CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
Memo Date: July 2, 2021
Agenda Date: July 27, 2021
Prepared By: Frank Mirabito, Project Manager
Through: Bryant Smith III, P.E., CFM, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Requested Action:
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Council Approval to Authorize the City Manager to Sign the Year 2 grant contract from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services through the Florida Forest Service for the City of Cocoa's urban forest management plan. Approve a Resolution Amending the FY21 Budget BAF#21-097-A...End
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BACKGROUND:
The Managing Community Forests Grant Program is an initiative that began in 2019. The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance to local governments or Native American tribal governments to initiate or enhance local urban and community forestry programs over a three-year period within the state of Florida.
The Managing Community Forests Grant is intended to help local governments start or develop urban forestry programs by establishing a clear path to an effective urban forest management strategy. As funding allows, selected communities will receive a total of three contracts over a three-year period to conduct a tree inventory, establish an urban forest master plan, and undertake a planting project to meet goals identified in the master plan.
The contract for the first year developed a local tree inventory including hazardous trees. As part of this effort, 8,340 trees were inventoried at a total cost of $27,772.20. The City's 50% share of $13,886.10 has been reimbursed.
The second-year contract will fund the development of a plan to guide the management of urban trees on non-federal public properties. Management planning must include a tree care ordinance review or suggested language for a new ordinance.
Plans must also utilize the information from the year 1 tree inventory and include:
1) Priority planting areas
2) Canopy goals
3) Metric on how to measure progress.
4) Illustrate the recommendations' ...
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