...Title
Adopt a Resolution to Accept a Non-Professional Services Agreement with Common Vision for $1,499,400 to Implement the CALFire Funded Street Tree Planting and Outreach from June 2022 to June 2026
...Staffreport
COUNCIL PRIORITY
• Infrastructure
• Sustainability & Resiliency
SUMMARY
Common Vision is the community partner who will be assisting in the implementation of the CALFIRE grant-funded project for tree planting and outreach from June 2022 to June 2026.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council accept the non-professional service agreement of $1,499,400 for Common Vision to implement the CALFire grant work for street tree planting and maintenance, anticipated to take place from June 2022 to June 2026.
BACKGROUND
Expansion of San Leandro’s tree canopy was identified as an action item in the City’s 2021 Climate Action Plan as an adaption strategy for improving community-wide public health, safety, and wellbeing and increasing resilience of vulnerable populations against the hazards of extreme heat and flooding. In its greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, the CAP also identifies street trees as an important resource for carbon sequestration. The proposed scope of work below under the CALFIRE grant outlines how this project will meet City of San Leandro’s goals.
ANALYSIS
The City will be partnering with Common Vision to implement three key components: organizing, planning, planting. The team will work with local community-based organizations such as Sierra Club, San Leandro 2050, Friends of San Leandro Creek, Unity in the Community, and Climate Reality Project to do outreach and volunteer recruitment. The outreach work will particularly focus on getting neighborhood buy-in on trees through 1:1 conversations during community canvassing. Common Vision staff will also work with youth volunteers from the San Leandro High School Interact Club and Key Club, and their adult community counterparts at Rotary and Kiwanis Club for the tree plantings and canvassing.
The project will include the planting of 5000 15-gallon street trees over two years and another 10,000 one-year old saplings will be distributed freely in disadvantaged and low-income communities and schools, as identified by census tracts in CalEnviroScreen. The team will hold Arbor Day and Earth Day tree plantings in 2022 as well as September community organization rally in preparation for winter rainy season plantings in October and November 2022. At each of these community events, there will be a tree distribution plan for 5,000 trees to go to disadvantaged community members in undertreed neighborhoods. The project will also include weekly tree plantings of 55 trees that will include watering, maintenance, community canvassing, and ongoing community stewardship training.
The implementation strategy is the best path to meet program objectives of addressing undertreed tree canopy, poor environmental air quality, and public health equity in vulnerable communities. The project meets CALFIRE’s grant guidelines to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, authentically engage the local community, and to provide multiple environmental, social, and economic benefits to the community as identified from extensive community engagement meetings from the 2019-2021 climate action planning (CAP) process and with environmental partners. The CAP identifies the need for greater tree canopy to meet its carbon sequestration goal and to meet public health co-benefits of increased shade, reduced urban temperatures, and better air quality.
This project will provide jobs for local residents through a workforce development program that will hire community members and youth primarily from frontline communities. Common Vision staff will work and receive training for jobs in arboriculture, horticulture, hydrology, climate science, permaculture, agronomy, electrical and solar energy industry through on-the-job training and workforce development pathways to careers programs provided by the California Community Colleges Bay Area, pre-apprenticeship training through labor union partners. Common Vision will also hire California CivicCorps conservation workers.
Previous Actions
The CALFIRE grant was approved by council and grant funds appropriated on May 2, 2022 with Resolution 2022-065.
Fiscal Impacts and Budget Authority
Sufficient funds are included in the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 General Fund budget for the CALFIRE grant work of tree planting services:
• General Fund-Administration, Account 150-12-35-5120: $1,499,400
• Total: $1,499,400
This Council action will not impact fund balance because there are funds available in the FY2022-2023 adopted budget.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Resolution
Attachment B: NPSA between City of San Leandro and Common Vision
PREPARED BY: Hoi-Fei Mok, Sustainability Manager