TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Erick Lee, Public Works Director
Sean Roberts, Field Operations Manager
Ernest Area, Urban Forester
Nicky Petroff, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Resolution Approving Amendment No. 4 to the Maintenance Services Agreement with West Coast Arborist, Inc. for Tree Management Services at a Cost Not-to-Exceed $200,000 (Public Works Director Lee).
ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 24-0064
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council Adopt Resolution No. 24-0064 approving Amendment No. 4 to the Agreement with West Coast Arborists, Inc. for tree management services at a cost not to exceed $200,000.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Sufficient funding for the agreement is available within Public Works’ proposed Fiscal Year 2024-2025 operational budget. Future years will be budgeted accordingly.
BACKGROUND:
The City contracts for tree management services that include tree trimming, pruning, tree removal, stump grinding, new tree planting, watering of young trees, irrigation system repairs, and maintaining tree inventory management via a Geographic Information System (GIS) database. In 2019, the City contracted with West Coast Arborists, Inc. for these services. The current agreement has been extended twice and expires on December 31, 2024.
DISCUSSION:
Additional contractual authority is requested to remove, plant, and prune trees in several parks, including Sand Dune Park and Veterans Parkway. The additional tree maintenance is necessary to complete deferred maintenance and develop a more robust maintenance program. The amendment will also ensure annual tree and palm pruning proceeds without interruption.
Furthermore, in 2023, the Public Works Department identified 17 diseased trees in Polliwog Park. These trees were impacted by insects (Longhorned Borer Beetle) and fungal disease (Pine Pitch Canker). In response, staff worked with community stakeholders (including the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, Friends of Polliwog Park, and concerned residents) to collaborate on a comprehensive plan to remove and replace the diseased trees with 78 new trees. This work will begin in the coming weeks (once the soil dries from recent heavy rains) and is anticipated to be completed during the summer of 2024.
In order to direct West Coast Arborists Inc. to complete the scheduled annual work and the Polliwog Park Tree Project, additional funds needed to be authorized within the agreement. Staff recommends that City Council Adopt Resolution No. 24-0064 approving Amendment No. 4 to the Agreement with West Coast Arborists, Inc. at a cost not-to-exceed $200,000.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
Staff worked with community stakeholders, the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, the Friends of Polliwog Park, and concerned residents to develop the scope of the Polliwog Park Tree Project. The outreach included communicating the reason for removing the trees, specifying the tree species that will be planted, identifying the locations of newly planted trees while considering wildlife, and establishing a schedule for planting and removal.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has approved the amendment as to form.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 24-0064
2. Amendment No. 4 - West Coast Arborists, Inc.
3. Agreement and Amendments Nos. 1, 2, and 3 - West Coast Arborists, Inc.