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AGENDA BILL Agenda Item No. 5(C) Date: February 5, 2013 To: El Cerrito City Council From: Stephen Prée, Public Works Environmental Programs Manager Jerry Bradshaw, Public Works Director/City Engineer Subject: Municipal Tree Inventory and Outreach for the City of El Cerrito- Execute Professional Services Agreement with Davey Resource Group ACTION REQUESTED Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a professional services agreement with Davey Resources Group in an amount not to exceed $69,338 for the Municipal Tree Inventory and Outreach project. DISCUSSION Project Description The Municipal Tree Inventory and Outreach project was initiated by staff in response to the mandates indentified in the City’s 2007 Urban Forestry Management Plan to develop an urban forest database software program and quantify the economic and social benefits of the urban forest. The project includes: 1) A physical inventory of an estimated 16,250 City trees and vacant tree sites that will update the condition of the trees since the last inventory in 2007; 2) An economic analysis of El Cerrito’s urban forest that includes descriptive resource benefits, quantified environmental values and a report on the composition and condition of our urban forest; 3) Purchase and implementation of tree management software featuring work planning, work orders, budget reporting capabilities and general urban forest management; and 4) A public access component to the software that will be made available through the City’s website which will provide general and specific information on El Cerrito’s urban forest and individual trees including environmental qualities and value assessment. Grant Funding City Council Resolution 2012-05 approved an application for Proposition 40 and 84 urban forestry grant program funds. The California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (CalFire) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service awarded the City a grant that will fund 75% of the total cost of the project. ---PAGE BREAK--- Agenda Item No. 5(C) Consultant Selection Staff prepared and distributed a Request for Proposal (RFP) to twelve arboricultural consulting firms and posted the RFP on the City website in early December 2012. The City received three proposals in response to the RFP. On January 24, 2013 the three responding firms were invited to City Hall to discuss their work plans, demonstrate their proposed tree management software, economic analysis tools and answer questions from an interview panel consisting of three City staff, the chief arborists from the City of Albany and City of Berkeley and a member of the City's Tree Committee - Ralph Boniello. Five of the six panelists recommended Davey Resource Group as the most advantageous to the City, based on the following evaluation criteria as stipulated in the RFP: • Project Understanding & Work • Experience and Qualifications of Project Team • Tree Management Software & Economic Analysis Tool 30% 30% 40% Davey has been a leader in the tree business since 1880. Their stability as a company, capacity to successfully complete projects and available resources give them an advantage for this project. Davey has more experience with CalFire inventory grants than any other consulting firm in the state. The firm also possesses a high degree of technical expertise with a staff of inventory arborists who have worked in the Bay Area and are familiar with what is required to fulfill the CalFire Grant. Additionally their TreeKeeper 7. 7 software allows the City to own the inventory data; is considered simple to use by a variety of users and is easily tailored to the El Cerrito urban forestry program. DRG's proposal includes a public presentation to showcase the project given by skilled, articulate and experienced staff. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS The 2011-2012 Cal Fire Urban or Community Forest Inventory Grant Program requires a 25% local match. The total project cost is estimated to be $74,338 with $55,753 funded by grant funds and $18,585 coming from the City's Landscape and Lighting fund. This budget also allows approximately $5,000 for other tasks such as artwork and mailing associated with the outreach effort. Upkeep of the software database will be performed by Public Works staff on an ongoing basis. Reviewed by: Llf-. Scott anin, City Manager Attachments: Resolution Page 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- Agenda Item No. 5(C) Attachment 1 RESOLUTION 2013 – XX RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EL CERRITO AWARDING A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH DAVEY RESOURCE GROUP IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $69,338 FOR THE MUNICIPAL TREE INVENTORY AND OUTREACH PROJECT WHEREAS, the City Council adopted the Urban Forest Management Plan in 2007, which included a goal to develop an urban forest database software program; and WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Resolution 2012-05 which approved an application for Proposition 40 and 84 urban forest grant funds, after which the City was awarded a Cal Fire and US Forest Service Urban or Community Forest Inventory Grant for a project that would include an inventory and database software; and WHEREAS, City staff solicited proposals for the work from twelve arboricultural consulting firms, and received three responses on January 7, 2013; and WHEREAS, a panel consisting of City staff plus chief arborists from the cities of Albany and Berkeley reviewed the proposals, interviewed the proposing consultants and recommended Davey Resources Group as the most qualified responder. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of El Cerrito that it hereby authorizes the City Manager to execute a professional services agreement with Davey Resources Group in an amount not to exceed $69,338 for the Municipal Tree Inventory and Outreach project for the City of El Cerrito. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution shall become effective immediately upon passage and adoption. I CERTIFY that at a regular meeting on February 5, 2013 the City Council of the City of El Cerrito passed this Resolution by the following vote: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: IN WITNESS of this action, I sign this document and affix the corporate seal of the City of El Cerrito on February XX, 2013. Cheryl Morse, City Clerk APPROVED: Gregory B. Lyman, Mayor