Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Five-Year Agreement with The Professional Tree Care Company, Inc. for Citywide Urban Forest Tree Planting Services in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $951,199.
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), this action is categorically exempt from further environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Existing Facilities). (Public Works 26941570)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Public Works Department oversees the City of Alameda (City) Urban Forest Program. The program consists of managing the City’s public trees and landscaping. The City manages 25,962 park and street trees, consisting of 353 different species. Much of the care for these trees is provided under service provider agreements. While the City’s existing agreement for urban forest maintenance services includes pricing for tree planting, staff are recommending a separate, new agreement to maximize planting services and effectively manage planting goals of the program.
Following a competitive selection process, staff recommends City Council authorize the City Manager to execute a five-year agreement with The Professional Tree Care Company, Inc. to provide tree planting services for Alameda’s urban forest. The proposed agreement includes services for watering and young tree care to best preserve the health and integrity of Alameda’s urban forest.
BACKGROUND
The Public Works Department uses contract services to provide necessary planting services for new street trees in Alameda’s urban forest. The scope of work includes access to appropriate nursery stock, planting, watering and young tree care to ensure Alameda’s new trees establish successfully and thrive as part of the City’s overall urban forest.
Staff proposes moving tree planting work to this new agreement separate from the current Urban Forest Maintenance Agreement with West Coast Arborists (WCA) in order to improve the planting of new trees in the urban forest. Currently, the program aims to plant a net 135 trees annually. This is in addition to any necessary removals of dead trees, of which the City averages 200 annually. At this time, staff determined that the planting services under the existing agreement are insufficient to meet this goal based on overall pricing, including the limited amount of new tree care watering provided, as well as ability to mobilize resources for planting activities versus other urban forest maintenance activities. As such, staff issued a solicitation as described below and determined that a separate agreement would be more cost effective to reach the urban forest planting goals.
Later this year, City Council will consider adopting a new Urban Forest Plan (UFP) with an associated canopy goal and planting target. Should the new UFP change the annual planting goals, this agreement can be considered for amendment if more capacity is needed.
DISCUSSION
On January 24, 2025, staff issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for these tree planting services. After a submittal period of thirteen (13) days, staff received six proposals. Based on review of the proposals and the criteria of the RFP, staff recommend that The Professional Tree Care Company, Inc. represents the vendor best able to meet the City’s needs and recommends awarding a five-year agreement in an amount not-to-exceed $951,199.
Below are the proposer’s annual costs for a five-year period, not including contingency or cost of living increases. The agreement includes 3% cost of living annual increases and a 10% contingency. Use of the contingency is for items of work outside the original scope and requires prior written authorization by the City.
|
Proposer |
Location |
Proposed 5-Year Total |
|
The Professional Tree Care Company, Inc. |
Berkeley, CA |
$162,875 |
|
Rojas Flores Landscape, Inc. |
San Jose, CA |
$179,900 |
|
Monarch Tree Services |
Martinez, CA |
$236,700 |
|
Arborist Now, Inc. |
San Francisco, CA |
$667,797.32 |
|
Terra Landscape |
San Leandro, CA |
$672,000 |
|
WCA Inc. |
Anahiem, CA |
$697,463 |
ALTERNATIVES
• Authorize the City Manager to execute the five-year agreement with The Professional Tree Care Company, Inc. to provide tree planting services for Alameda’s Urban Forest Program.
• Do not authorize the agreement and direct staff to conduct a new solicitation.
• Have this work performed in-house by Public Works staff. The Public Works Department does not currently have staffing to provide this service so hiring additional full-time staff would be necessary to fulfil this scope of work.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Budget for the proposed agreement is available and appropriated to the Urban Forest Program (26941570) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25. The total annual cost includes a 10% contingency for use at City direction. Each year, an annual cost-of-living inflator of 3% is applied to the total. Funding for subsequent years in the agreement is subject to City Council appropriations approval.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the Alameda Municipal Code. This action is consistent with the Alameda Municipal Code. The work in this agreement is consistent with the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP, 2019), and the City’s Strategic Plan Priority to Build Resilience to Climate Change and Water Level Rise.
This action is subject to the Levine Act.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
In accordance with CEQA, this project is exempt from further environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15301 (Existing Facilities).
CLIMATE IMPACT
Research has shown that urban forests provide a variety of environmental, social, health and economic benefits to residents, including Improved air quality, reducing energy required for cooling, reduced storm-water runoff and improved water quality, and preservation of wildlife.
The continued and prompt replacement of trees in Alameda’s urban forest ensures these environmental benefits and improves local resiliency to potential climate change.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to execute a five-year agreement with The Professional Tree Care Company, Inc. for Citywide urban forest tree planting services in an amount not-to-exceed $951,199.
Respectfully submitted,
Erin Smith, Public Works Director
By,
Jesse Barajas, Project Manager
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Acting Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Agreement