitness corporations may contribute substantial funds for projects and programs that promote increased access to trails for fitness purposes. Development of a corporate partnership program would likely require significant fundraising and outreach efforts on Urban Forestry Program's part and may place the City in competition with NPOs with highly organized fundraising programs based in Los Banos such as conservancies and park foundations. Some funders may prefer to contribute to NPOs, and therefore, it may benefit the City to partner closely with the NPO or support the establishment of an NPO. Ideally, corporate contributions would be consistent so that the City could rely on a sustainable funding stream.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 103 238
Management Framework
• •
Financing
O tions Attributes Process O ortunities Challenges
Feasible Options
Tree Fund Building permit Enforcement of the Monitoring Code Forestry staffing fees received, Code generates violations would levels are tree removal monies from generate revenue inadequate to mitigation fees, restitution. Building for the Tree Fund. monitor Code and stormwater permit and Potential use of violations. Fees fees could all stormwater fees funds for tree would need contribute to a would need maintenance. The evaluated, adjusted, Tree Fund. evaluated and City is growing and and approved. adjusted to revenue from fees Funds used for tree
accommodate could benefit the maintenance do not
supporting a Tree Tree Fund. directly affect all
Fund. contributors to the
fee programs.

Special Special City agency / Citywide district Typically funds Assessment assessment for property owners possible for all more than just Districts landscaping, initiate via petition, street trees: street trees. open space City agency individual districts
improvements, administers: based more feasible in
acquisition, and on benefits areas with many
maintenance. calculated in trees, high
engineer's report: maintenance
>50% of property needs, and/ or
owners in proposed political support.
district must
approve via (mail)
ballot.

Parcel Tax Assessment 2/3 of voters (not Tax can be directly 2/3 voter approval:
levied just property related to program potential
independent of owners) must costs: competition from
property value, approve via election maintenance taxes other services (e.g., can be equal ballot. deductible for schools): flat tax
amount per property owners. distributes cost
parGelor inequ_iJably.
dependent on lot
size.

General Low-interest loan 2/3 voter approval Frequently used Funding provided Obligation for capital required. tool in municipal for set period; (GO) Bond projects: repaid government. maintenance
by levying tax ineligible for
revenue. funding.

Stormwater A fee to manage A fee from all Trees reduce An extensive Utility stormwater developed parcels stormwater analysis for the based on to support the volumes. Planting appropriate utility impeNious area. stormwater trees could qualify fee structure is program. property owners a required.
credit.

Funding Mechanisms Page I 104
239
Management Framework
Additional Options
Parking
Benefit
District (PBD)
General
Fund
Partnerships
Carbon
Offsets
Pest Control
Fee
Revenue from
parking meters
for a range of
right-of-way
improvements.

City's primary
funding pool for
wide range of
municipal
services.

Non-profits,
corporate partners,
grant funding: for
tree planting and
establishment.

A cap-and-trade
program in
California creates a
cap on
greenhouse gas
emissions trading
options.

A fee for forestry
related services
such as pest
control and
replanting.

Enacted via local
ordinance specifying
boundaries, rates, use
of funds: City
administers with
committee input.

Annual budget via
City's Legislative
process.

Various, depends
on city's
processes.

The City should be
involved in
designing project
(i.e., tree planting)
requirements and
tracking.

A forestry fee
specific to pest
control added to
the public service
utility billing as a
levy.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan
No ballot approval Typically funds
required: visitors more than trees.
bear burden over
residents.

History of funding Not a guaranteed
for tree planting source of funding;
and establishment. no guaranteed
funding amount:
funds at risk if
budget shortfalls
occur.

Decrease costs, Union resistance,
increase capacity, sustainable funding
develop a tree stream required.
steward organization
and program.

In California, projects Many trees (5,000+)
must plant at least must be planted to
1,000 trees as offset cover costs of an
projects to enable offset program.
the sale of carbon Creates two types
credits. of street trees,
offset program
trees require
higher oversight.

Does not support
tree maintenance.

Opportunity to offset Increased fee may
cos_ts of managing
and recovering from
tree pests and
diseases.

Apr2022
_Jequire voter
approval. The City
must analyze pest
control costs to
establish the
appropriate fee
amount.

Page I 105
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Management Framework

FUNDING BENCHMARKS AND COMPARISONS
ATTRIBUTE Los BANOS, CA
• Median budget per capita:
$1.25 Per capita values are based on
Budget
• $3.63 per capita • Median per tree budget: the budget and human budget $10.00 population in 2019. The
Allocation • $9.11 per public <Thompson, et al. 2018) budget per public tree is tree • Average per capita budget based on the 2019 budget and for 62 CA cities is $11.16 12,622 public trees.
(2021 UFMP Benchmarking)
• General Fund for 189 of Sustainable funding can be
Primary
300 CA cities (63%) achieved through a dedicated
• 12% of CA cities use and diverse funding stream
Funding • General Fund Assessment District funds representative of the urban Source • 8% of CA cities use Gas Tax forest population, customer funds service, current needs, and
(Thompson, et al. 2018) future growth.

Palo Alto (2016): $5-4M $115,000 is based on the
Total Urban ($80/ capita) budget for the Urban Forestry $115,000 (2019) Sacramento (2016): $5.3M Program directly. It does not Forestry $3.63 per capita ($11/ capita) include tree maintenance Budget 82% of CA cities need budgets within Park
increased funding Maintenance and Public Works
<Thompson, et al. 2018) Street Services divisions.

Tree APWA recommends 14% of Tree planting budgets should Planting $45,000 (2019) total budgets be attributed support the tree canopy goals Budget to tree planting. adopted as part of this Plan.

Tree
As reported to the Arbor Day
APW A recommends 30% of Foundation for Tree City USA
Maintenance $35,000 (2019) total budgets be attributed accreditation. Tree .. -· . - to tree -m-alntenance . - maintenance budgets should Budget support the maintenance
recommendations in this Plan.

As reported to the Arbor Day
Tree APW A recommends 28% of
Foundation for Tree City USA
accreditation. Tree removal
Removal $20,000 (2019) total budgets be attributed budgets should adequately Budget to tree removals. address priority removals .
based on up-to-date inventory
data.

APW A recommends 8% of As reported to the Arbor Day
Other Management total budgets be attributed Foundation for Tree City USA Budget Budget: $15,000 to management (staffing) accreditation. Amounts should increase as public demand and
(2019) and 20% other (outreach, interest increases and account education, etc.). for inflation and staff raises.

Funding Mechanisms Page I 106
241
Management Framework

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUNDING

SECTION
Funding
Mechanisms

RECOMMENDED ACTION KEY CONSIDERATIONS
Evaluate the potential
funding mechanisms for
feasibility,
Refine the analyses to
support implementation
of feasible funding
mechanisms,
Further evaluate the
degree to which the
residents and/or the
City would support and
generate the funding,
Develop a sustained
funding report detailing
current and potential
funding mechanisms
aligned with urban
forestry needs,
The Plan provides a series of potential and viable
mechanisms to fund the Urban Forestry Program Further
analyses by the City should be conducted to identify the preferable and most feasible funding mechanisms.

Further studies and analyses should be conducted on the preferable and most feasible funding mechanisms. For
example, the use of the Gas Tax Fund (215) should be
further evaluated.

Respondents showed varying opinions for how additional
funding should be applied to the City's urban forest
management program. According to the survey, 79%
support using additional funding for green jobs and job training, 74% for faster response time regarding tree
maintenance, 67% for more tree planting programs, 66%
support funding community programs to plant and
maintain trees, 58% for support in covering tree-related damage to hardscapes, and 51% support using funding for environmental education programs, Additional public
engagement and education efforts should be undertaken
to investigate where public support lies,
The report should provide the guidance to effectively
implement the feasible funding mechanisms and include
a method for evaluating needs to inform adjustments to
future budget requests.

DRAFT Los Banos. CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 107 242
. I 'os Banos·-:-
..... . 'e,crealiDR,
243

THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
244
Community Framework

COMMUNITY FRAMEWORK FOR ENGAGEMENT
The urban forest is a resource that benefits and belongs to the City's residents. In order to care for it, the passion that is so frequently used to talk about trees can be harnessed to build stewardship around Los Banos' trees. Much of the City's tree canopy is located on either residential. commercial. or industrial land. Thus, success in improving or maintaining tree canopy must include not only the municipal government, but also a populace that understands the value of trees and tree canopy to the community and the environment and how to plant and care for trees.

ENGAGEMENT TO INFORM THE PLAN
Throughout the development of the
Urban Forest Management Plan,
engagement opportunities and activities
were held to gather feedback and input
that would inform the vision, goals, and
strategies. The engagement sessions
began with a project kickoff in March
2021 where information about the
planning process was provided along
with upcoming engagement events and
other project information.

Throughout the planning process, social
media messages and updates to the
City's website were posted to inform the
public of the status and encourage
participation in a survey. The public
survey was hosted online in June 2021
and closed in July 2021. The survey
gathered 43 responses and focused on
identifying viewpoints and perceptions
relating to the urban forest cover, health,
benefits, and programs and gathered
input on developing the Plan's goals,
strategies, and future programs.

Figure 40. Los Banos' announcement for the public survey Public Meetings
The social media posts and website updates provided for consistent engagement with the community but public meetings with focus groups are essential to the development of a plan with a shared vision for the urban forest. In November 2021, February 2022, and### 2022, the Project Team met with Los Banos' Tree Commission to provide an overview of the project, gather insights, and collect feedback.

The draft Plan was also released for public comment and a presentation to the public on the final Plan is set to occur.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 109 245
Community Framework
Public Survey
The survey gathered public perceptions of urban forest extent. health, benefits, and services and informed the messaging and information shared throughout the planning period as well as the longterm public engagement strategies.

Based on the 43 responses received, the majority of respondents live in District 4 (35%) and District 2 (30%) of Los Banos (95%), are white non Hispanics (52%) or Hispanic or Latino (38%) ages 35 44 (41%), watered a tree (88%), harvested fruit from a tree (77%), or planted a tree (72%).

These respondents feel trees impact their life (98%) by bringing joy and shade and reducing air pollution and improving air quality as the greatest benefit (77%) followed by improved physical and mental health (74%), and mitigating the effects of climate change (74%).

They feel the most urgent tree related need in their neighborhood is tree planting (58%) and maintenance (19%) and they feel there should be drastically more tree canopy cover (67%) and the canopy health has declined (28%). They support a realistic tree canopy cover goal (86%) with plantings focused in parks (84%), rights-of-way (70%), and schools (67%).

The respondents believe the street trees in the public right of way are owned by the City (52%) and are managed by the Public Works Parks and Recreation Division (50%) and feel the current care and management is fair (46%). 95% of respondents support ordinances that mandate planting and protection during development and feel the street and park trees should be proactively managed i.e., program pruning (95%). They view the primary issue caused by trees is the sidewalk and pavement cracking (67%) and roots damaging underground utilities (51%).

With additional funding, the respondents primarily support more local green jobs and job training (79%), faster City response time to maintain trees (74%), and tree planting programs/giveaways (67%).

Figure 41. Summary of responses from the public survey to develop Los Banos' Urban Forest /vianagement Plan Engagement to Inform the Plan Page I 110
246

ENGAGEMENT TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN
There are multiple ways to engage the public to improve the care of and expanse of local tree canopy.

First. topics or messages must be defined, prioritized, and limited in number. More effective communication occurs through choosing a few strong messages and repeating them over and over.

After messages are chosen, avenues of targeted communication to deliver those messages can be determined and implemented. Important topics and messages that should be considered for Los Banos are as follows:
❖ Current Canopy Extent and Value of Los Banos' Trees, The message should present the current canopy level and benefits the canopy provides. This is typically the first message to send out to the public, as all other messages should connect back to this one. This can also be a way to "roll out" the Urban Forest Management Plan to the public. Include information such as why Los Banos needs tree canopy, what the current canopy level is, and the plans to improve the management of the trees that comprise the canopy. Educating local business owners on the impact that a shady commercial district can have on sales and educating property owners about the impact that trees have on property values are other useful methods for boosting the desire for increased canopy along main thoroughfares and neighborhood streets while also engaging the public. The important value of mature trees could be also highlighted, as people often do not realize that the large tree they have is a value to their property, the community, wildlife, and the environment. ❖ How You Can Get Involved. What are the next steps you want people to take? The City should decide the answer and insert this "ask" in every outreach piece or effort. The City could organize a tree giveaway (usually saplings) at Arbor Day for people to plant on private property. Or the City could create an Adopt-A-Tree program. whereby residents sign up to take care of a street tree, including providing regular water and mulch. Another option for getting the community involved is to expand the Historical and Heritage Tree Program where residents are encouraged to find and nominate the largest or otherwise significant trees in the City. Lastly, citizens can donate funds or volunteer at a tree planting event. ❖ Tree Threats. Public and private trees can die, decline, or become safety risks as a result of insect and disease infestation as well as inadequate maintenance. With education, the residents of Los Banos can become aware of the common threats to the tree canopy and what they can do to help. The City should provide education on existing tree pest and disease concerns and what the City is doing about these threats on public land, and options for management on their own land. SinGe the majority of the trees that comprise the City's urban tree canopy are on private property, it is vital for the City to educate the public on how to detect insect and disease threats, provide information about management and treatment options, and relay the importance of reforestation in the event trees are removed. Informing residents about tree removals and other significant tree work is essential for maintaining the City's relationship with the community. When an established public tree must be removed, the City should continue its current practice of notifying abutting or adjacent property owners of the City's intended course of action.
❖ General Tree Care Education for Property Owners. There are several actions people take that are detrimental to trees at all stages of life, including improper mulching and pruning. Easy tips and tidbits of information to share with residents for trees on their own properties can help improve tree maintenance and increase tree health and survival rates. Some examples include:
o Demonstrate how to properly mulch a tree. Too often mulch is placed around tree trunks in a "mulch volcano", which is extremely detrimental to the tree. A simple message of how to mulch properly can improve tree health and longevity.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 111 247
Community Framework
o Provide guidance on how and when to prune trees. Incorrect pruning can lead to poor tree structure or wounds that may never heal.
o Explain tree planting and tree care techniques. This could be especially helpful for homeowners who are considering planting a tree in their yard but unsure where to start. o Explore opportunities for urban agriculture, food forests, community orchards, and fruit gleaning.
o Encourage recycling or composting leaves on-site.

USE MULTIPLE AVENUES OF COMMUNICATION
There are numerous avenues to convey urban forestry messages and accomplishments of the program to the residents, such as:
❖ Social Media. Social media sites such as Facebook. lnstagram. and Twitter can create buzz and promote involvement in the current urban forestry activities occurring locally. To reach even more people, the City should consider coordinating with allied community gardens, nonprofits, educational institutions, and business to get messages posted on their social media sites as well.
❖ Website. The City of Los Banos' website contains urban forestry topics on the Parks and Recreation Division's webpage. Content relating to pruning, tree selection, permits, best practices, and supporting resources is provided though the majority of information is in a separate webpage and PDF. This PDF summarizes the Tree Commission's role among other information though this information should also be incorporated on the City's website. The website should be organized and maintained regularly to make sure information is up to date.

Results of the Urban Forest Management Plan should be included in the updates. ❖ Presentations to City leadership and local business and neighborhood groups. Identify key audiences, partners, and potential champions for the Urban Forestry Program. Making short presentations at regular or special meetings where they are relieves individuals from having to go to yet another meeting in the evenings. Initial outreach could be based on letting the audience know about Los Banos' urban forest and the work called for in this Plan. Be sure to have an "ask" at the end of the presentation. What do you want them to do next? This work often unearths new partners and funding sources that can otherwise go untapped. ❖ Do a survey. Once a year or at minimum, biannually, create a short online survey to identify urban forestry issues people in Los Banos are concerned or care about. The survey can also be used to gauge reactions to new urban forest management procedures and regulations, and their willingness to participate in volunteer work or to donate funds · or other resources.

Questions about public trees and tree canopy can be part of the annual public survey. ❖ Cultivate partnerships for communication. Partnerships can be initiated with organizations that can help promote, enhance, and preserve Los Banos' urban forest. Organizations can include local businesses, local utilities, regional non-profits, homeowner associations, neighborhood associations, and schools and other educational institutions. Other audiences to engage can include youth groups, landscape architect firms, faith-based groups, and nurseries and landscape contractors. Actions that can be taken by each partner should be defined before approaching them for support.
❖ Encourage local campuses to become a Tree Campus USA. If local campuses were to pursue this distinction and join the City's Tree City USA legacy, then more entities would be supporting Los Banos' urban forest. One standard a campus would need to achieve annually is for students to participate in one or more Service Learning Projects. These projects are intended to provide an opportunity to engage the student population with trees. College students could help the City's Urban Forestry Program perform many tasks, such as tree planting, tree care, and public outreach.

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Community Framework
❖ Publish and promote an annual State of the Urban Forest Report. An annual "State of the Urban Forest Report" can be produced using updated tree inventory data, tree planting statistics, i-Tree tools, and other program information. It should provide information on the number and condition of public trees, as well as maintenance, planting, and management accomplishments. It should also present a summary of the current year's annual work plan and identify emerging issues and budget or resource needs. The Implementation and Monitoring Plan sections of this Urban Forest Management Plan provide the recommended metrics and approach for evaluating and reporting on the state of the urban forest. ❖ Add signage to the landscape. Signs placed in high traffic areas can spark interest in trees and the urban forest. Something as simple as species name or a notable fact about a tree can encourage people to learn more and to get more involved. ❖ Create Story Maps. The story about Los Banos' urban forest, the programs that manage it, and the community that shapes and benefits from it can be told through maps that illuminate and contextualize the story. Maps are the visual representation of where events happen. As such, maps and stories complement each other, and story maps serve as an integrated presentation.

Story maps use geography as a means of organizing and presenting information. They tell the story of a place, event. issue, trend. or pattern in a geographic context. They combine interactive maps with other rich content-text, photos, illustrations, video, and audio-within intuitive user experiences. Content may include the Tree Canopy Assessment. the tree inventory, programs and events, and content from the Urban Forest Management Plan such as tree canopy goals, ecosystem benefits, and the urban forest vision, goals. strategies, and actions .
.....
..... ,
.......

PlANIT GEO
Figure 42. Story maps can visualize urban forest stories, maps, and data for the public DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Geographic
Assessment Scales
UTC ft~s,mtn'1i pro\ide- dtcision makers whh
a top-down vi,w of t.anopy covt-r throughout a
city and ec:;roS,S various spatial scale,. Thest
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tret's can be plnnttd to address sptdfic io:!lluts
l\nd ti;, il.Chie\·e- goal.

Stormwc1.tt1· suf! may be interesttd i.n
expanding canopy cov~r to help redur.e runoff.

SttttH s~aff may hr im~rest~d in increasing
canopy cov,r within the public rig:ht·of•way to
h•lp olfs,t urban h•~t.imnd, Council
members may interested in expanding canopy,
gret>n sptte. or rec~ation opportunities for
thl'ir citlz,nct
Zoom in to vjew exomple scales
-•
- •
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Community Framework

CREATE A VOLUNTEER CORPS
Consider implementing a "Young Tree Care" volunteer program to assist with new tree planting and new tree care such as watering, mulching, and pruning. This type of program is more involved than an "Adopt-A-Tree" program, as the young tree care volunteers are specially trained to care for young trees and to serve as advocates and educators within their networks. As such, this type of program involves initial and continuing training, frequent mentoring, and overall coordination of the process and volunteers. It also provides yet another engagement opportunity and encourages partnership opportunities with a variety of groups, such as neighborhood associations, master gardeners, scout troops, church affiliated groups, youth groups, high school community service programs, and others to accomplish new and young tree care tasks. Often times, local non-profit organizations oversee these types of programs.

Trees to include in a "Young Tree Care" program are generally less than six inches in diameter. These younger trees sometimes have branch structures that can lead to potential problems as the tree ages, such as codominant leaders, multiple limbs attaching at the same point on the trunk or crossing/interfering limbs. If these problems are not corrected, they may worsen as the tree grows, which increases risk and creates potential liability. With direction from City staff or trained professionals in a local non-profit. young tree care volunteers could be trained to carry out the young tree training program. Beyond pruning, young trees need watering and mulching to become established, and may require fertilization and other Plant Health Care (PHC) treatments until they reach maturity. This program can create "tree stewards" for Los Banos and be modeled after similar and successful programs like those found in other municipalities such as the Sacramento Tree Foundation's Tree Stewards or in other states such as Portland's Neighborhood Tree Stewards.

The "tree stewards" or a volunteer corps could also be used to support the urban forest management program in other ways. Volunteers could develop and/or staff Arbor Day and Earth Day events, post and manage tree messages on social media, help update the inventory, and/or locate planting sites in neighborhoods.

EXPLORE PARTNERSHIPS
Establish partnerships to fund and accomplish the young tree training program and some mature tree care activities. For instance, the utility companies may support tree growth regulator applications for trees under their lines; businesses or developers may pay into a fund to "adopt" or maintain trees in parks, commercial areas, and newly built streets; and residents may help water mature street trees during times of drought. -
The City should continue to maintain and strengthen partnerships with agencies and organizations that provide technical service and grant opportunities. For example, the CAL FIRE Urban and Community Forestry Program provides urban forestry grants. These partners among many other local, regional, and national partners can support Los Banos in implementing the Urban Forest Management Plan.

Also, a local community organization devoted to trees and people in the City is an essential component and partner to ensure long-term success of the Plan. Organizations such as these can communicate the outcomes of the Plan, coordinate volunteer events, raise funding, increase awareness and provide education and training, among other services and programs that increase the City's capacity. In addition, these local community partners can assist the City in improving its tree equity and environmental justice by being the boots on the ground and listening to local residents.

With any community partner involved in urban forestry, it is important the City establish a memorandum of understanding (MOU) or standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure the partnership is mutually beneficial to both parties, the community, and the urban forest.

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PUBLIC EDUCATION
Public education is one of the true keys to reaching the goals of an urban forestry program. Only by educating the public, City officials, developers, and contractors working within City Limits will a community be able to achieve urban forest protection and planting goals. Ordinances and guidelines alone will not guarantee success since builders, contractors, and others often have their own priorities and agendas, and trees and ordinances are often nothing more than a nuisance to them.

Cooperation from all concerned parties can be improved by requesting various community stakeholders, such as City Council members and neighborhood groups, to attend educational sessions to Learn about the current state of Los Banos' urban forest, plans for urban forest management and planting, and the importance of all of it to the future of the community.

To gain support for Los Banos' Urban Forestry Program, various public outreach campaigns aimed at educating the residents of Los Banos should be established. Where there is understanding and acceptance of the Urban Forestry Program as a whole, there will be increased support for the planting portion of the program. Based on examples of public relations efforts by urban foresters in other communities, the following types of activities are suggested for the City and its Local community partners lo undertake:
❖ Hold a seminar or public meeting to discuss the tree inventory project, its results, and its importance for the City.
❖ Develop monthly evening or weekend seminars related to tree care and landscaping: bring in guest experts from various disciplines in the green industry. ❖ Write a monthly "Tree Talk" article for local newspapers or social media. ❖ Develop a Tree Care door hanger brochure to go to each residence where new trees are planted; educating residents about proper tree care could help eliminate trunk damage and improper mulching and pruning of new trees.
❖ The City could start giving away one-gallon tree seedlings to any volunteers who get involved with City projects. This is a great reward and a way to spread the word about trees. Los Banos could capitalize on the idea and attach the same Tree Care door hanger brochure or a different informational brochure to each of these trees.
❖ Co-host tree planting programs with the local garden club, local non-profits, or groups.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 115 251
❖ Map the locations of fruit-bearing trees in the City and coordinate with groups that haNest the fruit for homeless and food insecure organizations.
❖ Embrace story telling within the urban treescape. Connect the trees to the history of the area through complementary art, placards, or signage. Consider establishing tree walks that highlight some of Los Banos' greatest tree specimens and provides tree identification training.

Utilize the public-facing features of the City's tree inventory management software as a platform for engagement and education.
❖ Encourage citizen science activities that involve the urban forest. For example, the Nature ConseNancy's "Healthy Trees Healthy Cities" app can be used to monitor tree health and check trees for pests. Local professors and non-profit groups that work with citizen science may be able to help plan projects and recruit citizen scientists. ❖ Expand the annual Arbor Day celebration to help it become a community tradition. The Arbor Day celebration could be further developed as an all-day Saturday event, preferably held in a popular park/public space setting in the City. Expanding on short programs on planting and pruning trees and including children's programs about trees can help increase public interest in the City's tree programs. Additionally, the City could invite contractors to conduct demonstrations on tree planting, trimming, landscaping, and species selection. Organizers could also set up booths with tree information. Refer to the National Arbor Day Foundation (ArborDay.org) for publications that provide great Arbor Day ideas to assist in planning of this event.

SUPPORT THE CITY'S TREE COMMISSION
Continued support and engagement with the City's Tree Commission is one method for Los Banos to sustain the Urban Forestry Program and increase community engagement. The powers and responsibilities of the Tree Commission are based on California statutes and are assumed by the City.

By empowering the Tree Commission, Los Banos can place the responsibility for important community decisions in the hands of volunteers with designated powers. The Tree Commission is a crucial element in developing broad-based support for community trees and ensuring long-term success and growth of Los Banos' Urban Forestry Program.

Review Responsibilities of the Tree Commission
The Tree Commission should reflect the values and standards of the community and should help champion an urban forestry effort. The City should evaluate the Tree Commission's current and potential roles as they relate to Los Banos' urban forest. Some example roles and responsibilities C_QDlmonly found in tree commissions in~lude the followir,_g:
❖ Reduce involvement of a municipal council for tree-related matters. ❖ Administer tree removal appeals processes.
❖ Advise community leaders and staff on administering the urban forest. ❖ Stimulate and organize tree planting and maintenance. ❖ Participate in the Historical and Heritage Trees Program. ❖ Support urban forest projects such as inventories, management plans, and ordinances. ❖ Settle community disputes caused by tree removal, planting, or maintenance.

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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
The equitable distribution of resources is a key driver of environmental justice. This Urban Forest Management Plan aims to grow the urban forest and address the fact that existing canopy resources and associated benefits are unequally distributed. Urban tree canopy expansion and maintenance requires a financial investment on the part of the City, primarily from tax dollars. As a result. tree canopy coverage tends to be larger and more established in wealthier neighborhoods, and tree canopies are often less than ideal in communities that are economically disadvantaged. Along with funding, community support for the urban forest and this Plan are necessary to succeed.

Communication should begin months before a tree planting starts and should build trust between the entity spearheading the tree plantings and the community the tree planting is taking place in.

Connecting with trusted community leaders to introduce the idea of an expanded tree canopy, holding outreach events at an earlier stage in the plan, and taking local opinion into account when it comes to tree species selection can develop a partnership, rooted in trust, with the area's residents.

But a big part of keeping that trust is staying consistent through action. Following up with these communities to hear and address any concerns while consistently maintaining the new plantings will help ensure a fully developed urban forest. The framework of the Urban Forest Management Plan guarantees the presence of environmental justice principles in Los Banos' Urban Forestry Program.

The tree planting initiatives and Citywide tree canopy cover goals to be finalized by the City will address community equity and environmental justice by identifying areas in most need of tree canopy cover, tree plantings, and urban forestry services. And, as the City expands its network of partners, all populations within a neighborhood will be better represented.

SUPPORT OR ESTABLISH A CITY VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
To streamline community education and engagement across the City's programs and projects that influence the natural environment (i.e., Urban Forestry, sustainability, recycling, among others) and to achieve goals of the Urban Forest Management Plan, a volunteer coordinator should be supported with partnerships, organizations, the Tree Commission, and adjunct staff support. The management of volunteers, events, messaging, partnerships, and programs will build support for the Urban Forestry Program through volunteers and ensure all demographics and cultures have an equal opportunity to experience and discuss the City's urban forest.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY
Outreach and engagement with I~e community of Los Banos begins with clear messaging an_d information gathered from the Urban Forest Management Plan. To make a greater impact and to fully recognize all communities in Los Banos, it is recommended the City identify a local non-profit community organization with a mission that supports the urban forest. In addition to a community partner, the Tree Commission adds capacity and creates more advocates for the Urban Forestry Program. Lastly, a community of tree stewards that are trained in tree planting and post-planting care will increase Urban Forestry Program capacity and build support for long-lasting impacts.

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COMMUNITY BENCHMARKS AND COMPARISONS
Public
Perception
(2021
Survey)
Tree
Commissions
Volunteer
Civic
Groups
. : ' . • 43 survey responses
• 35% live in District 4
• 41% ages 35-44
• 88% have watered a tree
• 72% have planted a tree
• 77% view shade and air quality
improvements as the greatest
benefit of trees, followed by
human health (74%), and climate
change (7 4%)
• 58% feel they need more trees in
their neighborhood
• 67% expressed concerns about
trees and hardscape conflicts
• 67% feel there should be
drastically more canopy cover
• 28% feel the health of canopy has
declined
• 86% support a realistic canopy
goal
• 84% prefer plantings in parks, 70%
in rights-of-way, 67% at schools
• 46% view public tree care is fair
• 95% support ordinances that
mandate planting and protection
during development
• 95% feel the public trees should
be proactively managed
• 79% would like to see more
funding go towards green jobs
and training, 74% to more tree
maintenance, and 67% to tree
planting.

Established
In development
. . ' . .

Conduct biannual
public surveys to
measure change in
viewpoints,
interests, and
concerns.
52% of CA cities do
not have a Tree
Commission (TC)
48% of TC's lead
Arbor Day events,
41% address appeals,
42% involved with
policy work, and 48%
advocate/promote
urban forestry
64% of CA cities
utilize volunteer
groups
(Thompson, et al.
2018)
Community Framework
CONSIDERATIONS ~J
Frequent assessments of
community viewpoints,
perceptions, and ideas
regarding the urban forest
and associated programs
informs management
strategies and fosters
stewardship in a
community.

A Tree Commission
increases capacity and
provides the framework
and authority for tree
related matters in a city
Source for Tree
Commission statistics:
_Thompson, et al. 2018
Volunteer groups increase
a program's capacity and
builds a community of
stewards committed to the
urban forest.

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Community Framework

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

SECTION
Engagement
to
Implement
the Plan
Multiple
Avenues of
Communication
Volunteer
Corps or
Tree
Stewards
Program
Partnerships
Education
Tree
Commission
Environmental
Justice
Volunteer
Coordinator

RECOMMENDED ACTION KEY CONSIDERATIONS
Establish consistent
messaging and
implement an outreach
and education program
as a Citywide
coordinated effort.

Remove barriers that
prevent access to
information by
implementing outreach
and education on
multiple platforms to
reach all demographics
and cultures in the City.

Support in a technical
capacity the creation of
a local tree stewards
program.

Strengthen community
and regional partners
that represent all
neighborhoods and
demographics in the
City.

Coordinate with partners
to. host and s_upport .
educational activities.

Evaluate the guidance
provided to support the
City's Tree Commission.

Utilize partnerships and
surveys to address
environmental justice
concerns and adapt
strategies as needed.

Support volunteer
coordination by
collaborating on events.

A team of City staff and stakeholders should be
organized to monitor Plan implementation. To
support the Plan, a community outreach strategy
should be developed that defines the audiences,
approaches, timing, materials, and other
considerations to effectively communicate to all
communities and demographics.

Utilize local community partners to identify the
existing barriers to information and align efforts to
address these within the community outreach
strategy.

Consider the framework of the Sierra Club San
Francisco Bay's Tree Team for Oakland, CA with
volunteer-led tree planting and pruning. In 2008, the
Oakland City Council reduced funding to the city's
Tree Division and suspended routine tree-plantings,
so the Sierra Club's SF Bay Chapter began to plant
trees with volunteers where homeowners would
take care of them As of January 2021, over 2,000
trees have been planted, many of them in
communities rated as "environmentally
disadvantaged" by CalEnviroScreen3.o.

Consider the technical and funding support from
CAL FIRE, Non-Profit Organizations, federal
agencies, regional organizations, and other
conventional and non-conventional partners. Identify
shared goals, opportunities to leverage resources,
and strategies that are guided by an MOU or similar.

Activities may include articles, seminars, trainings,
workshops, events, virtual _3essions, and Clther
mediums and channels that reach Los Banos' diverse
population.

As part of the planning process, guidelines for
supporting the Tree Commission were provided.

Continue to inform and engage members of the
commission and ensure all members of the
community are represented.

Establishing or strengthening partnerships that
represent all neighborhoods, communities,
demographics, and cultures ensure the urban forest
provides benefits and services to all.

A volunteer coordinator with specific guidance for
urban forestry engagement can promote various
events to build community stewardship.

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256
257

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Goal Framework

URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT AND

SUSTAINABILITY GOALS
Trees are an integral part of the community and the ecological systems in which they exist. They provide significant economic, social, and ecological benefits, such as carbon sequestration, reduction of urban heat islands, energy savings, reduction of stormwater runoff, improvement of water quality, enhancement of human health and wellness, and increase the value of properties. Planting and maintaining trees help Los Banos become more sustainable and reduce the negative impacts on the ecosystem from urban development. Trees are as necessary as water, infrastructure, and energy to sustaining healthy communities. The health of the urban forest is directly linked to the health of the community.

Through research, staff interviews, data analyses, benchmarking research, community engagement. and urban forest auditing, the City identified six specific goals with each having several strategic actions to accomplish the goals. Lastly, the actions include specific and measurable targets to guide planning, implementation, and evaluations. An interactive worksheet detailing the goals, strategies, and actions was developed to support this Plan. The worksheet includes a total of 15 unique attributes that can be filtered and sorted to inform implementation strategies. For example, each action can be sorted by priority and level of funding required.

The Analysis of Los Banos' Urban Forest, Management Framework, and Community Framework for Engagement sections provide the context, discussions, and recommendations that led to the development of the goal framework. In addition, an extensive review of the policies within Los Banos' General Plan was completed to align City planning efforts. The Urban Forest Management Plan actions address many of the policies within the General Plan, demonstrating effectiveness, efficiency, resourcefulness, and support this urban forestry plan offers to the City's principles and policies.

Los BANOS' URBAN FOREST VISION
Our City's trees, forests, and other natural resources are recognized as integral to sustaining life and health for all City residents. A healthy, thriving, and sustainable urban forest is a community priority, to be thoughtfully managed and cared for by partnerships between the City and its residents to maximize public safety and benefits that include a thriving ecosystem. vibrant economy, and livable communities shared by all who live, work, and play in Los Banos.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Program Efficiencies and Fair Policies Long-lasting improvements to the urban forest are achieved with improved levels of service and sound policies, protocols, and standards.

Health and Sustainability The urban forest grows sustainably through Best Management Practices and shared commitments.

Preservation and Resiliency Continuous process of long-range planning and management enhances and protects the urban forest for future generations.

Community Engagement The growth and management of the urban forest is informed by education and engagement that is equitable, inclusive, diverse, and transparent.

Green Asset Management Trees are vital components of the community to be thoughtfully managed.

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Goal Framework
PRIMARY GOALS FOR Los BANOS' URBAN FOREST
Tree Management Policy
Urban forest policies are the foundation for preserving the environmental benefits, management. and the character of Los Banos' urban forest.

Capacity, Training, and Authority
Los Banos has the capacity and expertise to provide optimal levels of service for sound urban forest management.

City resources enable comprehensive urban forest management for the preservation and enhancement of tree benefits.

Assessments and Planning
A thorough understanding of the urban forest ensures data-driven decisions, sustainable and comprehensive planning, and amplified tree benefits.

Community Engagement
Sustainable urban forest management and equity is achieved through a partnership with the City and its residents resulting in improved well-being, human health. and local economies.

Green Asset Management
Los Banos proactively manages the public trees, continues to grow and expand a healthy canopy, effectively mitigates storm damage, maintains public safety, and optimizes urban forest benefits.

The following pages provide the strategic actions to support each respective goal. To view additional information regarding the actions along with the supporting targets, see Appendix E.

Primary Goals for Los Banos' Urban Forest Page I 122
260
Goal Framework

STRATEGIC ACTIONS TO ACHIEVE URBAN FORESTRY GOALS
GOAL A: Tree Management Policy
Urban forest policies are the foundation for preserving the environmental benefits, management, and the character of Los Banos' urban forest
Actions
Refine and finalize the Master Street Tree List and update the City standards and MP.01 specifications for improvements and landscape to detail the appropriate trees for public tree plantings and the planting detail.

Align resources and planning efforts across City departments and partners to meet common goals and improve efficiencies. Tree managing staff should engage in City MP.02 department planning such as updates to the City's General Plan, Parks Master Plan, and plans for climate change, greenhouse gas reductions, sustainability, and human health,
Prepare a formal document to recommend changes to tree-related code, MP 03 ordinances, standards (i.e., Landscape Standards), Standard Operating Procedures, · and best practices based on recommendations and priorities described in Appendix F.

Establish tiers of achievable tree canopy goals and tree planting targets Citywide, by MP O zoning or land use type, neighborhood, and/or district. Use the UFMP as guidance. · 4 At minimum, adopt a no-net-loss policy for public trees. Update these after completion of the high-resolution U1.C assessment in __ ~o30.

Consolidate tree-related policies, guidelines, best practices, standards, and MP.05 information into a tree manual for planners, developers, homeowners, HOAs, and tree care companies.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page J 123 261
Goal FraMework
GOAL B: Capacity, Training, and Authority
Los Banos has the capacity and expertise to provide optimal levels of service for sound urban forest management.

Actions
CT O Establish an urban forestry working group with regular meetings to monitor progress · 1 of implementing actions. Finalize Lead implementers.

CT Evaluate the roles and responsibilities of the Tree Commission to align with goals ·
02 and actions in the UFMP.

Ensure tree-related operations are represented or conducted by staff with industry CT O credentials such as International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist and · 3 Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) either directly through the department or supporting department.

Stay current with industry research, science, and technology through various CT.04 platforms. An example includes management of current and potential exotic tree pest and disease threats.

Determine the necessary staff required to adequately manage tree hazards and CT debris within the public rights-of-way, effectively plant trees aligned with canopy ·
05 goals, provide post-planting care, and enforce tree ordinances (i.e., shade requirements, mitigation plantings, replacement plantings).

Strategic Actions to Achieve Urban Forestry Goals Page I 124 262
Goal Framework
GOAL C: Budget and Funding
c,ly resources nabie ~omtfre-hehsiv~-ui;.ba"rf1orest manag;mehl'{p7th~-;re-;;~;;u"an~~I e hancement o(Jtree benefjts. • ,I 1 • 1, , • 'I , 1 - •.a 1 1 1 II --- - - ~ - -- _ I I Actions
Continue to seek and acquire funding and technical assistance from agencies and BF.01 organizations such as the CAL FIRE, U.S. Forest Service, University Extension Services, and others.

Use the data from the Assessments and Plans actions (i.e., tree maintenance needs, BF.02 tree planting needs, ecosystem services) to support budget and funding increases aligned with resource needs and actions in the UFMP.

Develop an annual education and training budget for tree management staff that BF supports attending CEU accrediting seminars, workshops, and conferences each ·
03 year. Consider the Tree Care Industry Association's Certified Treecare Safety Professional accreditation.

Based on the exploration of funding opportunities provided in the UFMP, develop a BF sustained funding report that details the opportunities and approaches for sustained, ·
04 dedicated, and diversified funding. An example includes a pest control fee or alternative uses of the Gas Tax.

Establish a dedicated, sustained funding source beyond the current departmental BF.05 budget for urban forestry operations to increase the level of service to meet the community's high standards.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 125 263
Goal Framework
GOAL D: Assessments and Planning
A thorough understanding of the urban forest ensures data-driven decisions, sustrnnable and comprehensive planning, and amplified tree benefits
Actions
AP Maintain an inventory of public trees and update as maintenance, removals, and new ·
01 plantings occur. Encourage partners to manage a current inventory of utility trees.

Quantify the ecosystem benefits and appropriate appraisal values of public trees to AP.02 conduct a cost-benefit analyses of public trees. This informs management priorities, program structure, and raises public awareness of the urban forest benefits.

Complete an urban forest audit using similar criteria as the 2021 audit completed for AP.03 the UFMP to evaluate improvements in urban forest management and adapt strategies.

AP Strengthen storm and disaster preparations, mitigations, and recovery strategies, ·
04 protocols, and mechanisms.

Complete a comprehensive high-resolution Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) Assessment AP.05 using industry recommended protocols to establish a baseline metric from which urban forest improvements can be measured.

AP 6 Evaluate the recommendations provided in the UFMP to further strengthen the ·
0 Urban Forestry Program, the tree resource, and the community framework Strategic Actions to Achieve Urban Forestry Goals Page I 126 264
Goal Framework
GOAL E: Community Engagement
Sustainable urban forest management and equity is achieved through a partnership with the City and its residents resulting in improved well-being, human health. and local economies.

Actions
Develop a community outreach strategy with clear and consistent language using CE information from the UFMP. Include updates and a dedicated page on the City's ·
01 website. Coordinate the strategy as a Citywide initiative rather than a departmental effort.

CE Continue to receive Arbor Day Tree City USA designation. Strive to achieve Arbor Day ·
02 Growth Awards and Sterling status after 10 Growth Awards.

Conduct biannual community surveys to gauge public viewpoints and receive CE feedback on implementation of the UFMP and program success. Prioritize citizen ·
03 feedback/requests and update the City website with frequently asked questions and additional resources.

Continue to strengthen partnerships with civic groups, non-profit organizations, Homeowners' Associations. volunteers, institutions. internal. City Council.

CE.04 neighborhoods, improvement districts, and non-conventional organizations aligned with goals of the UFMP. Support volunteer events and develop strategies to remove barriers to participation for all community members.

Provide education and workshops to the public about tree maintenance responsibilities, permitting, species selection, and proper young tree care as funding CE allows. Also provide information regarding unauthorized tree plantings, invasives, and ·
05 management of volunteer trees. At minimum, share this information quarterly on social media, the City's website, and other communication platforms. Align these efforts with Action CE.01 for a community outreach strategy.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 127 265
Goal Framework
GOAL F: Green Asset Management
Los Banos proactively manages the public trees, continues to grow and expand a healthy canopy, effectively mitigates storm damage, maintains public safety, and optimizes urban forest benefits Actions
Prioritize young and large tree maintenance, removals, and risk tree assessments GA based on updated inventory data and resources. Update the maintenance regimen ·
01 (number of public trees pruned annually) by evaluating inventory data, program structure, available resources, and demands.

Coordinate with other City departments to maximize the number of trees planted GA through Capital Improvement Programs and stormwater management projects. ·
02 Establish procedures for replacing damaged trees during infrastructure replacement projects.

Develop a more strategic approach to tree species and site selection using the GA Master Street Tree List (2022 UFMP) to ensure the resilience and optimize ecosystem ·
03 service provision of Los Banos' urban forest. Plant and grow a diverse urban forest with species representing no more than 10% of the public tree population.

Use Citywide tree inventory data and best available science for long-term planning GA and management of existing and future tree pests and diseases impacting the City's ·
04 urban forest. Consider new research and guidance such as the 5% tree genera diversity rule (Ball, 2015).

Use the results of an updated high-resolution Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) Assessment GA.05 to prioritize tree plantings based on low existing tree cover and enhancing benefits provided by trees.

Acronyms (as presented in the actions): UFMP ~ Urban Forest Management Plan (2022): UTC = Urban Tree canopy (Assessment); HOAs = Homeowners Associations: TRAO = Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (ISAl: CAL FIRE = California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection: U.S.= United States (of America): CEU = Continuing Education Units: USA= United States of America
Strategic Actions to Achieve Urban Forestry Goals Page I 128 266
Goal Framework

RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY TABLES

URBAN FOREST ANALYSIS
Urban Tree canopy
Section
Urban
Tree
Canopy
Tree
'Equity
Recommended Action
Conduct finer scale
analyses of tree canopy
cover and possible
planting space.

Refine the recommended
tree canopy cover goats
and priority planting areas.

Continue to assess tree
canopy cover change.

Conduct finer scale
analyses of tree equity.

Use the tree equity
analysis to support canopy
goal setting and priority
planting areas.

Continue to assess tree
equity and adjust
strategies.

Key Considerations
The urban tree canopy (UTC) assessment identifies
areas where it may be possible to plant trees to increase tree canopy cover. Additional analyses would separate
the possible planting areas into what is feasible and of highest priority.

By identifying the feasible and most desired areas for
planting trees, potential stakeholders, policy changes, and necessary resources, the City and partners can
refine the short- and long-term tree canopy cover goals and planting targets.

The urban tree canopy cover and other land cover types
such as possible planting area and impervious area
should continually be assessed on at least a 5-year basis to monitor canopy gains and losses and inform strategy
changes.

The Tree Equity Score Tool provides an analysis of tree canopy cover equity by U.S. Census Block Group.

Additional analyses of tree equity by neighborhood or
land use provides a finer depiction of tree canopy
disparities and opportunities:--- -
Tree canopy cover goals should be based on an
amalgamation of City and stakeholder priorities and
themes- tree equity should be one of the highest tiers
for consideration in setting goals.

Similar to tree canopy cover change analyses, the
change in tree equity on small- and large-scales should continually be measured to inform strategy updates.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 129 267
Urban Tree Canopy (continued)
Section
Urban
Forest
Threats
Recommended Action
Manage the urban forest
to mitigate and reduce the
effects of climate change.

Assess and manage tree
pests and diseases.

Strengthen and enforce
sound tree regulations.

Goal Framework
Key Considerations
Maintaining tree health and growing an urban forest that addresses climate change impacts should be guided by
short- and long-term canopy goals. rree plantings can
address critical impacts such as increased surface
temperatures. Management of open space and natural
areas especially within the wildland-urban interface can reduce fire risks.

Maintain an inventory of the public tree population by
noting tree pests and diseases and reinventory trees on an appropriate cycle. Analyze the composition of the
urban forest for susceptibility and inform the public of common tree pest and disease signs, symptoms, and
treatment options.

Tree canopy data, recommendations in the Plan, among
other sources of data will provide valuable information to effectively strengthen tree-related policies and
regulations to minimize the impact of development
pressures on the urban forest. Long-range planning
should consider sustaining and maximizing the
associated benefits provided by the urban forest while
accommodating smart growth.

Recommendations Summary Tables Page I 130
268
Goal Framework
Public Trees
Section Recommended Action
Public
Street
and Park
Trees
Evaluate current public
street tree maintenance
responsibility.

Manage the public street
trees to maintain optimal
species and age class
diversity.

Effectively manage the
public street trees to
maintain a healthy
condition, reduce,
minimize or prevent
defects, minimize risks,
and address maintenance
needs.

See "Proactive Pruning"
within this table for
additional
recommendations.

Key Considerations
Currently, it is primarily the City's responsibility to maintain street trees. Surveys and anecdotes have
uncovered existing misconceptions of responsibility,
along with resource shortages resulting in complications and deferred maintenance of street trees. Deferred
maintenance leads to decreased urban forest health,
increased costs for maintenance, and increased risk.

The public street tree population is currently exceeding the genus (Pistacia - 20%: Fraxinus - 20%) and species
(Chinese pistache - 20%: narrowleaf ash - 11%: London
planetree - 10%) diversity threshold limits of 30-20-10 for the distribution of family, genus, and species of trees (Santamour, 1990). The City should improve the diversity to meet this standard by planting the appropriate tree
species, guided by a strategic tree planting plan. The
diversity thresholds can be further applied to local-level scales such as neighborhoods and streets rather than
simply Citywide to further strengthen the City's urban
forest resiliency.

Overall, the public street tree population is similar to the ideal distribution (Richards, 1983) though the relative age class that differs greatest from the ideal is the 6-12-inch class with 41% compared to the recommended 25%
distribution. Also, the young trees (1-12 inches DBH) and establishing trees (12-18 inches DBH) should be properly maintained and protected to grow into larger specimens
to reach the recommended 20% distribution of trees
greater than 24 inches DBH. Also, strengthening City
tree-related ordinances and policies will protect the
larger maturing trees and maintain age class diversity.

The City should continue to maintain street trees for
which its responsible by adhering to industry standards and best practices. Proper tree protection during
construction and routine inventory of public trees can
minimize human-caused defects. The City should
continue to manage its inventory to prioritize tree
maintenance. Consider a more frequent pruning rotation
for young trees to structurally train their growth to
minimize future costs. Education and resources relating to tree maintenance should continue to be shared with
adjacent property owners and developers, among other
audiences.

See "Proactive Pruning" within this table for additional recommendations.

DRAFT Los Banos, CA Urban Forest Management Plan Apr2022 Page I 131 269
Public Trees (continued)
Section
Public
Street and
Park
Trees
cont.

Recommended Action
Manage the public park
trees to improve structure
and maintain optimal
species and age class
diversity.

Continue to manage and
prevent invas.ive plant
species on public park
properties.

Coordinate the
management of trees in
the wildland-urban
'interface (WU D.

See "Proactive Pruning"
within this table for
additional
recommendations.

Goal Framework
Key Considerations
.The City should be planting the appropriate tree species, guided by a strategic tree planting plan to strengthen its !resiliency to climate change and tree pests and diseases.

Consider a more frequent pruning rotation for young
trees in parks to structurally train their growth to
minimize future costs.

All City-led plantings should adhere to a recommended
tree species list where trees planted are suitable for
changing climates and maintaining diversity. Only noninvasive species should be planted. The planting of native species should be considered to maintain
habitats that prevent invasives. Also, the CA Native Plant Society list should be considered. As feasible, invasive ; species should be removed and opportunities for
engaging and educating the public should be
considered.

Continue to coordinate tree and fire management best
practices with the Fire Department . in WUI areas.

Consider strengthening management strategies to
include a combination of improved modeling, research
into wildfire risk, fuel reduction in the home ignition zone, use of fire-resistant landscaping and building
materials, strategic placement of fuel reduction
treatments around the City, and community education
regarding · wildfire that could lead to policies and
mitigation that reduce wildfire risk in the WUI.

See "Proactive Pruning" within this table for additional recommendations.

Recommendations Summary Tables Page I 132
270
Goal Framework
Public Trees (continued)
Section Recommended Action
Establish and document
risk tree protocols and
standards.

Continue to conduct risk
tree assessments using
Manage industry standards and
Risk Trees protocols.

Proactive
1 Pruning
Future
Planting
Sites
Effectively address and
mitigate tree risk.

Evaluate the framework
for improved street tree
maintenance through
proactive programmed
pruning.

Analyze growing space
and condition by tree
species and other
variables.

Develop a strategy for
stocking planting sites
aligned with tree canopy
cover goals, community
desires, among other
factors.

Key Considerations
Compile, finalize, and document the methods and
protocols for monitoring, mitigating, and reducing risk trees using industry standards and best practices.

Coordinate the process with City departments.

Using risk area maps and the public tree inventory data, conduct risk tree assessments based on the protocols
and standards established. Continue to assess tree risk utilizing in-house or contracted professionals for tree and hardscape conflicts.

Based on risk tree assessments and protocols, mitigate
priority tree risks as funding permits.

Utilize the studies in the UFMP to implement
programmed street tree pruning incrementally.

Proactive pruning of street trees on an ideal rotation of 5 to 7 years will reduce long-term costs, sustain
associated benefits, and reduce risks.

Use the inventory and canopy assessment data to
identify priority planting areas on public properties and rights-of-way to increase the stocking level, guided by a strategic tree planting plan.

To increase tree canopy and address tree equity among
other City priorities- such as climate change
mitigation- develop a master tree planting plan,
planting strategy, or planting initiative. The strategic planting should be informed by the recommendations in
this Plan, community and partner input. and other
factors.