CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the Award of Bid 17-210, Emerald Ash Borer Insecticidal Treatment, to The Care of Trees for an amount not to exceed $324,680 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:
In 2012, the City implemented a comprehensive Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) management program consisting of four major components - the annual inspection of ash trees to assess their health, the treatment of healthy ash trees, the removal of poor ash trees that no longer benefit from treatment, and the replacement of removed ash trees with a diversity of species. After six years, the comprehensive management program has proven to be an efficient, cost-effective method to manage the EAB. Since treatment began in 2012, nearly 80% of the trees have survived.
As part of DPW's EAB containment strategy, staff inspects and assesses the extent of EAB damage throughout the city. Beginning in 2012, trees were rated on a five point scale ranging from good condition to dead. Trees in good condition show little or no sign of EAB and have the highest chance of surviving. These trees continue to be treated and monitored. Marginal trees have serious signs of EAB but have a chance to survive. The marginal trees are re-evaluated before treatment next year. Poor or dead trees are no longer worth preserving and require removal.
Through a combination of Tree-Age and Xytect, the City treated 9,661 trees (138,504 diameter inches) at a total expense of $404,991 in 2017. There are approximately 13,000 city parkway ash trees. TREE-age treatments are applied once every two years, so not all ash trees are treated every year.
The results of the 2017 inspection were:
* 94% of the parkway ash trees exhibited only minor or no EAB damage.
* 5% of the parkway ash trees exhibited moderate signs of EAB.
* 1% of the parkway ash trees required removal...
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