HomeMy WebLinkAboutVIII-14 Approve Rainbow TreeCare (RTC) as the City's 2022 Emerald Ash Borer - Preferred Vendor1
City Council Memorandum
To: Mayor Fasbender and City Councilmembers
From: Chris Jenkins, Parks & Recreation Director
Date: March 21, 2022
Item: Emerald Ash Borer Treatment – Preferred Vendor 2022
Council Action Requested: Support staff recommendation selecting
Rainbow TreeCare (RTC) as the City’s 2022 EAB Treatment Preferred
Vendor.
Background Information: 2017 was the first year which the City of
Hastings solicited “not to exceed” pricing for Emerald Ash Borer treatments
for our residents to take advantage of. The same program was repeated in
2018 and 2019, and in all three years, Rainbow TreeCare was the vendor
selected based upon qualifications and pricing. During the 2017, 2018,
2019, 2020 and 2021 treatment seasons, RTC treated over 400 Ash trees
each season in Hastings. This volume continues to exceed expectations,
and proves that Hastings residents care about shade trees and the benefits
they provide.
Staff solicitied pricing quotes from 3 vendors, with 2 vendors responding by
the deadline of March 11, 2022. As a part of the 2022 solicitation, the City
has the option to continue with the selected vendor in both 2023 and 2024
without a new solicitation.
After reviewing the proposals, Rainbow TreeCare has offered a price of
$6.70 per diameter inch for trunk injection protection of Ash Trees. The other
proposal had a price of $7.00 per inch.
Highlights from Rainbow TreeCare’s 2022 proposal:
1. Cost of treatment per diameter inch: RTC proposed a not to exceed
price of $6.70/dbh (for the standard medium dose rate) for residential
customers to treat ash trees for EAB. RTC has the ability to offer
discounted rates based upon volume of trees, specifically
encouraging homeowners’ associations and commercial properties.
VIII-14
2
2. Electronic tree inventory data collection: RTC included this within
their proposal and have a dedicated GPS/GIS specialist on staff that
will accomplish this function.
3. Years of experience and volume of trees treated annually: RTC has
13+ years of experience successfully treating ash trees for EAB.
4. Robust staff dedicated to conducting preventative treatments: RTC
has over 40 Certified Arborists, 16 Certified Pesticide Applicators,
and a Director of Municipal Consulting on staff and available to
Hastings residents.
Staff are recommending Rainbow TreeCare to be designated as the
preferred Ash Tree Protection provider for 2022. Staff have full confidence
that our residents will receive top notch professional service from this
company, and staff will receive a great deal of professional support.
Please note that selecting RTC as the preferred vendor DOES NOT equate
to RTC being the exclusive vendor. Residents remain free to select any
vendor they would like to treat boulevard and private ash trees.
Financial Impact: The “retail cost” for treating ash trees for EAB ranges
between $10.00 and $13.00/dbh. By identifying RTC as the preferred
vendor, Hastings residents can choose to pay significantly less per diameter
inch for EAB treatments. For example, to treat a 20 inch tree at retail price
would range between $200.00 and $260.00, with RTC’s not to exceed price
of $6.70/dbh a resident will pay $134.00 for a treatment that will last 2 years.
Advisory Commission Discussion: None
Council Committee Discussion: None
Attachments:
▪ Rainbow TreeCare’s Proposal
▪ Davey Proposal
VIII-14
City of Hastings 101 Fourth Street East Hastings, MN 55033-1944 Phone: 651-480-2350 www.hastingsmn.gov
PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT – 920 W. 10TH ST – HASTINGS, MN 55033 – 651-480-6175
2022 Emerald Ash Borer Trunk Injection Treatment – Pricing Proposal
The City of Hastings is soliciting pricing proposals from qualified tree care companies to
conduct trunk injection treatments to combat EAB in the Hastings community. The desire
is to secure a “not to exceed” price per DBH in three tree size categories which Hastings
residents can access to treat both boulevard and private ash trees.
The City of Hastings has completed a boulevard tree inventory, and has identified
approximately 1,000 boulevard trees which are ash. This represents approximately 22%
of the boulevard tree population within the city limits of Hastings. We do not have any
inventory data for trees on private property.
In order to negotiate the best possible prices for our residents, and encourage residents
to proactively treat ash trees, we are asking for pricing for the following scenario:
• Scenario #1: Your Company as THE “preferred” vendor for 2022 with optional
annual renewals (2 renewals possible; 2023 and 2024).
Please complete the chart below with this understanding. Preferred vendor will be listed
as such on the City website and in other formats which the City chooses to employ.
Preferred does not mean exclusive.
The City also desires to collect inventory data for every tree that is treated in Hastings to
supplement our current inventory data. Data desired includes location of tree, condition
of tree, and date of treatment. The City would also desire to have every treated tree
identified with a simple tree tag indicating the year of treatment and the letters EAB.
Please include these tasks within your pricing proposal.
Pricing based on the MEDIUM dose rate.
Size Category Scenario #1 $/dbh
Small: 8-19” $6.70
Medium: 20-33” $6.70
Large: 33” + $6.70
VIII-14
City of Hastings 101 Fourth Street East Hastings, MN 55033-1944 Phone: 651-480-2350 www.hastingsmn.gov
Additionally, the City desires to learn a little more about your company; its years of
operation, years of experience treating for EAB, composition of certified staff/certified
arborists, and what level of direct to consumer marketing would be undertaken to
communicate with Hastings residents. Please address each of these items in a short
narrative as a part of your complete pricing proposal. Feel free to attach a supplement.
Narrative: Since 1976, Rainbow Treecare (RTC) has bult a solid commitment to the science of
tree care and is uniquely positioned to offer the most comprehensive ash protection services in
the state. A pioneer of Dutch elm disease protection since 1976 and emerald ash borer protection
since 2004, RTC has been working on a national level to develop cost-effective management
solutions for EAB. RTC currently has more than 60,000 ash trees under protection with numerous
government and public agency clients.
With the most International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborists Minnesota, no other
company can offer the depth of skill, experience, and knowledge of tree pest and pathogen
issues. If awarded the work, the project supervisor and EAB Foreman for this project would both
be ISA Certified Arborists.
RTC is accredited by the Tree Care Industry Association, a designation that requires thorough
annual reviews of company-wide training, safety programs and record keeping.
Full time GIS/GPS staff is available to manage treatment data and develop interactive maps of
ash treatments, and our in-house art and marketing department can produce informational
mailers and videos, digital advertisements, a custom city landing page on our website, and social
media posts to promote EAB awareness and treatment information (examples attached).
If you have any questions, please contact our Parks & Recreation Director, Chris Jenkins
at 651-480-6176 or cjenkins@hastingsmn.gov.
Proposal due date: Friday, March 11, 2022, 3:00pm CST
Please return your completed proposal to:
U.S. Mail
Attn: Chris Jenkins
City of Hastings Parks & Recreation Department
920 West 10th Street
Hastings, MN 55033
Email: cjenkins@hastingsmn.gov
VIII-14
City of Hastings 101 Fourth Street East Hastings, MN 55033-1944 Phone: 651-480-2350 www.hastingsmn.gov
Examples of RTC Homeowner Outreach
Homeowner Mailer:
Social Media Posts:
VIII-14
City of Hastings 101 Fourth Street East Hastings, MN 55033-1944 Phone: 651-480-2350 www.hastingsmn.gov
PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT – 920 W. 10TH ST – HASTINGS, MN 55033 – 651-480-6175
2022 Emerald Ash Borer Trunk Injection Treatment – Pricing Proposal
The City of Hastings is soliciting pricing proposals from qualified tree care companies to
conduct trunk injection treatments to combat EAB in the Hastings community. The desire
is to secure a “not to exceed” price per DBH in three tree size categories which Hastings
residents can access to treat both boulevard and private ash trees.
The City of Hastings has completed a boulevard tree inventory, and has identified
approximately 1,000 boulevard trees which are ash. This represents approximately 22%
of the boulevard tree population within the city limits of Hastings. We do not have any
inventory data for trees on private property.
In order to negotiate the best possible prices for our residents, and encourage residents
to proactively treat ash trees, we are asking for pricing for the following scenario:
• Scenario #1: Your Company as THE “preferred” vendor for 2022 with optional
annual renewals (2 renewals possible; 2023 and 2024).
Please complete the chart below with this understanding. Preferred vendor will be listed
as such on the City website and in other formats which the City chooses to employ.
Preferred does not mean exclusive.
The City also desires to collect inventory data for every tree that is treated in Hastings to
supplement our current inventory data. Data desired includes location of tree, condition
of tree, and date of treatment. The City would also desire to have every treated tree
identified with a simple tree tag indicating the year of treatment and the letters EAB.
Please include these tasks within your pricing proposal.
Pricing based on the MEDIUM dose rate.
Size Category Scenario #1 $/dbh
Small: 8-19” 7.00/inch
Medium: 20-33” 7.00/inch
Large: 33” + 7.00/inch
VIII-14
City of Hastings 101 Fourth Street East Hastings, MN 55033-1944 Phone: 651-480-2350 www.hastingsmn.gov
Additionally, the City desires to learn a little more about your company; its years of
operation, years of experience treating for EAB, composition of certified staff/certified
arborists, and what level of direct to consumer marketing would be undertaken to
communicate with Hastings residents. Please address each of these items in a short
narrative as a part of your complete pricing proposal. Feel free to attach a supplement.
Narrative:
If you have any questions, please contact our Parks & Recreation Director, Chris Jenkins
at 651-480-6176 or cjenkins@hastingsmn.gov.
Proposal due date: Friday, March 11, 2022, 3:00pm CST
Please return your completed proposal to:
U.S. Mail
Attn: Chris Jenkins
City of Hastings Parks & Recreation Department
920 West 10th Street
Hastings, MN 55033
Email: cjenkins@hastingsmn.gov
VIII-14