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i <br /> REPORT <br /> To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br /> From the City Manager <br /> October 16, 2000 <br /> Subject <br /> Professional services agreement — heritage tree permit inspector <br /> Recommendation <br /> By Resolution, approve the professional services agreement with Ray Morneau, Arborist <br /> in the not to exceed amount of $24,000 for arboricultural inspection services related to <br /> private property "heritage trees." <br /> Background <br /> The City has been using a contract inspector to perform Heritage Tree Inspections since <br /> June of 1998. Mr. Morneau was the top-ranked firm from the May 1998 Request For <br /> Proposal (RFP) process in which staff received four proposals from eleven solicitations to <br /> qualified firms. Mr. Morneau has worked well with staff and demonstrated professional <br /> skills in evaluating trees from the City's tree preservation viewpoint. <br /> This service is providing staff with objective, timely recommendations. The criteria for a <br /> stringent tree preservation approach is understood by Mr. Morneau, and applied to <br /> evaluating each tree removal request. Mr. Morneau recommends denying removal <br /> requests when appropriate. Permit denials are based on: <br /> . the tree being found in good, stable condition <br /> • a property owner's lack of evidence of property damage <br /> • the ability to mitigate problems caused by the tree without requiring removal. <br /> Tree pruning guidelines based on International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and American <br /> National Standards Institute (ANSI) are being written into the conditions for each pruning <br /> permit based on Mr. Morneau's recommendations. This serves to educate the property <br /> owners and remind their tree service company about the proper pruning of large trees. <br /> Mr. Morneau has agreed to perform the services in the 2000-2001 contract at the same <br /> billing rates as the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 contract. Staff believes that it in the City's <br /> best interest to enter into a new contract at this time. <br /> Alternatives <br /> 1) Do not hire a contract inspector. Additional resources are necessary to comply with <br /> the ten-day time period specified in the Tree preservation ("heritage tree") ordinance <br /> and meet the staff goal of a five-day maximum response period for City-owned tree <br /> maintenance work order inspection requests. <br /> Gm/word/council reports/heritage tree insp Svcs <br /> Page 1 of 2 <br /> . _ .. _ ___ . _____u _ � __.__� _ <br />