SR 08-23-2016 3F
Ci ty Council
Report
City Council Meeting : August 23, 2016
Agenda Item: 3.F
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Susan Cline, Director , Public Works, Public Landscape
Subject: Fourth Modification to Agreement 9370 (CCS) with West Coast Arborists, Inc.
for Comprehensive Urban Forest Maintenance Program Services
Recommended Action
St aff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a fourth modification to agreement #9370 (CCS) with West Coast Arborists,
Inc., a California -based company, for c ompreh ensive urban forest maintenance
p rogram services in the amount of $1,999 ,988 for FY2016 -17, with four addition al one -
year renewal options in the cu mulative amount of $8,479,109 . This will result in an
amended agreement with a new total amount not to exceed $18,466,023 over a 10 -year
period, with f uture year funding contingent on Council budget approval .
Executive Summary
The City of Santa Monica currently contracts with West Coast Arborists, Inc. to perform
comprehensive urban forest maintenance program services , which includes tree
inventory and databa se management, trimming, planting, watering, and removal . In July
2016, a third modification to extend the term of the agreement by one year through June
30, 2017 was approved by the City Manager , but the dollar amount of the contract
remained unchanged . T o ensure uninterrupted urban forest maintenance services in
FY2016 -17 and beyond , a fourth modification is necessary to increase the contract
amount to a not to exceed amount of $1,999,988 in FY 2016 -17, with four additional
one -year renewal options in th e cumulative amount of $8,479,109 , for a total of
$10,479,097 over the five -year period . If staff chooses to exercise each of the one -year
options, this would result in a ten -year amended agreement with a not to exceed
amount of $18,466,023 including prior year contracted amounts since 2011. F uture year
funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Background
The City’s urban forest has over 33,000 public trees which span across 250 species ,
wi th the Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta) and the Indi an Laurel Fig (Ficus
microcarpa nitida) as the two most common species (together approximately 20% of the
public tree population). The perpetuation and enhancement of the City’s urban forest is
guided by the Urban Forest Master Plan.
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On May 10, 2011 (Att achment A), following issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP),
the City Council authorized the City Manager to negotiate and execute a five -year
contract with five additional one -year renewal options with West Coast Arborists, Inc. in
the amount of $6,28 6,926 for five years for comprehensive urban forest maintenance
program services.
On August 23, 2011 (Attachment B), the City Council author ized the first modification to
amend a greement 9370 (CCS) with West Coast Arborists, Inc. and increase the
contrac t by $1.7M to include Capital Improvement Program funding for urban forest
renewal. The modification increased the contract total to $7,986,926 over five years.
On December 30, 2013, staff executed a second modification to only the scope of work
of the ag reement to enhance the accountability of West Coast Arborists, Inc ., thus
Council authority was not required.
On January 13, 2015 (Attachment C), Council approved staff’s recommendation to
continue contracting out this service due to the workforce flexib ility,
specialized/technical expertise, space requirements, capital/equipment requirements
and risk . Criteria are found in the Policy for Hiring Contracted or As -needed Staff for
Non -professional Services, which is included with the aforementioned staff re port that
allow s staff to exercise the renewal options.
In July 2016 , the City Manager approved a third modification to exercise a one year
term renewal for agreement 9370 (CCS) for time with West Coast Arborists, Inc., to
extend the term of the contract by one year through June 30, 2017. The dollar amount
of the contract was unchanged.
Discussion
The aforementioned Urban Forest Master Plan is supported by and reinforces City
policies outlined in the elements of Santa Monica’s General Plan and other plan ning
documents. For example, the City’s Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE)
addresses the need to protect and systematically expand the forest through tree
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planting along streets and in parks and other public spaces. The Open Space Element
and Parks an d Recreation Master Plan also contain policies that support the long -term
health and expansion of the urban forest. The work that West Coast Arborists, Inc.
performs includes removing dead trees and those that pose a public safety risk and
planting replace ment trees , as well as planting new trees in new locations . Work also
includes s cheduled care of newly planted trees, and tree pruning and watering , which
improve the longevity and growth of the urban forest.
Contractor Selection
In response to a not ice of Request for Proposals (RFP) for a comprehensive urban
forest maintenance program issued by the City on February 14th, 2011, one bid from
West Coast Arborists, Inc. was received and publicly opened and read on March 14,
2011. Two “no bid” forms were rec eived from other prospective bidders due to the
inability to meet certain requirements and insufficient resources. Staff evaluated the bid
submitted by West Coast Arborists, Inc. and determined that it me t the requirements of
the City and a five -year agree ment with five one -year renewal options was then
approved by Council.
Since the contract scope was revised in 2013 to enhance West Coast Arborists’
accountability, it has performed satisfactory field and administrative work and answered
staff inquiries in a timely manner. Council approved contracted staff for this service as
part of the January 13, 201 5 (Att achment C) Contract and As -Needed and Staffing
Review. The service has not changed substantially since that analysis. As FY2015 -16,
the last year of th e five -year agreement came to a close, staff extended the agreement
for one additional year and requests that Council approve a fourth modification to
enable West Coast Arborists, Inc. to continue providing the aforementioned essential
urban forest mainten ance services. However, staff plans to conduct a Request for
Information (RFI) during this fiscal year to learn more about urban forest maintenance
companies and the services they provide to gain a better understanding of the industry
and help inform decis ion -making regarding future renewal options. The City may or may
not choose to exercise each of the one -year renewal options and the current agreement
includes a 30 -day termination clause providing the City with flexibility to respond to
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market changes .
T he table below depicts the approved FY2016 -17 tree maintenance and FY2016 -18 CIP
budgets and the current CIP budget plan through FY2020 -21 . The budget for the
remaining renewal options includes an estimated 3% CPI increase for tree maintenance
and continge ncy .
Fiscal Year Tree
Maintenance Contingency
CIP Urban
Forest
Renewal
Total
FY2016 -17 $1,239,990 $309,998 $450,000 $1,999,988
FY2017 -18 $1,277,190 $319,298 $450,000 $2,046,488
FY2018 -19 $1,315,505 $328,877 $450,000 $2,094,382
FY2019 -20 $1,354,971 $3 38,743 $450,000 $2 ,143,714
FY2020 -21 $1,395,620 $348,905 $450,000 $2,194,525
Total $6,583,276 $1,645,821 $2,250,000 $10,479,09 7
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
The agreement modification to be awarded to West Coast Arborists, Inc. is
$10,479 ,097 , for an amended cumulative agreement total not to exceed $18,466,023 .
Funds of $1,99 9 ,988 are available in the FY2016 -17 budget in the Public Works
Department. The agreement will be charged to the following accounts:
Account Number Amount
014983.555010 $1,239,990
014983.555010 $309,998 (contingency if needed )
C010955.589000 $450,000
TOTAL $1,99 9 ,988
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
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Prepared By: Amber Carranza, Administrative Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. May 10, 2011 Staff Report (web link)
B. August 23, 2 011 Staff Report (web link)
C. January 13, 2015 Staff Report (web link)
Reference:
Modify Agreement No. 9370
(CCS)