Pico Rivera council sends tree‑maintenance contract to RFP after council concerns

The Pico Rivera City Council on June 9 directed the city manager to release a formal request for proposals for the city’s tree‑maintenance contract and agreed to continue working with the existing contractor month‑to‑month if the RFP process is not completed before the current contract’s expiration.

Mayor Prom Sanchez said she had toured the vendor’s facility and found it acceptable but raised concerns that the city’s proposed contract terms were based on a piggyback of a Rosemead contract and that Pico Rivera should do an independent procurement for transparency and comparative pricing. Several councilmembers agreed that an updated competitive process would be prudent; staff noted Rosemead’s prior RFP produced multiple bidders and that piggybacking could offer modest cost savings in some line items.

The council’s motion directs staff to issue an RFP for the tree‑maintenance services, continue to work with the current contractor (West Coast Arborist) on a month‑to‑month basis if necessary during the procurement, and return to the council with results. The motion passed on a roll‑call vote of 4–0 (Council members Laura and Lutz, Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Sanchez and Mayor Kamacho voting yes).

Council members asked the city attorney and staff about timing and whether the month‑to‑month arrangement would require agreement from the contractor; staff said the current contract runs through August 10 and that a month‑to‑month extension would depend on the contractor’s agreement if the RFP process extends beyond that date. The council did not deny the vendor’s qualifications but chose to seek fresh competitive bids to confirm value and provide greater transparency.

What happens next: Staff will publish an RFP for the tree‑maintenance contract, seek responses, and return to council with recommendations; staff may continue working with the incumbent on a temporary basis while the procurement is underway.