San Dimas City Council
May 12, 2026

CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION MEETING AGENDA
TUESDAY MAY 12, 2026 6:00 PM
SAN DIMAS COUNCIL CHAMBER
CONFERENCE ROOM
245 EAST BONITA AVENUE
A public agenda packet is available for review on the City’s website www.sandimasca.gov or by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at [email protected].

CITY COUNCIL
Mayor Emmett Badar, Mayor Pro Tem Eric Weber, Councilmember Rachel Bratakos, Councilmember Eric Nakano, Councilmember Ryan A. Vienna
CALL TO ORDER AND FLAG SALUTE
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
(Members of the audience are invited to address the City Council on any item on this agenda. Public comment will not be taken during each individual agenda item, except for public hearing items.

Comments on public hearing items will be heard when that item is scheduled for discussion. Under the provisions of the Brown Act, the legislative body is prohibited from engaging in discussion on any item not appearing on the posted agenda. However, your concerns may be referred to staff or set for discussion at a later date. Each speaker will be limited to speaking once for up to (3) three minutes.) STUDY SESSION

1. Receive Report and Discuss the Management of the Community Forest

ADJOURNMENT
Notice Regarding Americans with Disabilities Act: In compliance with the ADA, if you need assistance to participate in a city meeting, please contact the City Clerk's Office at (909) 394­6216. Early notification before the meeting you wish to attend will make it possible for the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting [28 CFR 35.102­35.104 ADA Title II].

Copies of documents distributed for the meeting are available in alternative formats upon request. Any writings or documents provided to the City Council regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public review Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Administration Department and San Dimas Library. In addition, most documents are posted on the City's website at www.sandimasca.gov.

Notice Regarding Americans with Disabilities Act: In compliance with the ADA, if you need assistance to participate in a city meeting, please contact the City Clerk's Office at (909) 394­6216. Early notification before the meeting you wish to attend will make it possible for the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting [28 CFR 35.102­35.104 ADA Title II].

Copies of documents distributed for the meeting are available in alternative formats upon request. Any writings or documents provided to the City Council regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public review Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Administration Department and San Dimas Library. In addition, most documents are posted on the City's website at www.sandimasca.gov.

Posting Statement:   I declare under penalty of perjury that on May 8, 2026, I posted a true and correct copy of this agenda on the bulletin board in the Civic Center Plaza of City Hall at 245 E. Bonita Ave., San Dimas Post Office 300 E. Bonita Ave., Von’s Via Verde Shopping Center 1160 Via Verde Ave. .and on the City's website www.sandimasca.gov/agendas­minutes/as required by law.

May 8, 2026
Debra Black
Debra Black, City Clerk

Study Session
Agenda Item Staff Report
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
For the Meeting of May 12, 2026
From: Brad McKinney, City Manager
Prepared by: Scott Wasserman, Director of Parks & Recreation Subject: Receive Report and Discuss the Management of the Community Forest ____________________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY
The City Council requested information regarding the potential expansion of the community forest.

RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
• Receive the report and provide direction to City staff.

GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
No

FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact for the recommended action.

BACKGROUND
At the May 27, 2025, City Council Study Session Meeting, the City Council requested information from the Parks and Recreation Department regarding the potential expansion of the community forest.

In 2006, the City Council acted to create the Community Forest. The City maintains approximately 8,685 trees that have an assessed value of $40,478,210.00. This represents the trees that are regularly maintained by the City’s tree contractor, West Coast Arborists (WCA). In addition to the inventoried trees that are maintained by WCA, City staff maintains approximately 500 community

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trees in undeveloped open spaces (i.e. Walnut Creek, Horsethief Canyon Park and Successor Agency parcels) throughout the City. These trees are not included in the inventory because they are not pruned on the grid schedule by the City’s contractor and are maintained by City staff as needed. The City’s Community Forest is divided into four sections or grids. Community trees in each grid are trimmed once every four years.

The Landscape Maintenance Division is responsible for overseeing the daily management and maintenance services to sustain the community forest. Under general direction from the Landscape Maintenance Manager, the staff arborist has the primary responsibility for overseeing the care of the community forest. The staff arborist retains a professional certification from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). The division provides forestation and maintenance services and oversees all contracted and permitted work on City trees. The division maintains and updates the City’s tree inventory and is the primary resource for residents who contact the City with concerns and questions about community trees.

The lifetime cost of planting and maintaining a community tree is approximately $9,263 and expenses are summarized below, in Table 1. This estimate assumes that a community tree will last 30 years.

Additional expenses include the payment of tree-related claims against City trees. In the past two years, the City received 18 claims involving City trees. Ten claims related to root intrusions; six claims related to damage caused by falling tree limbs; and two claims related to damage caused by tree sap. During this period, the City paid $54,712 related to these claims.

The cost of the City’s contract with West Coast Arborists increases by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) each year. In FY 2026-27, the contract will increase by 2.9% to correspond to a 2.9% increase in the CPI over the past year.

Sources of Funding – Park Maintenance Division
The Landscape Maintenance Division receives funding of $2,605,869. Funds are provided through the Citywide Landscape Parcel Tax Fund 008 ($1,071,000) and the General Fund ($1,534,869).

Citywide Landscaping Parel Tax Fund 008 ($1,071,000) - The primary source of revenue to provide landscaping in public spaces is the Citywide Landscaping Parcel Tax. The parcel tax was approved by voters in 1997 to improve and maintain public parks, parkways, street medians and trees. Each year, the City Council conducts a public hearing to set the citywide parcel tax for the upcoming fiscal year. In 2025, the City Council set the parcel tax at $75.29 per single family residence, which reflects an increase of $2.19 per single family residence over the previous year.

The parcel tax is projected to generate $1,071,000 in revenue in FY 2025-26. However, with

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projected expenditures of $1,205,673 from Fund 008, this leaves a shortfall of $134,673 that must be subsidized by the General Fund. The Citywide Landscaping Parcel Tax Fund has required subsidies from the General Fund every year since 2019.

Parcel tax funds are generally earmarked to pay contractors for maintenance services, such as the maintenance of parkways, planter areas, the Sports Plex, irrigation upgrades, pest control, tree maintenance, tree replacements, weed abatement, trash pickup. Funds from the parcel tax are also used to pay utilities (water and electricity).

General Fund 001 ($1,534,869) – The Parks and Recreation Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 includes $1,534,869 in Fund 001. These funds are generally used to pay for all full-time personnel, including one Landscape Maintenance Manager, two Landscape Maintenance Supervisors, and five full-time Landscape Maintenance Workers. General funds are also used to maintain median islands, equestrian trails, and to pay for a contract with Urban Graffiti for graffiti removal and shopping cart retrievals.

Primary Landscaping Contractors- The Landscape Maintenance Division relies upon two primary contractors to complete a majority of basic maintenance around the City. This leaves City staff to complete more detailed work in various locations. The duties of Nieves Landscaping and West Coast Arborist are broken out as follows:

Nieves Landscaping ($524,955) - The City has a contract with Nieves Landscaping to maintain all City parks, street medians, the Sports Plex, parkways, planters, empty garbage receptacles, the Walker House, Boulevard and Northwoods Assessment Districts, 13 miles of multiuse trails, bus stops and the park and ride.

West Coast Arborists ($386,686) - The City maintains a contract with WCA to maintain 8,685 trees in the Community Forest and to maintain a database with detailed maintenance records for each tree. WCA provides skilled staff and equipment needed for large tree removals, grid pruning, treating pest infestations and disease and for emergency response during inclement weather events. In 2022, the City Council acted to increase funding by $46,000 to pay for the annual trimming of 241 palm trees. In prior years, the trees were shorter and it was only necessary to trim them every other year. In past years where it was necessary to trim palm trees, staff would defer tree maintenance in other areas to free up funding to pay to trim the palm trees. However, most palm trees are now over 60 feet tall and require annual trimming, due to hazards created by falling palm fronds. The City no longer plants palm trees as they do not fulfill the goal of creating additional canopy and do not provide the same level of benefits as other trees (i.e. reducing heat islands, buffeting wind and noise, providing shade, etc.).

Seasonal Tree Replacement and Slow Growth of Community Forest The City loses approximately 30 trees per year to extreme weather events or excessive exposure to liability (i.e. excessive exposure to liability causing the City to remove a tree). The City’s tree replacement account contains $10,000 per year to replace trees. At a cost of $168 per new tree, this account is sufficiently funded to allow staff to purchase and plant 60 trees per year.

Consequently, staff uses the $10,000 tree replacement account to replace approximately 30 trees that are lost and to plant 30 new trees that become part of the community forest. This approach to growing the community forest incrementally ensures that appropriate resources are available to support new trees in a predictable and controlled manner.

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The following guidelines have been developed to promote the health and safety of City trees from the time they are planted through their maturity. These specifications are required for any City tree that is to be planted.

Viable Planting Sites - It is the objective of the City to plant all viable vacant sites located on City property or within City rights-of-way; to honor all resident requests for new street trees in viable locations; and to replace any City tree which has been removed with the provision that the remaining vacant site is viable for planting. Currently, there are approximately 1,000 vacant planting sites throughout the City. The majority of vacant sites are located in Via Verde and became vacant when trees had to be removed due to drought conditions in 2015-2016. The planting sites remain vacant due to residents’ asking the City not to replace the trees that were removed.

The viability of planting sites is based upon the following criteria:
• Spacing - There is adequate spacing present overhead, underground and radially to allow for the healthy, unimpeded growth of the tree to its mature size. Specific examples of spacing conditions that may make a site unsuitable for planting include inappropriate canopy room between existing trees; close proximity of a planting site to existing water, gas or sewer lines; potential for conflict with overhead power lines; or inadequate width of parkway for accommodating tree girth. Street trees are generally spaced at least 30’ apart to allow for canopy development.
• Species Selection. The species identified on the Designated Street Tree List for planting along city streets will be the current predominate species existing on that street.

When that species is not appropriate for the grow space available or another reason such as susceptibility to disease, an alternate species shall be identified on the approved Designated Street Tree List. Whenever possible, trees with large canopies shall be identified.
• Traffic Clearance. There is adequate line of sight visibility between normal vehicular or pedestrian traffic and necessary signage, street lights or views. The following line-ofsight policy shall apply to all newly planted community trees in order to provide adequate visibility for vehicular traffic.
• Maintenance Resources. The presence of adequate and consistent water source for irrigation.
• Funding. There is funding available in the current fiscal year budget for tree planting and the continued maintenance that will be required throughout the tree’s life cycle. • Resident Notification. Residents are notified by mail of any project involving the planting of a community tree within the public right-of-way in front of their home. A “young tree care” informational letter is provided with the notification. As previously discussed, residents may “opt out” of having a community tree planted in the planting easement in their front yards.

DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS
Evolution of the Community Forest Over Time

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The Community Forest was initially created by adopting existing trees into the City’s inventory and accepting ownership and liability for the trees. Trees that were adopted into the Community Forest include trees located in public rights-of-way, City parks and facilities, and trees that are located within the City’s planting easement in parkways and residents’ front yards.

Approximately 68% of all community trees are located in residents’ front yards. For example, in Via Verde, nearly all Community Forest trees are located in the City’s planting easement in residents’ front yards. Per the SDMC, residents may request the removal of community trees based on criteria enumerated in the Community Forest Management Plan. If a resident concern cannot be mitigated through root pruning, crown reduction or other measures, the City may agree to remove the tree. The City offers to replace the tree but is also receptive to residents’ requests not to have a community tree planted on their private property if they choose not to have the tree replaced.

The City’s planting easement varies by individual streets and often includes trees that are planted in parkways and in residents’ front yards. However, attitudes toward City trees in residents’ front yards have changed over time. For many years, the City methodically planted and replaced trees in all viable planting locations in residents’ front yards as permitted by the Landscape Easement and SDMC. Over time, some residents have become unsupportive of City trees in their front yards due to the trees dropping leaves or pine needles, interference with hardscape or lateral sewer lines, the dripping of tree sap on vehicles and residents’ inability to select the type of tree planted in their yard. In 2021, the Landscape Maintenance Division was directed by the previous City Manager to cease automatically replacing community trees in residents’ front yards and to give them the option of declining a replacement tree. The Landscape Maintenance Division continues to honor requests from residents who ask that the City replace a community tree that was removed from their front yards.

Potential Expansion of the Community Forest
Any significant expansion of the community forest would involve the allocation of additional funds to prepare new planting sites and purchase and plant new trees. Additionally, staff would request additional funding to increase the contract with WCA to place new trees on the grid pruning schedule and for ongoing maintenance performed by staff. In the current contract with WCA, it costs the City $84.95 to trim most trees and $77.95-$131.90 to trim palm trees. Taller trees tend to be more expensive to trim due to the need for the contractor to supply a lift to reach the tallest tree canopies exceeding 50 feet.

If the City Council directed staff to expand the forest by 100 trees, this could result in increased budget expenditures on an ongoing basis for the following:
 Analysis of potential planting locations
 Site preparation for new sites
 Stump removals as needed to clear viable planting sites  Saw cutting concrete or construction of tree wells
 Adding new trees to the grid pruning schedule and the Community Forest Database

ALTERNATIVES
Options for maintaining or expanding the Community Forest include:

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1. Maintaining the Existing Community Forest - The City Council could direct staff not to expand the Community Forest to new locations. Under this scenario, staff will continue to maintain existing community trees and replace them as needed. The annual tree replacement budget of $10,000 is sufficient to maintain the existing community forest and add approximately 30 new trees to the City’s inventory each year.

2. Expanding the Community Forest by Planting Known Vacant Planting Sites – The City Council could direct staff to resume planting trees within the City’s planting easement that includes residents’ front yards and parkways, regardless of potential objections from residents.

Approximately 1,000 existing sites are currently vacant due to the removal of trees that experienced drought conditions, disease or pest infestations or were removed when they fell or became hazardous during inclement weather events. Under this scenario, staff would communicate with homeowners (mostly located in Via Verde) to ask if they would like a tree planted in their yard. It is important to note that most streets in Via Verde do not have parkways.

Consequently, nearly all viable tree planting sites are located in residents’ front yards.

3. Expanding Community Forest to New Locations – The City Council may direct staff to explore expanding the Community Forest to residential streets and locations that currently do not have any community trees. Under this scenario, staff would request a period of 90 days to complete an analysis to identify viable planting sites and report back to the City Council.  Residential Streets - Staff would need to conduct an in-depth analysis of specific streets and locations identified by the City Council to determine the viability of new planting new trees. The analysis would account for the presence of underground utilities that could impede the placement of new trees. Records for underground electrical, gas, sewer and waterlines are not maintained by a single public entity and would require staff to consult with the Dig Alert service, Golden State Water, and the City’s Planning Division to identify any underground utilities that could potentially impede the placement of a new community tree. Staff would also analyze if space limitations, traffic clearance or the presence of overhead utilities would permit the placement of new community trees.  Stretches of Sidewalks - The expansion of the Community Forest that would require saw cutting tree wells in sidewalks would be evaluated to determine if clearance standards provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) could continue to be met with the placement of new trees. In most cases, the placement of new trees in existing sidewalks would require the removal of concrete to afford access. Sidewalks would need to be wide enough to maintain a minimum of 48 inches ADA access in addition to the width of the tree well. If the City Council directs staff to identify sidewalks that could accommodate new community trees, a supplemental budget allocation would be required.
 Open Space – Staff could plant additional trees in open space locations, including City parks, Walnut Creek and on the trails on the hillside above the San Dimas Equestrian Center. These trees would not be added to the City’s tree inventory or maintained by the City’s tree contractor, WCA. New trees in open spaces would be maintained by City staff.

Any significant expansion of the Community Forest in any location could require an increase in funding to maintain the trees on an ongoing basis.

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ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Pursuant to CEQA guidelines Section 15061 (b)(3), CEQA does not apply to this item because there is no potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no additional environmental review is needed at this time.

Respectfully submitted,
Scott Wasserman
Director of Parks & Recreation
Attachments

1. PowerPoint Presentation

1 City Council Study Session
Community Forest Management
May 12, 2026

Community Involvement
• Thank you to members of the community for taking a strong interest in the community forest
• Former Council member John Ebiner and a colleague explored potential planting sites on 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th streets • Some sites are already known planting sites and have been planted • Some sites are not feasible, due to the presence of underground utilities, overhead obstructions or proximity to other trees • Other sites would require additional research to determine their feasibility
2

Planting Site Criteria
3 Viable planting sites are based on the following criteria:
• Adequate spacing overhead and underground
• 30 feet from the nearest tree
• Tree species appropriateness for identified planting site • Traffic clearance
• Presence of irrigation
• Residents’ acceptance of a community tree in front yard easement

Background
• The City maintains 8,685 trees with an assessed value of $40,478,210 that are on the grid pruning schedule
• Staff maintains approximately 500 additional trees in undeveloped open spaces
• In 2006, the City Council adopted the Community Forest Management Plan, which:
• Established long-term policies and procedures for the professional care of allCity owned trees located on public property or within the public right-of-way • Ensures the community forest is maintained in a safe and healthy condition • Created official standards for planting, pruning, preservation, and protection 4

Background (cont.)
Community Forest Management Plan Revisions:
• Revised in 2007
• Added Seasonal Pruning Specifications
• Added Heritage Trees
• Added Migratory Bird Requirements
• Revised in 2013
• Corrected historical tree heights
• Added Quercus agrifolia to Heritage Tree List
• Added ten new species to the Tree Palette to increase diversity • Added a Design Alternative to the Designated Steet Tree List • Revised in 2014
• Replaced Magnolia grandiflora with a less invasive species • Revised in 2023
• Updated policy on drought conditions, budgeting and tree species selection • Changes to street tree palette
5

Tree Planting and Maintenance Costs
6 *Between 2024-2026, the City paid out $54,712 in tree-related claims.

Table 1- Cost of One Tree Over Lifetime
Expense Unit Cost Frequency Total Cost Over 30 years
Plant Tree $168 1 Time $168
Grid Pruning $85 7 Times $595
Repair Concrete $13-60 per SF 2 Times 8,500
TOTAL $9,263
• The lifetime cost of planting and maintaining a community tree is approximately $9,263.

Sources of Funding
7 • Funding of $2,605,869 for Park Maintenance is provided in the General Fund and through the citywide landscaping parcel tax.

The Fund 008 Parcel Tax Expenditure
account has required a subsidy every
year since 2019

Tree Maintenance Contractor
8 • The City maintains a contract with West Coast Arborists in the amount of $386,686 to maintain 8,685 trees
• In 2022, the City Council allocated $46,000 to trim 241 palm trees annually
• Annual increases in the contract amount correspond to annual increases in the Consumer Price Index (typically 3% per year)

Tree Replacements and Growth of Community Forest
9 • It costs $168 to plant a new tree
• The $10,000 Tree Replacement Budget
is sufficient to plant 60 trees per year
• This allows the City to replace 30 trees
per year that are lost to weather events
and to plant 30 new trees per year.

Viability of Planting Sites
10 • Not all parkways have suitable planting sites.

Options
Maintain the Existing Community Forest
• The City Council could direct staff not to expand the Community Forest to new locations. Under this scenario, staff will continue to maintain existing community trees and replace them as needed. • The annual tree replacement budget of $10,000 is sufficient to maintain the existing community forest and add approximately 30 new trees to the City’s inventory each year.
11

Options
Expand the Community Forest by Planting Vacant Planting Sites • The City Council could direct staff to resume planting trees within the City’s planting easement that includes residents’ front yards and parkways, regardless of potential objections from residents.
• Under this scenario, staff would communicate with homeowners (mostly located in Via Verde) to ask if they would like a tree planted in their yard. It is important to note that most streets in Via Verde to not have parkways.

Consequently, nearly all viable tree planting sites are located in residents’ front yards.
12

Options
Expand the Community Forest to New Locations
• The City Council could direct staff to explore expanding the Community Forest to residential streets and specific locations that currently do not have any community trees.
• Staff would request a period of 90 days to analyze any locations identified by the City Council for the potential expansion of the community forest
13

Options to Expand the Community Forest
14 • Re-plant known vacant planting
sites
• Residential Streets
• Stretches of Sidewalk
• Open Space

DISCUSSION
15