CITY COUNCIL DIRECTION REGARDING THE PROCUREMENT OF CITYWIDE TREE MAINTENANCE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICESSeptember 14, 2026 9/8/2026
1 ATTACHMENT NO. 2
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2 Pomona’s urban forest which consists of over 36,000 trees is a valuable public asset that requires ongoing maintenance and care.
The RFP was developed, by design, to enhance the maintenance approach for comprehensive tree care specific for Pomona trees. The RFP prioritized Council and community aesthetic and safety goals by establishing:
Level A maintenance standards
Full trim
Citywide tree inventory
Expanded geographic grid cycle maintenance, including
Phillips Ranch and VPD grid cycles
Palm trim every 2-years
COMPREHENSIVE TREE CARE
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3 Prior Related Actions
On September 20, 2021, the City Council approved a three-year base term piggyback contract with WCA, with two optional one-year extensions for tree related services, not to exceed the annual budgeted amount.
On June 16, 2025, the City Council authorized a six-month extension to the agreement with WCA to allow time to complete a competitive IFB for long-term tree maintenance services.
On September 22, 2025, the City issued Invitation for Bid No. 2025-29 for Citywide Tree Maintenance and Emergency Response Services.
On December 15, 2025, the City Council rejected the bids received for Invitation For Bids (IFB) No. 2025-29 due to several issues identified with bid documents submitted by proposers, and WCA submitted a bid protest.
At the meeting, City Council also authorized a six-month extension to the Agreement with WCA to allow time to complete a competitive RFP for long-term tree trimming and maintenance services. The six-month extension expired on June 30, 2025.
In January 2026, after Staff review with the City Attorney, it was determined a Request for Proposals (RFP) was a more appropriate bid approach as it allowed the City to select highest rank, best value proposer for professional services.
After development of RFP (including a separate proposal for the Phillips Ranch area, as well as updated models and pricing for multiple service levels to ensure tree maintenance remains within budget) and required AB339 notification of 45-days to the City’s employee groups, RFP No. 2026-17 was posted on April 29, 2026, and closed on June 4, 2026 On July 6, 2026, the City Council continued the consideration of award of a three-year contract to Mariposa Tree Management Inc. (Mariposa) to the July 20, 2026, City Council meeting due to the bid protest submitted by West Coast Arborist.
On July 20, 2026, City Council considered the item and did not to move forward with an award at that time.
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4 2026 RFP PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS
Current Approach
New Agreement
Grid Trim – Canopy raising and removal of severely / poorly structured or dead branches, with trim per ISA standards Palm trimming every five years
Grid Trim – Structural pruning, crown raising and crown cleaning, foliage to be reduced from 20% up to 40% per ISA Standards Palm trimming every two years
Chinese Elm maintained on two-year cycle
Chinese Elm maintained on two-year cycle
Phillips Ranch Assessment District trees maintained as funding allowed Establishes 10-year grid cycle for PRAD trees, plus includes prioritized work plan 30 days after contract execution Vehicle Parking District maintained as-needed
Inventory at additional cost as requested by City Staff Establishes 3-year grid cycle for VPD trees
Full Citywide inventory completed by Day 240 of contract and updated regularly at no additional cost
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5 RFP issued April 29, 2026 through PlanetBids.
205 firms notified, 36 firms downloaded solicitation, 8 submissions received 2 submissions determined non-responsive by Purchasing Division 6 responsive proposals evaluated by independent reviews
PROCUREMENT PROCESS
The RFP process allows the City, by design, to award based on the best overall value, not lowest bid.
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6 Proposal Review Team
Three Member – Independent Review
Proposals were evaluated based on:
Project approach (40 points)
Qualifications and experience (20 points)
Technical merit (10 points)
Price reasonableness – Automated score through PlanetBids based on City’s criteria and proposers submitted information (30 points) 240 maximum possible points (given three evaluators)
Evaluators reviewed responsive proposals
Independent evaluator scores submitted to Purchasing Division via PlanetBids Purchasing staff compiled scores and determined final ranking
EVALUATION PROCESS AND RESULTS
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7 EVALUATION PROCESS AND RESULTS, cont.
RFP Process – Transparent Process
Pricing information – Purchasing provides information only for highest ranked company to evaluators after scoring was complete and company was deemed the finalist Mariposa was highest ranked proposer. All Mariposa pricing was reviewed – for the highest ranked firm – in advance of the July 6th and July 20th recommendations for award.
Since that time, the pricing for all firms has been released to the evaluators. Two firms had not included a category sub-total in the overall total in their original PlanetBids submittal. The totals have been revised to accurately reflect the proposer’s submitted subtotals. While costs and points changed, the ranking order remained consistent from the prior reports.
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8 Scheduled grid maintenance (known cost)
Defined maintenance cycle established through the RFP
Provides a predictable baseline cost for routine tree care As-Needed services (variable cost)
Costs cannot be accurately projected for any vendor and are based on actual needs that arise throughout the year, including:
Emergency storm response
Hazardous tree removals
Out-of-cycle pruning
Tree planting and watering
Unforeseen tree maintenance needs
EVALUATION PROCESS AND RESULTS, cont.
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9 EVALUATION PROCESS AND RESULTS, cont.
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10 Project Approach
Demonstrated strongest overall understanding of City urban forestry objectives Closest alignment with City maintenance standards established in RFP Proposed pruning methodology aligned with City standards Only proposer to provide a detailed Phillips Ranch Assessment District fire mitigation strategy Includes prioritized work plan within 30 days of contract execution
WHY MARIPOSA RANKED HIGHEST
Recommendation is based on:
Fair and transparent City approved purchasing process
Highest-ranked proposal
Alignment with City maintenance standards
Demonstrated technical expertise
Competitive and reasonable pricing
Ability to deliver an expanded proactive maintenance program
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11 RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council take one of the following actions:
Reject all proposals received in response to the City’s Request for Proposals (RFP #2026-17) for Citywide Tree Maintenance and Emergency Response Services and direct Staff to re-solicit the services; or Award a two-year contract with three optional one-year extensions, subject to Council approval, to Mariposa Tree Management, Inc., at prices bid and terms within the RFP; and authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the agreement, including extra work, subject to review by the City Attorney.
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12 MEG MCWADE
PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR