Title
Resolution to Accept and Appropriate Grant Funding from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources ($20,000.00) and for Approval of Professional Services Agreement with Davey Resource Group, a Division of Davey Tree Expert Company, ($243,500.00) for the GIS based inventory of City owned Street and Park Trees (8 Votes Required)
Memorandum
Your approval is requested to accept and appropriate grant funding ($20,000.00) from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and to authorize a Professional Services Agreement with the Davey Resource Group, a Division of Davey Tree Expert Company, in the amount of $243,500.00 for the GIS based inventory of City owned street and park trees. The goals of this project are twofold. First, replace the 1994 address-based street tree inventory with a spatially referenced geodataset that will be updated and maintained within the City's Enterprise Geodatabase system. Second, conduct an assessment of the current condition and maintenance needs of the City's street and park tree population and identify tree planting locations.
In 1994, the City conducted an inventory of all of city owned street trees. While the inventory was a useful tool for managing the City's tree resource in the late 1990's and early 2000's it has since become obsolete and needs to be updated. An inventory update is needed to address several important issues. First, the 1994 inventory is address based and is not compatible with the City's Geographic Information System (GIS). An attempt was made by staff to geocode the 1994 inventory data, however, upon completing a pilot area, it was determined that it would be more time and cost effective to start the inventory from scratch. Second, with the discovery of the emerald ash borer in 2002, City staff shifted their focus to the important task of removing the thousands of dead, dying and hazardous ash trees on city owned property causing the inventory not to be consistently updated. The City does not have an up to date inventory database of the condition, maintenance needs, species composition and size of the city-owned tree resource. Third, park trees in maintained (mowed) areas were not included in the 1994 inventory. Finally, the City is beginning the process of developing its first ever urban forest management plan and completing a tree inventory is a necessary pre-requisite for plan development. Understanding the composition and condition of the city-owned tree resource will lead to the development of sound urban forestry management goals, objectives and recommendations.
The proposed inventory will spatially locate each street and park tree and potential planting site (i.e. provide an X-Y coordinate); while at the same time collecting information about the tree including species, size, condition, and maintenance needs. The proposed inventory will then integrate with Cityworks, the City's asset management software. This integration will enable the City to track the work history, maintenance costs and emergency response costs associated with each tree, while providing a mechanism for keeping the inventory up to date. The proposed inventory will be an invaluable tool in the day to day management of the City's urban forest resource.
We received fifteen proposals in response to the RFP#710. The fifteen proposals were evaluated by a committee and three firms were selected to be interviewed. The Davey Resource Group, a division of the Davey Tree Expert Company is recommended because of their extensive experience in conducting municipal tree inventories, their staffs' professional and technical knowledge, and ability to conduct and complete the inventory according to the City's timeline and budget. Davey Resource Group has received human rights approval on July 7, 2008.
RFP #710 originally included two project components: a GIS inventory of city-owned street trees and a GIS inventory of signs, lights and traffic signals. The projects were combined because there was a potential overlap in project components which could result in a cost savings. However, when the proposals were reviewed, there were no economies of scale realized with the combination of the two projects; therefore the GIS inventory of the signs, lights and traffic signals was removed from the project.
The total cost of this project is $268,500.00. The City of Ann Arbor has received a $20,000.00 matching grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for this project. The Parks Tree portion of the inventory ($36,838.00) will be funded from the FY 09 Field Operations, Park Maintenance and Capital Improvement Operations Millage Operating Budget. The remainder of the project ($211,662.00) will be paid from the approved FY09 Stormwater System Operating budget. The project is being funded by stormwater, as tree canopy has a direct impact on the city's stormwater system. An individual mature deciduous tree intercepts an average of 625 gallons of water per year, therefore decreasing the amount of rainfall entering the stormwater system. According to an analysis of Ann Arbor's tree canopy by American Forests, the city's large street trees provide the detention equivalent of $28.4 million in constructed detention.
Staff
Prepared by: Kerry Gray, Urban Forest & Natural Resource Planner, Public Services
Reviewed by: Sue F. McCormick, Public Services Administrator
Approved by: Roger W. Fraser, City Administrator
Body
Whereas, Public Services staff have identified a need to conduct a comprehensive GIS based street and park tree inventory that will enable the City to achieve an acceptable level of service while improving efficiency in operations and maintenance;
Whereas, RFP #710, stating the objectives and criteria for this project, was responded to by fifteen firms with proposals;
Whereas, Davey Resource Group, A Division of Davey Tree Expert Company, is recommended because of their extensive experience in conducting municipal tree inventories, their staffs' professional and technical knowledge, and ability to conduct and complete the inventory according to the City's timeline and budget;
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor has received a $20,000.00 matching grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for this project;
Whereas, Sufficient funds are available in the approved FY09 Stormwater System Operating budget, and Park Operations FY09 Parks Maintenance and Capital Improvements Millage Fund operating budget for the balance of the contract cost; and
Whereas, Davey Resource Group, a Division of the Davey Tree Expert Company, has received human rights approval on July 7, 2008;
RESOLVED, That Council accept and appropriate grant funding from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources ($20,000.00) for a GIS based inventory of City owned Street and Park trees;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized and directed to execute the Professional Services Agreement with Davey Resource Group, A Division of the Davey Tree Expert Company, for conducting a GIS based street and park tree inventory following approval as to substance by the City Administrator, and approval as to form by the City Attorney;
RESOLVED, That City Council adopt the following budget for the life of the project, to be expended without regard to fiscal year:
Section I, Revenue
$211,662 Approved FY09 Stormwater operating budget
$36,838 FY 09 Field Operations, Park Maintenance and Capital Improvement Operations Millage Operating Budget
$20,000 Michigan DNR Grant Award
$268,500 TOTAL
Section II, Expenses
$243,500 Davey Resource Group Contract
$25,000 Contingencies
$268,500 TOTAL
RESOLVED, That the City makes the following declaration for the purpose of complying with the reimbursement rules of Treasury Regulations 1.150-2 pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, that the City reasonably expects to reimburse itself for expenditures for the costs of the Project with proceeds of Bonds; and
RESOLVED, That City Council authorizes the City Administrator to take necessary administrative actions to implement this resolution and approve change orders with contingency funds.