Committee recommends council approve $6M grid-pruning agreement for city trees

The Public Works & Transportation Committee recommended that the City Council approve and the mayor execute a one-year agreement with Green Coast Landscapes for grid pruning services, covering May 20, 2026 to May 19, 2027, with options for four additional one-year extensions through May 19, 2031, and a total not-to-exceed amount of $6 million.

Brandon Lopez, Parks Manager, told the committee the city uses grid pruning to organize large trimming contracts—typically assigning 1,000 or more trees at once—to achieve scale and improved pricing. "This allows us to proactively trim our trees, promotes better health within the trees...having contractors work year-round to grid prune all the city trees, they're on a five-year cycle," Lopez said, adding the program has reduced tree failures during storms.

Lopez described trimming standards: crews typically remove 20–30% of a tree's canopy during a cycle, focusing on dead wood and diseased branches rather than over-trimming. He said palms are included in the contract but are also serviced by regular landscape contractors on a more frequent schedule when reachable from the ground.

Committee members asked whether bid savings from recent park contracts could offset the Campus Park request; staff answered that grant-eligible elements are restricted by grant terms and that non-grant elements (for example, the dog park) still require local funding.

A public-notice check found no speakers on this item in person or virtually and the committee voted to recommend approval; the motion carried 3–0.

Staff said the Parks Division will update an interactive map and transition to new arbor software to provide clearer trimming schedules for neighborhoods as the contract begins.