Council approves re‑assignment of CalFire urban forest management grant to West Coast Arborist

The council approved moving forward with a CalFire‑funded urban forest management plan and associated planting work with West Coast Arborist after the original vendor (TreePeople) informed the city it could not deliver the required services.

Scope and funding: Staff said the grant supports development of an urban forest management plan (canopy assessment, GIS mapping, outreach) and multi‑year tree planting. The total grant award and plant count discussed in council questions point to planting in the range of several hundred trees (staff and council cited roughly 500 trees as an estimate), with work staged through 2028 as part of a multi‑year schedule.

Procurement and next steps: City staff said they previously ran a competitive procurement; TreePeople was initially selected for portions of the grant work but later withdrew its ability to perform. Staff recommended using West Coast Arborist—already the city’s tree contractor and capable of GIS mapping and planting—to meet CalFire requirements and keep the grant on schedule. Council asked for and staff agreed to return in four to six months with community‑outreach milestones and to explore additional tree donations or partnerships to extend planting beyond the grant allocation.

Why it matters: Urban forest planning directs where new trees should be planted to maximize canopy, equity and long‑term care; the council emphasized community outreach and data‑driven placement rather than ad hoc planting. Council also asked for public education about tree‑removal criteria and the city’s replacement practices.