Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Trees topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fillmore extends tree-maintenance contract, increases annual cap to $266,312
Summary
Council approved a two-year amendment with West Coast Arborists to extend citywide tree maintenance through June 30, 2027, raise the annual not-to-exceed amount to $266,312 and expand the scope to include a citywide tree-planting plan.
The Fillmore City Council approved a first amendment to the city’s contract with West Coast Arborists to continue citywide tree maintenance through June 30, 2027. The amendment raises the annual not-to-exceed amount to $266,312 for fiscal years 2025–26 and 2026–27 (total $532,624 over two years), increases contractor rates by 10 percent the first year and ties the second-year adjustment to a CPI cap, and adds a new scope item: development of a city tree palette and planting plan.
Public Works Senior Management Analyst Shannon Godfrey said the original agreement (January 2022) focused on safety- and emergency-driven pruning with an annual not-to-exceed amount near $100,000, which staff said did not allow comprehensive proactive maintenance of the city’s tree inventory. Council previously approved increased tree-maintenance funding in the fiscal-year 2025–26 budget; the contract amendment aligns the agreement with that budget decision.
Godfrey described the city’s maintenance approach: the tree maintenance program divides the city into four grids and trims each grid on roughly an annual cycle, with palms on a 1–2 year cycle. Last year’s schedule used a two-weeks-on/two-weeks-off rhythm for contractor crews to complete grids efficiently, but funding limitations left work incomplete by midyear. The amendment’s larger budget will allow the city to pursue a more preventative maintenance model, tackle backlog work orders, and fund trunk removals and other higher-cost tasks when needed.
Funding for the amendment will come from a combination of the gas tax fund and several landscape-and-lighting district funds that are dedicated to tree maintenance. Staff said the contractor will also update and maintain the city’s tree-inventory records in its asset-management system.
Council unanimously approved the contract amendment. The city will continue to work with West Coast Arborists to prioritize work orders, emergency removals, and proactive grid maintenance under the expanded funding level.
