Title
Resolution to Execute a Consulting Services Agreement with PlanIT Geo and their Subconsultants Urban Forest Innovations, Inc. and Arboreal Consulting Using Existing Appropriations in the American Rescue Plan Act Totaling $200,000 to Develop a Citywide Trees Master Plan; and a Resolution of the City of San Leandro City Council to Accept a $1,499,400 Grant from CALFIRE for Street Tree Planting and Maintenance with Common Vision and Appropriation Approval of Grant Funds to Account 150-3607
Staffreport
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve the attached Resolution approving and authorizing the City Manager to execute a consulting services agreement between the City of San Leandro and PlanIT Geo and their sub consultants Urban Forest Innovations, Inc, and Arboreal Consulting, and to appropriate $200,000 to support the development of the Citywide Trees Master Plan.
Staff recommends the City Council accept grant funds in the amount of $1,499,400 from CALFire for street tree planting and maintenance with community partner Common Vision and their project 100K Trees for Humanity, anticipated to take place from summer 2022 to spring 2025. Staff also recommends City Council approval of appropriating grant funds to operating expenditure account 150-12-035. The grant is effective from April 21, 2022 to March 30, 2026.
BACKGROUND
Urban forestry and carbon sequestration were identified as key strategies in the City’s 2021 Climate Action Plan 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 climate mitigation. The two proposed projects below address immediate action through tree planting as well as developing a plan for long-term tree care, maintenance, and community involvement. First, the CALFIRE Urban Forestry Grant project focuses on tree planting and maintenance with community partners Common Vision and their project 100K Trees for Humanity. Second, the proposed Consulting Services Agreement provides for the development of the Citywide Trees Master Plan to meet all the City’s long-term goals for urban greening and climate action.
Analysis
CalFire Urban Forestry Grant Project
The City will partner with Common Vision and their project 100K Trees for Humanity to implement three key components: organizing, planning, planting. The team may 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 conversation during community canvassing. 100K Tree staff may 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 5,000 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. The team may hold Arbor Day and Earth Day tree plantings in 2023 as well as a 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 under treed neighborhoods. The program team will develop a seasonal planting schedule for 2022 and 2023. The project will also include the following goals of a cumulative total of trees planted: 50 by summer '22, 250 street trees by Dec '22, 1000 trees by March '23 and 1750 trees by May '23; this will include watering, maintenance, community canvassing, and ongoing community stewardship training.
The implementation strategy is the best path to meet program objectives to address under treed 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. 100K Tree staff will work and receive training for jobs in arboriculture, horticulture, hydrology, climate science, permaculture, agronomy, and the electrical and solar energy industries 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. 100K Trees for Humanity will also hire California CivicCorps conservation workers.
Citywide Trees Master Plan
Based on discussions between City staff and the consultant PlanIT Geo, the parties concur on the following scope of services for the proposed agreement.
1. Tree Inventory and Urban Heat Assessment
To identify the priority planting areas, PlanIT Geo and team will conduct an inventory of 20,000+ existing trees and open planting areas within San Leandro, and assess the health of existing trees. This will be paired with an urban heat island assessment and social vulnerability data to determine neighborhoods that lack tree canopy or park access and currently experience higher levels of environmental pollution and urban heat. From the data, PlanIT Geo will create maps of priority planting areas for San Leandro and determine goals and estimated timelines for reaching the canopy goals.
2. Outreach Plan
PlanIT Geo and team will make recommendations for building community leadership and participation in caring for the trees. These can include educational opportunities, Tree Care academy, community tree planting days, recommended partnerships and programming, and demonstration projects.
In addition to the outreach recommendations, PlanIT Geo and team will work with Sustainability staff on conducting outreach on the development of the plan itself. They will employ a variety of different tactics, such as virtual surveys, PilotCity student ambassadors, and tabling at events.
3. Implementation Plan
PlanIT Geo and team will write an implementation plan with the following elements: identification of challenges, goals, and principles; tree species recommendations and best management practices; a recommendation for structuring a tree infrastructure team with potential community partners; recommendations on long-term budget for tree planting and maintenance, and potential revenue sources; and recommendations for tree policy revisions.
4. Maintenance Plan
PlanIT Geo and team will write a maintenance plan with the following elements: recommendations for setting up a system for planting trees in the priority planting areas; recommendations for tree maintenance, including recommended timelines for pruning, planting/establishment, inspection, tree health monitoring, and support system; recommendations for management of declining trees, including replacement schedule, and tree removal; recommendations for managing growing/rooting space, utility line/structure clearances, sidewalk/hardscape damage, construction damage, and fire hazards at urban/wildland interface; and recommendations for record keeping software.
Legal Analysis
These agreements were reviewed by the City Attorney and approved as to form.
Fiscal Impacts
The CALFIRE Urban Forestry Grant project will be paid for with grant funds of $1,499,400 for the planting of street trees with community partners Common Vision and their project 100K Trees for Humanity with offsetting revenues deposited into account 150-3607.
The Trees Master Plan project will cost $200,000, which requires no adjustment to the FY2021-2022 Adjusted Budget, given appropriations as designated in American Rescue Plan Act Account 190-12-819-5190.
Budget Authority
The CalFire Grant project will require Council appropriation of grant funds to operating account 150-12-035. As part of this project, Sustainability and Public Works staff will provide in-kind labor for grant administration, project management, and tree planting review. No additional City funds or allocations for proposed staff work are required or anticipated for the project.
The Trees Master Plan project will require no additional Council appropriation for Fiscal Year 2021-2022. Project funding is currently appropriated in the American Rescue Plan Act Account 190-12-819-5190. Staff anticipates this project to span to Fiscal Year 2022-2023 and request the authority to reappropriate any unspent funding for this project in Fiscal Year 2022-2023 into Account 190-12-819-5190.
Attachments:
Attachment A: Resolution for CALFIRE Grant
Attachment B: Resolution for PlanIT Geo
Attachment C: CALFIRE Grant Agreement
Attachment D: PlanIT Geo consulting services agreement
Presentation - Urban Forestry and Climate Action
PREPARED BY: Hoi-Fei Mok, Sustainability Manager, City Manager’s Office