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Encinitas council keeps UFAC, orders tree-species list and studies hiring an urban-forester
Summary
After extended debate, the Encinitas City Council voted 4–1 to keep the Urban Forest Advisory Committee (UFAC) active for one year, direct it to prioritize an updated tree species master list, and ask staff to evaluate converting contracted arborist services into an in-house urban-forester/arborist position.
Encinitas City Council voted to continue the Urban Forest Advisory Committee for about one year, directing the committee to produce measurable goals with a top priority of updating the city's tree species master list and asking staff to study whether an in-house urban-forester/arborist position should replace current consultant services.
The decision followed a presentation from UFAC chair Brad Lefkowitz on the committee's 2024 accomplishments and a staff overview of an AI-assisted review of UFAC meeting minutes. Council members praised volunteers' expertise but expressed frustration with slow progress on key deliverables, including the species master list and the mature-tree ordinance. Mayor Ehlers said UFAC has produced important public forums on discretionary tree removals, while Deputy Mayor O'Hara argued the group has not consistently produced outcomes and urged converting consultant spending into an in-house position.
Councilmember Lines moved to continue UFAC with a requirement to sharpen its work plan and to prioritize the tree species list; the motion also directed staff to explore the feasibility and budget implications of hiring a full-time urban-forester or arborist. Staff and council discussed that current contracting with Dudek provides roughly 1,640 hours of consultant work and costs about $190,000 annually; by contrast, a fully loaded in-house position was estimated in the staff's analysis at roughly $162,000'$172,000, depending on exact duties and benefits.
Lefkowitz and several UFAC members defended the committee's record, noting completed work on heritage-tree nominations, community forums on removals, and a mature-tree ordinance that recently moved through UFAC. Members of the public and UFAC speakers urged the council both to retain the committee's technical expertise and to demand clearer, time-bound deliverables.
The motion passed 4'to—2, with Deputy Mayor O'Hara voting no. Council directed staff to return during the upcoming budget cycle with options and cost estimates for an in-house urban-forester/arborist position and said it would reassess the committee's structure and output after one year.
