Resolution 2023-015 authorizing the City Administrator to approve Purchase Orders with John Ley’s Tree Service for a fee not to exceed $50,000 and Tope’s Tree service for a fee not to exceed $40,000

Public Works/Forestry has a long history of working with qualified, licensed tree contractors to supplement the City’s forestry crews with tree planting, watering, pruning, removals, and stump grinding. For the past four Fiscal Years, 2018/19 through 2021/22, the City had on-call, as-needed contracts with up to five tree care contractors, including John Ley’s Tree Service and Tope’s Tree Service. However, these contracts expired on June 30, 2022.

Last fall, staff updated bidding documents and technical specifications for tree care services. In addition to updating safety standards and technical requirements for pruning and removals, new requirements were added to provide qualified consultant arborist services, and to ensure mandatory response to emergency call outs. In addition, the bid cost schedules were modified to ensure that all bidders provide costs for all listed labor classifications, equipment, and waste hauling, whereas in prior bid proposals, bidders only had to list their own classifications and equipment (i.e. did not include subcontractors nor equipment rental rates). This new approach will result in more streamlined, “apples-to-apples” costs evaluations for Task Orders. Finally, these new contracts are intended to be awarded for an initial term of three years, with up to two, one-year extension periods.

This contract is currently being advertised for bids with the Bid Opening scheduled for February 14, 2023. Contracts are anticipated to be presented to the City Council for award at the March 7^th meeting.

Between July 2002 and the start of the significant January 2023 storms, Forestry staff performed the lion’s share of the field work (pruning, planting, removals), supplemented by John Ley, Tope’s, and Iverson Tree Service. These contractors were issued Purchase Orders totalling a maximum of $24,999, the limit for the City Administrator’s authorization. Prior to the storms, $42,373 of the $74,997 maximum authorization (56%) were expended.

Storm recovery associated with tree removals and debris hauling is still in progress at the time of this report, but preliminary estimates are that the work will cost up to $50,000 for John Ley’s Tree Service plus $40,000 for Tope’s Tree Service. New Purchase Orders in these amounts will be issued upon adoption of the Resolution.

The Public Works/Forestry operating budget for Contract Services was $521,500 in Account No. 101-119-45-42101. As of December 31, 2022, $284,038 (54%) remained available in this account, which is more than sufficient to issue these new Purchase Orders totaling $90,000. Only $15,000 was estimated for emergency tree services based on costs over the past several years of storms. This budget estimate will be increased in future year budgets.

Funding from this account will also be needed for the upcoming tree service contracts to be awarded at the March Council meeting.

In September 2018, for FY 2018/19, Council authorized the City Administrator to execute an On-Call Tree Maintenance Service Contract with John Ley’s Tree Service for $100,000 (Resolution 2018-097) and an initial one-year term ending June 30, 2019. In July 2019, for FY 2019/20, Council authorized the City Administrator to execute Change Order No.1 for $100,000 (Resolution 2019-048) and extend their term through June 30, 2020. For FY 2020/21, the City Administrator executed Change Order No. 2 for $24,999 and extended their term through June 30, 2021. For FY 2021/22, the City Administrator executed Change Order No. 3 for $24,999 and extended their term through June 30, 2022. In January 2022, Council authorized the City Administrator to execute Change Order No. 4 for an additional $70,000 (Resolution 2022-002).

In September 2018, for FY 2018/19, Council authorized the City Administrator to execute an On-Call Tree Maintenance Service Contract with Tope’s Tree Service, Inc. for $100,000 (Resolution 2018-098) and an initial one-year term ending June 30, 2019.  In July 2019, for FY 2019/20, Council authorized the City Administrator to execute Change Order No.1 for $100,000 (Resolution 2019-049) and extend their term through June 30, 2020. For FY 2020/21, the City Administrator executed Change Order No. 2 for $24,999 and extending their term through June 30, 2021. In October 2021, Council authorized the City Administrator to execute Change Order No. 3 for an additional $65,000 and extending the term through June 30, 2022 (Resolution 2021-066).