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CC - CONSENT ITEM: Approval of a Three-Year General Services Agreement with Duke’s Root Control, Inc. to Provide Root Control Services on City-owned Sewer Main Lines through June 30, 2028 in an Amount Not to Exceed $100,000 per Fiscal Year.
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Meeting Date: February 23, 2026
Contact: Gary Wansley, Public Works, Maintenance Operations
Phone Number: (310) 253-6444
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [ ] General Fund: Yes [] No [X ]
Attachments: Yes [ ] No [X]
Public Notification: Email: Meetings and Agendas - City Council (02/19/2026)
Department Approval: Yanni Demitri, Public Works Director / City Engineer (02/02/26)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve a three-year general services agreement with Duke’s Root Control, Inc. (Duke’s) to provide root control services on City-owned sewer main lines through June 30, 2028 in an amount not to exceed $100,000 per fiscal year.
BACKGROUND/ DISCUSSION
The Public Works Department maintains approximately 86 miles of sewer mains throughout the city. Over time, these mains are susceptible to tree and plant root intrusion, which can cause sewage stoppages, lead to overflows, increase maintenance costs, and accelerate main line deterioration.
For the past 15 years, the City has used Duke’s to perform regular maintenance of the sewer system to specifically address root intrusion problems and treat approximately 10 miles of affected sewer mains each year. The City’s most recent agreement with Duke’s expired on June 30, 2025.
The maintenance program is accomplished through the application of herbicides to dissolve the roots and inhibit re-growth. The crews performing the work and applying the herbicides used are required to comply with all Federal, State, and local ordinances pertaining to the type of work, particularly the laws and ordinances relating to transportation of material (United States Department of Transportation), the application of sewer root control herbicides (United States Environmental Protection Agency), and local traffic control requirements. All work is required to be performed by certified pesticide applicators licensed with the California Department of Pesticides. These types of herbicides used, if applied correctly, are approved for use in sewer lines and treatment facilities.
Staff evaluated options for establishing a new long-term agreement for root control services. Pursuant to Culver City Municipal Code Section 3.07.065, the City may award contracts for general services based upon competitive quotations, whenever practical, as determined by the City Manager. Due to the current need for root control services, it would not be practical for the City to solicit competitive quotations for these services. Conducting a new competitive procurement would delay maintenance activities which may impact the functioning of the City’s sewer system.
As due diligence, Public Works reviewed Requests for Proposals (RFPs) issued by other public agencies and identified a recent competitive procurement completed by the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC). HGAC is a governmental entity that conducts competitive solicitations for cooperative purchasing contracts in compliance with applicable procurement requirements. The services and fee schedule provided by Duke’s to Culver City are the same or better than were procured by HGAC. Staff identified and compared an agreement awarded by The Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) to Duke’s for the same services utilized by Culver City to maintain its sewer system.
For this proposed agreement, Duke’s has agreed to extend current pricing as outlined below for the current year, with annual CPI adjustments for the remainder of the agreement:
• 6” to 8” lines: $2.02 per lineal foot
• 10” to 12” lines: $2.43 per lineal foot
• 13” to 16” lines: $4.61 per lineal foot
• 18” to 22” lines: $8.20 per lineal foot
• 24” to 30” lines: $10.54 per lineal foot
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 includes sufficient funding for this agreement in an amount not to exceed $100,000 in Account No. 20460300.619800 (Wastewater Maintenance - Other Contractual Services) which can be found on page 524 of the budget book. Funding for this agreement comes from the Sewer Fund (Fund 204) not the General Fund. Funding for future years of the agreement be incorporated into future budgets.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2026-02-23-CC-ATT-Duke’s Root Control, Inc Proposal
recommended action
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Approve a three-year general services agreement with Duke’s Root Control, Inc. to provide root control services on City-owned sewer mains through June 30, 2028 in an amount not to exceed $100,000 per fiscal year;
2. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and,
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.