passed ordinance

*Authorize five-year price agreements for tree procurement, planting, and maintenance services not to exceed $10 million

climate environment
parks recreation
procurement

Department: Parks & Recreation
Introduced by: Councilor Dan Ryan
Status: Passed

Impact statement

Purpose & background

Establish up to four contracts with providers for tree planting and establishment services. These contracts will be utilized by the PP&R and BES tree planting programs to expand the urban canopy in prioritized neighborhoods as guided by Portland’s citywide tree planting strategy, Growing a More Equitable Forest. This ordinance is being filed as an emergency to ensure community tree planting goals can be met for the October 2023 through March 2024 planting season.

Financial impacts

No change to the PP&R or BES budgets is requested through this ordinance. Both bureaus have budgeted funds to support tree procurement, planting, and maintenance for the 2023-24 fiscal year. PP&R funding is provided by the Tree Planting & Preservation Fund and BES funding is provided by utility ratepayer fees.

Community impacts

Trees are infrastructure that provide essential services to Portland residents, including cooling shade, cleaner air, stormwater mitigation, and more. The current tree canopy of Portland is inequitably distributed across the city. These tree planting and establishment price agreements will be used to continue to add tree canopy along streets, in schoolyards, and on private properties in priority neighborhoods by Portland Parks and Recreation and the Bureau of Environmental Services. Priority neighborhoods are based on low tree canopy coverage and demographic data to ensure that our efforts go to the most vulnerable communities first. Our planting programs are guided by the citywide tree planting strategy that was informed by robust outreach and community guidance. PP&R and BES expect to plant and establish up to 5,200 trees under these price agreements.

▸ Full text (the legislation as adopted)

The City of Portland ordains: Section 1. The Council finds: Expanding Portland’s tree canopy is essential to achieving environmental and public health outcomes established by the Urban Forest Management Plan, Portland’s Climate Emergency Workplan, the Climate Action Plan, and other plans and policies adopted by the City of Portland. The Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) and the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) tree planting programs are guided by Portland’s citywide tree planting strategy, Growing a More Equitable Forest, which prioritizes planting where trees are needed most to address existing inequities in the urban canopy PP&R and BES have funds budgeted in fiscal year 2023-24 to deliver tree procurement, planting, and maintenance services through contractual agreements. On April 1, 2023, the City of Portland advertised competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 00002058 for Tree Procurement, Planting, and Maintenance Services in accordance with Section 5.33.210. Six proposal responses were received and evaluated by Procurement Services. No comments or protests were received. A notice was posted June 29, 2023, in the City’s Online Procurement System stating the City’s intent to award price agreements to A Plus Tree, LLC and Cascadian Landscapers, Inc. which were determined to be most responsible and responsive, for contract term of five years per price agreement. No comments or protests were received. NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs: The Chief Procurement Officer, or designee, is authorized to execute up to four 5-year price agreements with A Plus Tree, LLC and Cascadian Landscapers, Inc. for services described in Section 1, for the cumulative value for all price agreements not to exceed $10,000,000, in a form similar to the contracts attached as Exhibit A and Exhibit B, subject to approval as to form by the City Attorney’s Office. The Mayor and City Auditor are hereby authorized to pay for the price agreements from Portland Parks & Recreation and Bureau of Environmental Services operating and capital funding sources, as appropriate. Section 2. The Council declares that an emergency exists because a delay would unnecessarily delay the Bureaus’ ability to perform the activities; therefore, this Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage by the Council.

Tally

4 yea 0 nay 1 other