CITY COUNCIL AGENDA PACKET - Laserfiche WebLink

Page 4 of 6 Funding for urban forest management is currently approximately $1.2 million annually and is derived from the tasks completed by the Parks Division and included within the Public Works operating budget. The City spends a similar amount per tree as the City of Dublin and is comparable as far as other cities’ tree maintenance spending, with the majority of the expenses (97 percent last year) paid by the general fund for pruning, removals, management activities, storm cleanup, downed tree cleanup, planting, and establishment care for the city’s 23,000+ trees. The need for funding is expected to increase every year and is projected to reach approximately $3.2 million by the end of the 25-year management period covered by the UFMP. However, a large part of the increase is due to an estimated annual inflation rate of three percent, although the plan also identifies ways to improve efficiency and ease the financial burden on the City. For instance, the cost of watering street trees during the three- year establishment period could be reduced, which is a major percentage of the maintenance costs to establish new trees. The adjacent property owner could water the trees, or the City could focus on areas with an irrigation source. The projected cost of management, along with the need for community engagement and support, is why the plan recommends creating a dedicated staff that focuses on the urban forest and why working with residents, developers, the school district, and other property owners to maintain the health of the urban forest is critical from both financial and overall urban forest health perspectives. The success of the urban forest and its beneficial impact to the community depends on a combination of funding and strategy, and the UFMP best prepares the city for changing financial and environmental conditions. The technical assessment section analyzed the urban forest's environmental impact, such as carbon sequestration, average pollutant capture, avoided runoff, avoided emissions, and structural and functional values. Dollar amounts are estimated for these benefits, which will be useful for education, long-term planning, and securing tree program funding. The UFMP notes that a healthy urban forest is one of the first lines of defense against storms and climate change impacts. Urban forests greatly reduce the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect and help absorb the sun’s heat; for instance, studies have found that adjacent pavement and buildings could be 50 to 90 degrees hotter than the surrounding air temperature. Part 3 - Appendices The appendices (https://www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/assets/our-government/public- works/engineering/landscape-ordinance/Part-III-Appendices.pdf) provide best management practice standards, wildfire planning, and answers to frequently asked questions that are useful for property owners and City staff. They also include a list of recommended trees for Pleasanton, recommendations for potential funding sources, solutions for infrastructure and sidewalk conflicts, and other documentation relevant to or obtained during the public outreach process. The plan was developed within the context of the City’s overarching goals identified in the ONE Pleasanton Strategic Plan.     The UFMP inventory and canopy cover analysis are the primary tools used to define the community's urban forest assets and serve as the baseline for financial and management Page 213 of 348