City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: DECEMBER 13, 2022 FROM: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: MEASURE Z – THIRD AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT FOR MUNICIPAL TREE MAINTENANCE SERVICES FOR CITY OF RIVERSIDE WITH WEST COAST ARBORISTS, INC. OF ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA, IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,250,000 FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $4,404,345 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2023 ISSUE:
Approve a Third Amendment to the Agreement for Municipal Tree Maintenance Services for City of Riverside with West Coast Arborists, Inc., of Anaheim, California, in the amount of $2,250,000 for a total contract amount of $4,404,345 for services through June 30, 2023.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Approve a Third Amendment to the Agreement for Municipal Tree Maintenance Services with West Coast Arborists, Inc. of Anaheim, California, in the amount of $2,250,000 for a total contract cost of $4,404,345 for services through June 30, 2023; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the Third Amendment, including making minor and non-substantive changes.
BACKGROUND:
The City is responsible for maintaining street trees within the public right-of-way and parks to enhance the quality of life for all residents. The City estimates there are nearly 35,000 park trees and approximately 150,000 street trees. The street trees are primarily located within parkways and along the front or side of homes and businesses, with approximately 15,000 located within medians and other areas maintained by the Public Works Department. Street trees have an estimated value of over $449 million.
Request for Proposals
On February 14, 2018, Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 1775 was issued to solicit proposals from qualified tree maintenance contractors to provide tree maintenance services for the City of Riverside, including optional pricing to service 35,000 park trees for the Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department. In response to the RFP, three proposals were received and evaluated by an internal review panel consisting of staff from several different City departments. The proposal from West Coast Arborists, Inc. (WCA), was deemed responsive and determined to be the most qualified. City Council awarded the contract to WCA on June 12, 2018. A first amendment extending the agreement by one-year was executed on July 6, 2021, and a second amendment extending the agreement by an additional year was executed on May 4, 2022.
Grid Trim Cycle
In 2017, $1 million in annual Measure Z funding was allocated to Urban Forestry to improve the 11-year tree trimming frequency cycle. In the years since the initial Measure Z funding was provided, staff have been able to improve the cycle to approximately 6-7 years. However, increases to tree trimming costs have resulted fewer tree trims each year impacting the trimming cycle.
Trimming trees on a long grid cycle results in more service requests, more emergency calls, and more claims (e.g., tree limbs falling on private property such as houses or vehicles). Increased tree trimming funding allows us to be proactive and equates to less money spent on reactive measures. It also helps inspectors to identify diseased or dying trees before they become a problem because the tree contractors will visit the trees more often and report concerns to the inspectors for further follow-up.
Proper long-term care is essential to maximize the benefits trees have to offer in our urban forest. Being able to reduce the grid trimming cycle and visit our city trees more often will improve the health and safety of our residents. A few benefits trees are known to have include increasing property values, filtering the air we breathe by removing dust and other particles, cooling the environment by reducing the urban heat islands, reducing storm water runoff, bringing natural elements and wildlife habitats into the urban surrounding which increase the quality of life for residents. In addition, the increased funding will help improve the frequency of palm tree trimming. Currently the Streets Division of the Public Works Department has the task of removing fallen palm fronds from the City's streets and right of ways after wind and storm events. This task reduces the time that Streets’ personnel have for their essential duties that include the maintenance and repairs of the streets, sidewalks, curbs and gutters. Trimming of the palm trees on a more frequent schedule will help to reduce fallen fronds and allow the Streets Division personnel to remain working on their essential duties. The increased palm trimming will also help to reduce damages caused to personal property caused by the falling fronds.
DISCUSSION:
On June 21, 2022, City Council approved an additional $2,250,000 in Measure Z funding to be used for trimming of city owned palm trees during FY 2022/23. This additional funding will allow palms to be trimmed every 2 years while helping to retain a shorter cycle for the remaining city owned trees. Staff are requesting that these additional funds be added to the agreement with WCA.
Section 1104 of Purchasing Resolution 23914 allows for Change Orders and states: “Modifications to a Purchase Order shall be made only by Change Order. Subject to the availability of funds, Change Orders may be utilized for purposes of …(3) modifying scope of work/services being provided, where the modification is reasonably related to the original scope of work/services…”. Section 1104 further states that “Except for Construction contracts and Purchase Orders, all Change Orders shall be by fully executed written amendment to the procuring Contract”.
The Purchasing Manager concurs that the recommendation to approve the amendment is in compliance with Purchasing Resolution 23914.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item supports Strategic Priority 4 – Environmental Stewardship and Goal 4.5 - Maintain and conserve 30% of Riverside’s natural lands in green space including, but not limited to, agricultural lands and urban forests in order to protect and restore Riverside’s rich biodiversity and accelerate the natural removal of carbon, furthering our community’s climate resilience.
This item aligns with the Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – Management of the city’s urban forest and landscapes benefit all city residents, businesses and visitors by helping to remove gaseous air pollutants and sequestering carbon.
Equity – Approval of this action benefits all who live near or travel throughout the City of Riverside.
Fiscal Responsibility – Maintaining city owned trees and landscapes (and their infrastructure) supports Public Works’ efforts to minimize inefficiencies and maximize reliability.
Innovation – Approval of this action is neutral towards this cross-cutting thread.
Sustainability & Resiliency – Trees have been noted as being the “lungs of the earth”. By providing additional funding to maintain our city trees, provides proof that the City of Riverside and the Public Works Department, are committed to sustainability and resiliency by maintaining and supporting our valuable urban forest on a continuous and more frequent basis, helping to improve the environment and the quality of life for our community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of the action is $2,250,000. Sufficient funds are budgeted and available in Measure Z Fund. Public Works-Forestry & Landscape, Tree Maintenance account 8003001-421205.
Prepared by: Gilbert Hernandez, Public Works Director
Certified as to
availability of funds: Edward Enriquez, Interim Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer/City Treasurer Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachments:
Third Amendment to the Agreement
Second Amendment to the Agreement
First Amendment to the Agreement
Agreement
Presentation
Third Amendment to West Coast Arborist Agreement ● Page 4