Scope of tree maintenance to return to normal
The City Council this week approved a new tree maintenance agreement with Brightview Tree Care. The scope of work done by the service will return to normal in the next fiscal year, according to the city’s recreation manager.
The agreement was a Consent Calendar item. Consent Calendar Items are voted on collectively, without discussion, unless pulled for discussion by a council member or staff.
Brightview was the lowest of three bidders on the city’s tree maintenance contract. The winning bid: $294,550.
“The agreement is for three years with two optional one-year extensions. The agreement does not account for emergency work or tree removal in the base cost of the maintenance, however prices for these services are included as itemized unit prices. Staff will evaluate and determine each year the number of trees that require removal and include this in the tree trimming budget for future years,” according to the staff report prepared by Recreation Manager Tim Kelsey.
“As a result of budget constraints, the FY 2018-2019 budget allocation for annual tree trimming services was reduced to $100,000 annually,” Kelsey wrote.
According to his report, the city sought bids for a new tree service agreement last summer, but the bids were higher than staff had anticipated. “At the September 10, 2018 Council Meeting, staff recommended that all bids be rejected and the Tree Maintenances Service Agreement be rebid with a more refined ‘scope of work’ to more closely match the allocated $100,000 annual budget,” Kelsey wrote.
“In the interim, staff awarded a contract for the trimming of City-owned queen palms under the Public Works Director’s signature authority. This contract was awarded at a cost of $30,000 and the work has since been completed. Completion of this work resulted in a balance of $70,000 to complete the trimming of all remaining palm trees as planned specifically for FY 2018-2019,” Kelsey wrote.
On Tuesday, Jan. 29, Kelesy said the “refined ‘scope’ of work” applied to the fiscal year 2018-2019 because of budgetary issues.
According to Kelsey, the scope of work for tree trimming for the next fiscal year will return to normal.
