CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the award of Bid 21-382, Parkway Tree Trimming Services, to NJ Ryan Tree & Landscape and Steve Piper and Sons Inc., for an amount not to exceed $170,250, and for a one-year term
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DEPARTMENT: Department of Public Works
SUBMITTED BY: Richard Dublinski, Director
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
The Department of Public Works (DPW) is responsible for the care and maintenance of more than 70,000 parkway trees throughout the City. Industry best practices recommend a six-year trimming cycle, which, for the City, equates to maintenance on more than 11,500 trees per year. With the City’s growth and the planting of additional right-of-way trees, DPW has been unable to perform all of the tree trimming services in-house. In 2000, the City began using outside contractors to supplement the in-house tree trimming program. In general, approximately 4,000 to 5,000 trees are trimmed by the contractor each year, depending on the size of the trees.
In November 2021, DPW issued Bid 21-382, Parkway Tree Trimming Services, to contract with experienced and qualified forestry contractors for parkway tree trimming services. The contractor is paid for trimming on a per tree basis according to the diameter classification of each tree pruned.
Due to a reduction in the number of trees trimmed by both the contractor and in-house staff since 2010, DPW is now on an eight-year tree trimming cycle. This has resulted in more than 1,100 service requests for trimming and downed branches per year. DPW’s goal is to return to trimming the parkway trees on a six- to seven-year cycle. A more systematic approach to tree trimming will reduce service requests for trimming and downed branches as well as decrease tree-related liability claims for property damage.
DISCUSSION:
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Advertisement Date: |
11/29/2021 |
Notices Sent: |
138 |
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Opening Date: |
12/16/2021 |
Planholders: |
12 |
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Proposals Received: |
03 |
Bids were received from the following vendors:
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Vendor Name |
Proposed Cost |
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NJ Ryan Tree & Landscape |
$166,800 |
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Steve Piper and Sons Inc. |
$183,800 |
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Winkler Tree and Lawn Care |
$432,700 |
This contract was established to supplement the in-house tree trimming program and to trim between 4,000 and 5,000 trees per year depending on the size of the tree. Under the current tree trimming cycle, DPW intends to have the contractor trim parkway trees in the following neighborhoods: East Highlands, Charlestown Woods, Kings Terrace, Pembroke Greens, Huntington Commons, Huntington Estates, Olesen Estates, Huntington Hill, Hobson Mill, Hobson Village, Hobson Bailey Woods, Pembroke Commons, Carriage Way Estates, Hobson Meadow and Hobson Hollow.
The bid was structured to give the City the ability to award the tree trimming contract to more than one contractor if in the best interest of the City. In order to ensure that all of the tree trimming is completed in the required timeframes, NJ Ryan Tree & Landscape will be complete 75% of the contract areas and Steve Piper and Sons Inc will complete 25% of the contract areas.
The term of this contract is from the date of award to December 1, 2022, with four, one-year options to extend.
FISCAL IMPACT:
CIP #: PA040
Parkway tree trimming is expensed to the Operational Service and Infrastructure accounts listed below. A total of $100,000 has been requested for contracted tree trimming in the General Fund account below in 2022. Parkway tree trimming is also related to PA040, Emerald Ash Borer Program, which includes funding for EAB-related tree trimming. A total of $175,000 has been requested for PA040 in 2022. The requested award of $170,250 is within the budgeted amount for this expense.
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Account Number |
Fund Description |
Total Budget Amount |
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31251100-531308 |
General Fund |
$1,862,660 |
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31252200-551502 |
Capital Projects Fund |
$2,705,000 |