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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Ian Wade, Capital Projects Manager
DATE: February 11, 2025
SUBJECT:
A Resolution authorizing the Director of Purchasing to enter into an agreement with Great Lakes Urban Forestry of Batavia, IL in the amount of $150,000 to conduct a Tree Inventory and develop an Urban Forestry Management Plan.
PURPOSE:
To obtain approval to enter into an agreement with Great Lakes Urban Forestry to conduct a Tree Inventory and develop an Urban Forestry Management Plan.
BACKGROUND:
On June 11, 2024, City Council approved a Resolution (R24-210) to accept a award in the amount of $1,000,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Urban and Community Forestry Grant to improve the city's urban forest in USDA-approved disadvantaged areas.
This grant will provide federal funding (on a reimbursement basis with no required match) to conduct a variety of activities designed to improve the city's urban forest including, but not limited to, conducting a tree inventory, developing an urban forest management plan, planting new trees, educating residents and youth about trees, and garnering input from affected neighborhoods. Benefits of this project include an increased tree canopy, improved tree health, and enhanced tree stewardship practices to safeguard the long-term health of Aurora's urban forest.
In response to receiving this grant, the City published a Request for Proposals to conduct the required Tree Inventory and develop an Urban Forestry Management Plan and four responses were received on October 23, 2024. A panel of three City-staff members independently reviewed the responses and selected Great Lakes Urban Forestry as the highest scoring respondent (see attached scoring results).
DISCUSSION:
Since the grant was specific to disadvantaged areas, the scope of services to be provided under this agreement will be performed in the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) Disadvantaged Area shown on the map included on page one of the attached proposal from Great Lakes Urban Forestry. This proposal included a cost estimate of $135,597, which was based on an estimated 30,400 trees and 4,000 open planting spaces in this area. Staff is requesting an additional $14,403 be added (for a total agreement amount of $150,000) as a contingency in the event that any additional trees or spaces beyond the quantities estimated are encountered during the inventory.
Funding for this agreement was budgeted in 2025 and will be paid using account number 101-4060-431-53-41 (Streets - Grant Forestry), which currently has a balance of $881,600.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
Failure to conduct this Tree Inventory and develop an Urban Forestry Management Plan would likely result in forfeiture of the $1,000,000 grant from the USDA Forestry Service.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
I request the proposed resolution be adopted
cc: Infrastructure & Technology Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution authorizing the Director of Purchasing to enter into an agreement with Great Lakes Urban Forestry of Batavia, IL in the amount of $150,000 to conduct a Tree Inventory and develop an Urban Forestry Management Plan.
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the City secured a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Urban and Community Forestry Grant in the amount of $100,000 to improve the city's urban forest in USDA-approved disadvantaged areas; and
WHEREAS, the City published a Request for Proposals to conduct the required Tree Inventory and develop an Urban Forestry Management Plan and four responses were received on October 23, 2024; and
WHEREAS, City staff selected Great Lakes Urban Forestry of Batavia, IL as the highest scoring respondent; and
WHEREAS, Great Lakes provided a cost proposal for services not to exceed $150,000.00 (which includes $14,403.00 in contingency funds to cover the cost of trees and open planting spaces encountered in excess of the quantities assumed in the proposal); and
WHEREAS, funding for this agreement was budgeted in 2025 and will be paid using account number 101-4060-431-53-41 (Streets - Grant Forestry); and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: the Director of Purchasing is authorized to enter into an agreement with Great Lakes Urban Forestry of Batavia, IL in the amount of $150,000 to conduct a Tree Inventory and develop an Urban Forestry Management Plan