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Resolution 2023-32457RESOLUTION NO. 2023-32457 A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE USE OF $30,000 FROM THE MIAMI BEACH TREE PRESERVATION TRUST FUND, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, TO CONTRACT A TREE REMOVAL SERVICE TO ASSIST THE CITY WITH MAINTAINING THE CITY'S URBAN TREE CANOPY BY REMOVING DEAD, CRITICAL, AND/OR HAZARDOUS TREES. WHEREAS, the City of Miami Beach's Urban Forestry Division conducts regular tree inventory surveys to track the health of trees in the City's urban canopy; and WHEREAS, current tree inventory data shows over 1,500 dead or critical trees in the City's urban canopy; and WHEREAS, the City's Greenspace Management Division has become overwhelmed by the large number of tree removals needed to sustain a healthy and resilient tree canopy; and WHEREAS, the City's Urban Forester and Assistant Public Works Director have devised a plan to address this growing issue; and WHEREAS, the joint project requires funds in the approximate amount of $30,000 to contract a tree removal service to partially assist the City with the removal of the dead, critical and hazardous trees on an annual basis; and WHEREAS, the Miami Beach Tree Preservation Trust Fund (the "Tree Trust Fund") was created for the purpose of accepting and disbursing the replacement fees paid to the City of Miami Beach as part of tree work permits and any other monies deposited with the Environment and Sustainability Department for tree preservation purposes; and WHEREAS, per Section 46-65(4)(d) of the City Code, the trust funds must be used to obtain trees, landscaping, irrigation systems, and any other items or materials necessary and proper for the preservation, maintenance, relocation or restoration of trees and the urban forest on any publicly owned land or publicly accessible parcels in Miami Beach, or for similar programs approved by the City Commission; and WHEREAS, the funding for this project will be allocated from the Tree Trust Fund on annual basis; and WHEREAS, execution of the contracts and Purchase Orders will be through Greenspace Management. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City Commission hereby authorize the use of $30,000 from the Miami Beach Tree Preservation Trust Fund, on annual basis, to contract a tree removal service to assist the City with maintaining the City's urban tree canopy by removing dead, critical, and/or hazardous trees. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 1 day of February, 2023. ATTEST: FEB 0 8 2023 Rafael E. Granado, City Clerk Dan Gelber, Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM & LANGUAGE & FOR EXECUTION City Attorney 4 Date Resolutions - C7 G MIAMI BEACH COMMISSION MEMORANDUM TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission FROM: Alina T. Hudak, City Manager DATE: February 1, 2023 SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE USE OF $30,000 FROM THE MIAMI BEACH TREE PRESERVATION TRUST FUND, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, TO CONTRACT A TREE REMOVAL SERVICE TO ASSIST THE CITY WITH MAINTAINING THE CITY'S URBAN TREE CANOPY BY REMOVING DEAD, CRITICAL, AND/OR HAZARDOUS TREES. RECOMMENDATION The Administration recommends the adoption of the Resolution. BACKGROUND/HISTORY The City of Miami Beach has conducted regular tree surveys since September 2013 to catalogue the health and other characteristics of its tree canopy. According to the most recent analysis of the City's tree survey, the City of Miami Beach has over 1,500 dead or critical trees in its urban canopy. These trees not only pose a hazard to residents and visitors, but also take up valuable planting spots for future healthy trees. ANALYSIS A typical tree survey is performed to identify the tree species, document the trees' exact location, measure various dimensions of the tree such as height and DBH, and describe the current health of the tree and perhaps even its local environment. According to the most recent analysis of the City s tree survey, there are over 1,500 dead or critical trees in Miami Beach's urban canopy. These trees pose a hazard to the public and occupy the space that could be used to plant future healthy trees. Typically, once a tree inventory has been completed by a municipality, all the observed dead and critical trees are scheduled for removal. Due to the large number of trees that pose a hazard to the Citys residents and visitors, it will be necessary to seek contractor assistance rather than solely completing the work with City staff. A key mission of the Urban Forestry Division is to maintain and grow the City's urban canopy. To properly maintain our urban canopy, it is crucial to remove dead and hazardous trees for a multitude of reasons, especially safety. Failure of trees in a dense, urban environment such as Page 684 of 1420 Miami Beach can cause injury, death, or property damage. The Miami Beach Tree Preservation Trust Fund was created for the purpose of accepting and disbursing the replacement fees paid to the City of Miami Beach as part of tree work permits and any other monies deposited with the Environment and Sustainability Department for tree preservation purposes. Per Sec. 46-65. (4) (d) The trust funds must be used to obtain trees, landscaping, irrigation systems; and any other items or materials necessary and proper for the preservation, maintenance, relocation or restoration of trees and the urban forest on any publicly owned land or publicly accessible parcels in Miami Beach. Further, the trust funds may also be expended for similar programs approved by the City Commission. SUPPORTING SURVEY DATA The 2022 Community Survey results indicate that 71 % of residents would like to see more trees in their neighborhood. FINANCIAL INFORMATION N/A Amount(s)/Acount(s): 127-6505-000312-00-406-555-00-00-00 CONCLUSION The Urban Forestry Division is requesting Commission approval to use $30,000 in FY23 from the Tree Trust Fund to assist the Greenspace Management Division in paying for the removal of dead, critical, and hazardous trees throughout the city. The use of these funds will alleviate the backlog, as well as expedite removing immediate hazards that have the ability to endanger life and property. Applicable Area Citywide Is this a'"Residents Right to Know" item, pursuant to Citv Code Section 2-14? Yes �.y 1 -11 • W Strategic Connection Environment & Infrastructure - Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and heat. Legislative Tracking Environment and Sustainability ATTACHMENTS: Description © Resolution Page 685 of 1420