Item 1.13 - Req. for Addtl Appropriation for Vegetation Management ProgramCity of Poway
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DATE: November 5, 2019
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Robert Manis, Director of Development Services
CONTACT: David De Vries, City Planner V
(858) 668-4604 1 ddevries@poway.org
SUBJECT: Request for Additional Appropriation for Vegetation Management
Program
Summary:
The fund balance in the Vegetation Management Program (VMP) is not adequate to cover
abatement costs on City -owned properties due to demand and change in consultants. Additional
funds are being requested to afford these new, higher costs.
Recommended Action:
It is recommended that the City Council appropriate an additional $93,202 from the General
Fund's Undesignated Fund Balance (F1000-89010) to the Nuisance Abatement/Wildfire
Defensible Space Program account (301030-49180).
Discussion:
Vegetation Management is an annual program that focuses on the abatement of vegetative fuels
and/or nuisance vegetation on City- and privately -owned properties as required pursuant to
Section 8.76.035 of the Poway Municipal Code. The properties included within this program have
been previously identified to contain an annual re -growth of vegetative fuels and/or nuisance
vegetation identified by the Fire Marshal and Code Compliance Division. All costs incurred for
abatement of approximately 60 City properties will be at full cost to the City.
On June 7, 2019, Development Services Department staff was notified that its contractor for
vegetation management services (Weed Eliminators) was dissolving their company at the end of
2019 due to unforeseen circumstances. Staff promptly solicited new contractors through a
Request for Proposals (RFP) and on August 6th, the City Council selected DBI Services for the
City's vegetation management services. Only one proposal was submitted for consideration. Staff
believes this was due to the RFP distribution occurring during peak vegetation management
season. The contract with DBI Services based the rates on mowing, hand labor and hauling per
hour or by area and an estimate for the completion of the 2019 weed abatement on City properties
was not completed which is typical for this contract. The total not -to -exceed contract amount is
$128,202 which is based on clearing roughly 72 acres of city -owned property using a combination
of hand labor and mowing. Staff is currently coordinating with DBI Services on their billing and
monitoring their work to ensure billing is occurring per the approved contract. When staff reviewed
the proposal for cost effectiveness, it was found that the previous consultant's fee schedule was
far below industry standard. When the new fee schedules were compared, DBI Services was
noted to be within industry standard for such services but was nearly $200 more per cubic yard
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November 5, 2019, Item # 1.13
for hauling. Currently, the VMP account has a balance of $35,000 and the new consultant's not -
to -exceed amount for services to abate all City properties during the season, is $128,202.
Environmental Review:
This item is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act review.
Fiscal Impact:
The total not -to -exceed contract amount is $128,202. Currently, there is $35,000 budgeted in the
Nuisance Abatement/Wildfire Defensible Space Program account. As such, $93,202 in additional
appropriation is required to ensure the city maintains compliance with Section 8.76.035 of the
Poway Municipal Code. Sufficient funds are available in the General Fund's undesignated fund
balance for this request.
Council approval of staff's recommendation would result in an additional appropriation of $93,202
needed from the General Fund's Undesignated Fund Balance (F1000-89010) to the Nuisance
Abatement/Wildfire Defensible Space Program account (301030-49180) to cover as -needed
consultant services until the end of the current fiscal year, through June 30, 2020. However,
amounts paid to DBI Services will be based on the actual work performed. Funds for future
contract years will be incorporated into future years' budgets for City Council consideration.
Public Notification:
Public notification is not required for this item.
Attachments:
None.
Reviewed/Approved By:
Vow
Wend C ,Kaserman
Assistant City Manager
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Reviewed By: Approved By:
Alan Fenstermacher Ch is H-'ine
City Attorney City Manager
November 5, 2019, Item # 1.13