AGENDA TITLE:
title
Adopt a Resolution Rejecting Protest and Awarding Contract for 2026-2028 Tree Maintenance Project to Elite Maintenance & Tree Service, of Ceres ($616,700), and Authorizing City Manager to Execute Change Orders ($100,000) (PW)
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MEETING DATE:
June 17, 2026
PREPARED BY:
Interim Public Works Director
recommendation
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt a resolution rejecting protest and awarding contract for 2026-2028 Tree Maintenance to Elite Maintenance & Tree Service, of Ceres, in the amount of $616,700 and authorizing City Manager to execute change orders in an amount not to exceed $100,000.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Public Works Department maintains an on-call contract for citywide tree maintenance. This contract provides for the structural pruning, maintenance trimming, stump grinding, emergency calls, removal of City trees, pest control, and tree planting at various locations throughout the City for Fiscal Years 2026/27 and 2027/28. The main objective of this contract is to improve the health of our urban forest and reduce costs associated with this effort.
This on-call contract is typically used for pruning a specific section of the City (with that section changing each year), removing trees that are deemed to be hazardous, responding to trees that area causing damage to adjacent improvements (typically sidewalk), and providing emergency responses due to storm-related damage.
The initial contract term is two (2) years and includes two optional, one-year extensions, for a maximum total contract of four years.
The bid opening was held on May 8, 2026. There were six (6) bids received, with four (4) of them being deemed responsive (the other two were deemed non-responsive). The responsive bids are summarized below.
Bidder Location Bid Above/(Below)
Estimate
Engineer’s Estimate $ 784,700.00
Elite Maintenance & Tree Ceres $ 616,700.00 $(168,000.00)
West Coast Arborists, Inc. Anaheim $ 684,920.00 $(99,780.00)
Professional Tree Care Comp Berkeley $ 999,750.00 $ 215,050.00
New Image Landscape Comp Fremont $ 1,155,050.00 $ 370,350.00
Following the bid opening, the City received a protest letter (Exhibit A) from the second lowest bidder, West Coast Arborists, Inc., dated May 8, 2026. The protest letter claimed that the bid submitted by Elite Maintenance & Tree Service does not meet the minimum qualifications required under the contract documents. In response to the protest letter, Staff investigated the allegations and determined the low bidder, Elite Maintenance & Tree Service does indeed meet the minimum qualifications required, and therefore should be awarded the contract. The details of the claims, as well as the City’s investigation into the specific items are addressed in the City’s response letter, dated May 28, 2026 (Exhibit B).
Staff recommends rejecting protest and awarding 2026-2028 Tree Maintenance to Elite Maintenance and Tree Service, of Ceres, in an amount of $616,700, and authorizing the City Manager to execute change orders in an amount not to exceed $100,000.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is minimal long-term costs associated with the contract, however by performing proper tree maintenance, the City’s overall health of the City’s trees is improved, which will reduce the number of emergency calls as well as the associated liability.
FUNDING AVAILABLE:
Funding for this contract work is included in the operating budgets for Fiscal Years 2026/27 and 2027/28.