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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 (...
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