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Council approves $208,700 professional services agreement for Urban Forestry Master Plan (Planet Geo)
Summary
Council authorized a professional services agreement with Planet Geo to produce an Urban Forestry Management Plan tied to a $1.6 million federal grant. The contract award was approved 6–1 after discussion about scope, grant requirements and budget.
The City Council voted 6–1 on April 15 to approve a professional services agreement with Planet Geo to prepare Oak Harbor’s Urban Forestry Management Plan, part of a larger federally funded effort totaling $1.6 million.
City staff said the plan will inventory trees, update municipal standards, identify vulnerable areas, draft planting and maintenance strategies, and create an implementation roadmap that emphasizes disadvantaged communities and workforce development. "In 2023, the city was awarded $1,600,000 in a no match grant funding through the United States Forest Service," the presenter said, describing the plan as the roadmap for how those funds will be spent.
Planet Geo’s negotiated contract price for the plan was reported as $207,480 (final negotiated amount described in packet materials as approximately $208,700). Staff said the city has about $650,123 in grant funding allocated in 2025 for forestry operations and projects, and that the consultant contract is within the grant’s uses. The RFP returned two proposals; the other bidder (Dudek) submitted a substantially larger price.
Council questions focused on whether the plan is a required element of the federal grant and the value of the consultant contract. Staff said the grant application anticipated hiring a consultant to produce a comprehensive, community-engaged plan; the consultant contract was described as necessary to meet the grant commitments. Councilmember Stuckey asked whether the grant would be at risk if the plan were not completed; staff said the plan was an element of the grant proposal and the consultant route was the recommended approach.
Action: Mayor Pro Tem moved to approve the professional services agreement with Planet Geo; Councilmember Romero seconded. The motion passed 6–1.
Why it matters: The plan will guide how the city uses roughly $1.6 million in federal funds for urban canopy, resilience and green‑career staffing. Staff said the plan will produce code recommendations, an updated tree inventory, stakeholder engagement, and an implementation strategy linked to grant priorities.
Next steps: City staff will execute the agreement and work with Planet Geo on public engagement, inventory updates and plan delivery schedules tied to grant reporting.
