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Title:
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Authorization to Release a Request for Proposals to Plant Approximately 300 trees Citywide.
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City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the release of a Request for
Proposals (RFP) for the planting of approximately 300 trees in vacant locations in
parks and publicly-owned residential and commercial parkways throughout the
City.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
Over the years, the City has lost a number of trees due to age, disease, storm
damage, and other factors. Recognizing the importance of maintaining a vibrant
urban forest, the City Council has allocated funds from the City’s General Fund to
replace trees. This represents a significant investment of City resources.
However, even with these investments, the City still has a significant backlog of
vacant sites remaining.
According to the City’s most recent tree inventory, there are over 1,300 vacant
tree locations in the City’s parkways. Additionally, the City has conducted a
review of the City’s parks and identified roughly 20 locations that are appropriate
for tree plantings at this time.
To supplement City resources for tree planting, on December 10, 2012, the City
Council adopted a Resolution approving the application for this competitive tree
planting grant. Staff submitted a timely application and the City was awarded a
grant through Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’ 2012 Competitive Tree Planting
Grant Program. One major component of this grant program is utilizing the
services of at-risk youth to assist with the planting of the trees. Thus, potential
Meeting Date: 08/25/2014 Item Number: C-4
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: Authorization to Release a Request for Proposals to
Plant Approximately 300 trees Citywide.
Contact Person/Dept.:
Eric Mirzaian/PW
Phone Number:
(310) 253-6410
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date: ________________
Public Notification: (E-mail) Agenda and Meetings – City Council (08/19/14).
Department Approval:
Charles D. Herbertson (08/17/14)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol A. Schwab (by H. Baker) (08/18/14)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (by M. Noller) (08/19/14)
City Manager Approval:
John M. Nachbar (08/19/14) City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
firms proposing for this project will be required to provide the services of at-risk
youth.
Given the age of the City’s urban forest and the likelihood that additional trees
will reach the end of their lifecycles in the next few years, this grant is especially
critical to augmenting the City’s urban forest. This grant will enable the City to
plant an additional 300 trees that it would otherwise not have the resources to
plant. Trees provide many benefits to the community including: increasing
property values, enhancing community attractiveness, retention of stormwater
runoff, and providing shade that assists in cooling the urban environment.
The proposed species, which are consistent with the City’s approved plans and
policies (such as the Street Tree Master Plan, which was adopted after an
extensive public process), were chosen for their environmental benefits, size,
adaptability, pest resistance, longevity, diversity, and appropriateness to site. All
selections were made to have minimal impacts to public and private
infrastructure such as sidewalks, sewers, storm drains, and other utilities.
The deadline to plant these trees is March 30, 2015. The City Council recently
approved an agreement with Artecho to prepare a long-term Urban Forest
Management Plan for the City. Ideally, it would be beneficial to plant trees
funded through this grant in accordance with recommendations of the Urban
Forest Management Plan; however this document is not expected to be
completed until well after the deadline of the tree planting grant. Hence, the
planting locations and species selections identified for this grant will be
determined based on the City’s existing Street Tree Master Plan.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The grant amount is $150,000. A budget amendment to appropriate this funding
will be requested at the time a contract is awarded. In-kind services in the form of
staff time managing the project will cover the required $5,000 match.
ATTACHMENT:
Request for Proposal
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
MOTIONS:
That the City Council
Authorize the release of a Request for Proposals for the planting of
approximately 300 trees in vacant city-owned parkways and parks.