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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/02/2010, B 2 - FEE REVISION FOR PLANTING TREES IN THE COMMEMORATIVE GROVE r council M.&9 z-2-Io j acEnaa REpoM �H CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO FROM: Jay D. Walter, Director of Public Works 9DW Prepared By: Keith Pellemeier, Urban Forest Supervisor SUBJECT: FEE REVISION FOR PLANTING TREES IN THE COMMEMORATIVE GROVE RECOMMENDATION Adopt a resolution revising the current fee for planting a Commemorative tree at the Laguna Lake Commemorative Tree Grove from$2,080 to $410. DISCUSSION Background On February 7, 1989 the City Council approved the Commemorative Grove Program. The purpose of the program was to allow the planting of trees by private citizens to commemorate a special event or person. The first plantings occurred on March 4, 1989 with 9 commemorative trees and 38 windbreak trees planted in the Commemorative Grove at Laguna Lake Park. As of Arbor Day 2009, 291 commemorative trees have been planted at the park through the program. This is an average of 14 commemorative trees planted per year. In the fall of 2008 the Finance Department prepared a Cost of Services study, with analysis performed by Maximus and approved by the Council. The Public Works Urban Forest Division provided information on current costs to plant and maintain a commemorative tree. In prior years only the cost of planting was accounted for. The information provided to the Finance Department, and ultimately to the Council for consideration, included short-term maintenance. The majority of the cost associated with the planting and maintenance of a tree is in the first 5 years when watering is needed to ensure the tree's survival. With the adoption of the 2009-11 Financial Plan the cost to plant a Commemorative tree was calculated to be $2,080, $410 for the tree, planting and plaque, and $1,670 for five years of watering to establish the tree and ensure its survival. Prior to the recent Cost of Services study, the fee for a commemorative tree was $376 which reflected only the costs to plant the tree and the plaque. Since the change, staff and Council have heard concerns from the public that the new commemorative tree fee is too high. People feel that planting a memorial tree has become cost prohibitive for the general public. As a point of comparison, commemorative benches in the parks and open space cost up to $4,500 which covers the cost of the bench, pad and installation. Staff has also discussed with the Downtown Association a possible commemorative street light program that will likely be higher than the benches, to cover the cost of the light and its installation. �a- 1 Commemorative Tree Planting Fee Revision Page 2 Basis for Cost of Services Recommendation Newly planted trees require mulching, fertilizing, pruning, weed removal, repair to stakes, and watering in order to ensure their survival. All aspects of tree care, including watering, are done manually. The grove is not irrigated, and rough terrain conditions and weed abatement mowing currently make maintaining such a system infeasible. A newly planted tree typically needs to be watered for 5 years to establish roots where it will grow on its own with only winter rains. Supplemental water may be needed longer if drought conditions prevail. This needed watering and care averages about 30 minutes a week per tree for 33 weeks out of the year. To accomplish watering, the City has a part-time employee who drives a water truck and waters by hand in the dry months. Currently the water truck driver is unable to keep up with all the new trees that need watering throughout the City and the Commemorative Grove. During the last two years the Urban Forest staff has been encouraging and supporting homeowners who volunteer to water newly planted street trees on their frontage whenever feasible. This much appreciated assistance reduces the workload of City staff and lowers costs. Still, there are trees being added every year and trees replaced that require the City water truck services. City staff typically performs watering activities for 8-9 months a year. Cost to Buy and Plant a new Commemorative tree One 15 gallon tree $60 One concrete monument $20 One bronze plaque $150 Plastic engraving for bronze plaque $20 Stakes, ties, soil amendments, plaque installation $40 Two workers, two hours to dig hole and plant tree $120 Total $410 Establishment Costs for 5 years of watering Water&care of young tree Hours per week 0.5 Weeks per year 33+ Years 5 Water truck operator cost per hour $20 Total costs for 5 years $1,6701 Due to the severe storm of October 2009, which caused the loss of numerous trees and neighborhood tree plantings, staff will be planting over 100 replacement trees. The majority of these trees will require care, especially watering for the first 5 years. If the Council re-establishes a low cost commemorative tree fee, grove plantings, which have dropped off, are expected to go back up. Manual watering is currently occurring on 75 trees in the grove in addition to 90 street trees. The number of street trees needing watering will go up as replacement planting is completed. a a -� Commemorative Tree Planting Fee Revision Page 3 FISCAL IMPACT Current staffing costs to maintain the grove are $10,240 per year, with the City's temporary employee spending approximately 16 hours a week in the grove, for about 8 months, doing watering and young tree care. Not all trees survive their first years in the grove as the conditions at Laguna Lake Park are somewhat harsh. Replanted trees means there are increasing numbers of trees needing care, rather than the maintenance for the newest plantings taking the place of the trees that are 6 years old. With the high winds experienced this rainy season causing a spike in the number of new plantings, and cuts in the contract service budget this year for the tree program, there is increased demand for the staff's services. New trees are an investment and will benefit greatly from early establishment and pruning efforts, to become strong healthy trees. There is an expense associated with the maintenance of the grove that the City assumes on behalf of those wishing to plant a tree. The current recommendation reflects that the City will assume the entire maintenance burden. Staff has also provided some alternatives for Council consideration including a possible participation for the cost of maintenance or a low cost option for those to whom the expense is too great. In response to the concerns from the Council and the community, staff is recommending returning the fee to an amount covering only the tree planting. The resulting cost for the City.is the assumption of a minimum of 5 years of care, or$1,670 per tree. Option Fee City Labor Cost Tree Only (Prior Fee) ....................................................$376 Tree Only (Recommendation)....................................$410........................$19670 Tree + 1 Year of Maintenance (Alternative).................$744........................$1,336 Tree+5 Years of Maintenance.(Current Fee)............$2,080...............................$0 ALTERNATIVES 1. Provide for one year of maintenance costs in the fee. This option would provide some participation, by the individual wishing to establish the memorial, in the maintenance of the tree. The fee would be reduced from the current $2080 to $744. This would provide an additional $334 per tree or about $4,000 per year in additional revenue to the City to offset the cost of this program. 2. Augment the existing staff budget to cover the costs of tree care. The Council could direct staff to prepare an operating program adjustment as part of the 2011-13 Financial Plan to augment the Tree Program and provide additional resources to care for these trees. Staff estimates the additional cost to be $4,000 per year, based on the assumption that the proposed reduced fee will bring annual planting up to near previous year levels, or an estimated 12 Commemorative trees planted each year. If additional resources are not provided, staff will need to reduce other areas of tree care such as maintenance pruning or young tree care to provide increased manual watering for the grove. 3. Make no change to the existing fee. The Council could maintain the previously approved cost of$2,080 to plant a tree in the Commemorative Grove. This would gradually shift the as -3 Commemorative Tree Planting Fee Revision Page 4 cost of watering the Commemorative Grove from the City to those wishing to plant. This has effectively reduced the number of new trees in the grove. While this increased cost has not been popular with the community, it is still less expensive than other options for commemoration. This could be combined with Alternative 3 to provide a low cost option. 4. Adopt a low cost option. The City of Santa Barbara allows people to purchase a commemorative plaque for an existing street tree. The Commemorative Grove at Laguna Lake has a significant number of trees and could be left as is or could remain a higher cost option in the program. The City would then charge a reduced fee of approximately $250 to place a commemorative plaque on an existing, established street tree, which would cover the cost of a monument and installation as well as some staff time for procurement. The City is already maintaining these trees, so there is no additional cost to the City. ATTACHMENTS 1. Commemorative Grove Map 2. Resolution T:\Council Agentla Reports\Rublic Works CAR\2010\Trees\CommGroveFee\CommGroveFee RPI.doc a a -� ATTACHMENT .In i> 'r^.,� L r ,�_r 1'J "•. � `•': L'y.r 4.��..11'' �,r r i — 5 r "r -fit r tiJ �.•,� r'r� i� r - -. �..+. _,�+ "-.J' r �r _ •� � J ..J ra i II14. d r p. LZ y+�, SOC♦ �LZ{ -.? 4:"..t,M S s •t a F�-iCl RESOLUTION NO. (2010 Series) A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AMENDING THE CITY'S MASTER FEE SCHEDULE FOR COMMEMORATIVE TREE PLANTING FEES WHEREAS, it is the policy of the City of San Luis Obispo to review service charges on an ongoing basis and to adjust them as required to ensure that they remain adequate to achieve adopted cost recovery goals; and WHEREAS, in accordance with this policy the Council has adopted a master fee schedule based on a comprehensive analysis of service costs and the City's cost recovery policy; and WHEREAS, the Council considered amendments to the master fee schedule at a public meeting on February 2, 2010 based on a detailed analysis of costs and funding requirements to meet adopted cost recovery goals. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo that the City's master fee schedule is hereby amended to set the fee for participants in the commemorative tree planting program at $410 per tree. Upon motion of , seconded by and on the following roll call vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: the foregoing resolution was adopted on February 2, 2010. Mayor David F. Romero ATTEST: Elaina Cano, City Clerk APPROV AS TO FOR I. -4k, L r C stine Dietrick, City Attorney