Title
A Resolution authorizing a change order for the Citywide Tree Succession contract with South Florida Maintenance in the amount of $259,069 under the same Schedule of Values and terms and conditions as the Citywide Tree Succession contract, pursuant to Section 2-829, approval of change orders and contract modifications, to provide tree removal, planting, and one year maintenance for newly planted trees in support of the City’s street tree succession plan.
Body
The operational component of the tree succession project began in May 2015. Project goals included replacing thousands of missing, hazardous, and dying trees; planting new healthy trees in their place to promote species diversity and to beautify the City; and adding new trees to streets that did not have trees - in total, approximately 3,000 trees are estimated to be planted.
To date, approximately 75% of total canopy street tree locations have been planted or staked for planting; these plantings are expected to be complete by the end of April 2017. The remaining 25% of the project, indicated in red in the graph below, primarily represents coconut streets in zones 4 and 5 of the project (US-1 to southern City limits).
Because the coconut palm street portion of the project is somewhat complex and time consuming - each coconut palm street is evaluated block by block, and each tree is given a condition rating; residents are offered options to keep healthy Coconut Palms in front of their properties or choose to have canopy trees planted; and healthy palms are carefully removed and relocated to other locations throughout the City - the target completion timeframe for this phase of the project is late summer 2017.
The funding for the recommended change order request is available within the tree succession project budget. Approval of the change order to increase the construction contract amount does not impact any other capital project or require an increase in funding. Staff estimates that the current authorized budget amount of $3,601,081 will be sufficient to complete the projected scope project. However, if additional funding above tree replacements and/or additional canopy trees, necessary resources will be absorbed in the Landscape Services operating budget and/or requested through the 2018 Capital Improvement Plan budget process.