RFP - On-Call Supportive Urban Forest Tree Care Services

City of Brentwood, Missouri
Request for Proposals
For
On-Call Supportive Urban Forest
Tree Care Services
September 15, 2026
Submission Deadline: 12:00 p.m. October 28, 2026

City of Brentwood, Missouri
1. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
The City of Brentwood ("City") is requesting proposals from experienced and qualified service
providers ("Contractor") for the purpose of providing on-call supportive urban forest tree care
services throughout the city of Brentwood, Missouri in accordance with the specifications
contained within. The City has established special and specific qualifications for the proposals
to assure quality of the provided service. The Contractor shall possess skill and experience to
perform quality work as solely determined by the City, which qualifies it to provide on-call
supportive community tree care services as detailed and specified.
Four (4) copies of the proposal, marked on the outside of the envelope "City of Brentwood On-
call Community Tree Service RFP" should be delivered to:
City of Brentwood
Office of the City Clerk
City of Brentwood City Hall
2348 S. Brentwood Boulevard
Brentwood, MO 63144
The proposals should be delivered no later than 12:00 p.m. October 28, 2026. The date and time
of receipt of the proposals as noted by the City of Brentwood will be conclusive for all
purposes.
The City of Brentwood reserves the right to reject any or all proposals submitted. Any inquiries
concerning the proposal should be directed to Eric Gruenenfelder, Director of Parks &
Recreation at egruenenfelder@brentwoodmo.org. Contact with other City officials or members
of the Board of Aldermen is prohibited.
2. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Proposals will only be accepted from those Contractors demonstrating a minimum of five (5)
years of experience providing the services requested in this RFP for projects of similar scope
and size.
Firms should meet or exceed Certification Requirements associated with operation of forestry
equipment, such as CDLs, aerial lift operations and American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) standards. A Certified Arborist is required to be on staff and on each work site.
3. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The City of Brentwood Parks and Recreation Department seeks to contract a qualified
Contractor to provide consulting, planting, chemical treatment, trimming and removal services
as needed throughout the City's street and park tree populations. The Purpose of this Request
for Proposal is to establish an on-going contract with a qualified Contractor who can provide all
necessary transportation, supervision, labor, licenses, tools, equipment, services and expertise to
perform hazard tree trimming, removal, and urban forest care.
On-Call Supportive Urban Forest Tree Care Service Proposal 1

City of Brentwood, Missouri
4. SCOPE OF WORK
The City is seeking a Contractor to develop a multi-year work plan for providing systematic
forestry services in an economical and effective manner, inclusive of consulting, planting,
chemical treatments, hazard pruning, regular maintenance activities, removals, and emergency
response. In addition, the Contractor will assist the City's Urban Forester to develop a Five to
Ten (5 to 10) year Urban Forest Health Assessment and Action Plan - where maintenance
activities will evolve to the direction of improving overall health, longevity and appearance of
the City's urban forest.
The work to be performed under this contract includes furnishing all labor, equipment,
materials, and expertise necessary to remove trees, trim trees, and provide other services listed
above and in section 4.1. Specific work locations, durations, and details will be coordinated and
approved by City Parks and Recreation Department on a determined and regular basis under this
contract.
The City's highest priority maintenance requests pertain primarily to protecting public safety
and are based on emergency conditions, or potential risks to the right-of-way, public property,
the citizens and their property. "Emergency" conditions are those in which the City has
determined that trees, downed limbs, or hanging limbs have damaged or might damage persons
or property, or are impeding streets or other ingress/egress routes.
Safety considerations include increased threat from hanging limbs and uprooted trees, hindrance
to life-saving efforts by blocked streets and driveways, power outages and power restoration
efforts. Health and aesthetics of the urban forest will be determined by the City, as part of a
forest management planning process, with the input of the Contractor for improvements. Rather
than being reactionary, other maintenance activities can then be directed at improving overall
health, longevity, and aesthetics of the urban forest.
The Contractor shall be responsible for all damage caused by their work to right-of-ways,
sidewalks, buildings, or other structures and/or facilities. The Contractor shall also be
responsible for restoring or replacing any shrubs, trees, turf, sprinkler lines, or irrigation systems
that are damaged by their work. All tire ruts left by equipment must be repaired with topsoil and
grass seed. Property and premises must be left in a "better than found state".
4.1 Requirements
The successful Contractor will demonstrate an efficient method for performing the work
required under this contract, which includes:
* Removal of trees deemed hazardous and varying between 6-60+ inches in diameter,
including removal and/or grinding associated stumps, not adjacent to power lines
* Removal of trees deemed hazardous and varying between 6-60 inches in diameter, including
removal and/or grinding associated stumps, adjacent to power lines
* Removal of trees deemed hazardous and varying between 6-60 inches in diameter, under
emergency conditions, as defined by the City per imminent threats to persons and property,
with work initiated within 4 hours of request
* Removal of trees and large limbs with restrain from the practice of "free falling" the trees as
often as possible and as deemed necessary by the City
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City of Brentwood, Missouri
* All tree work must conform to most current version of the American National Standards
Institute (NASI) A300 Standards for Tree Care Operations and must be completed by an
ISA Certified Arborist
* Removal of trees and large limbs by use of ropes, mechanical equipment, and ISA Certified
Climbers
* Removal of limbs down or hanging under emergency conditions, including blocking rights
of way or damaging houses or vehicles, with work initiated within 4 hours of request
* Tree stumps ground to 8" below surface level and backfilled with soil and grindings to 4"
above grade level
* Grind surface roots in a 6' diameter from stump
* Routine trimming / pruning of trees
* Collecting and disposing of debris, including green waste disposal, within 24 hours of work
completion and in accordance with all governing laws
* Tree planting, watering, fertilization, insect and disease treatment
* Trees shall be freshly dug and properly stored prior to planting
* Trees determined to have inferior root systems, poor quality health, damage from transport
or damage while installed shall be refused
* To avoid damage while planting a tree, lifting by their trunk is prohibited
* Providing protection for, or otherwise repairing, any visible or known grates, guards,
manholes, streets, sidewalks, or other property damaged or otherwise impacted by the above
actions
The successful Contractor will demonstrate an efficient method for:
* Organizing on a daily basis, the regular maintenance service requests that are made from the
City on a monthly basis
* Responding promptly to service requests made under Emergency Status, normally but not
exclusively associated with storms
* Placing appropriately skilled technicians onto scenes timely
* Deploying optimal service equipment in service delivery
* Restoring or replacing anything damaged by contractor work, and notification to the City of
said damage, within 24 hours of its occurrence
* Maintain a neat, orderly, and safe worksite at all times
* Leave work area in a "better than found state", with any limbs or trunks to be temporarily
left behind being done so without any obstruction to people or vehicles
4.2 Service Levels
The successful Contractor will address the following performance measures:
* Prior to work commencing, notify Urban Forester and keep them up to date as work
progresses
* Notify Urban Forester of any findings that warrant a change in the planned work or if locate
a tree in need of work
* Pruning objectives for clearance and structure should be met to provide desired results until
next four-year pruning cycle
* Turnaround time on constituent complaint intake by the City
* Turnaround time on emergency tree calls, with work initiated within 4 hours of City call,
and City calls acknowledged within 2 hours
* Tree trimming and removal volumes
On-Call Supportive Urban Forest Tree Care Service Proposal 3

City of Brentwood, Missouri
* Stump removal volumes, ground to 8" below surface level, remove all grindings and
backfilled to 4" above grade level, allow for settling, seed and straw or sod the area
* Damage claims by the City or filed by constituents to right-of-ways, sidewalks, buildings, or
other structures and/or facilities resulting from Contractor work.
* Equipment up-time status
4.3 Reporting
The successful Contractor will propose a System of Management Reporting for the purpose of
documenting the contractors' performance while it increases the City's awareness of the
requirements of a healthy urban forest. This will include invoicing in accordance with the City
of Brentwood policies, as well as reports of regular service activity levels and of service
activities associated with problems; such as unhealthy trees or environmental conditions. These
reports will provide a means of communicating information for proactive response and timely
actions to formulate patterns for continuous improvement.
The City will regularly inspect vendor timeliness and quality of performance of work under this
contract. We expect the vendor in its System of Management Information to at least address:
* Monthly invoices that detail by line item the trees removed and other work performed
* Weekly progress reports on the City's assignment queue, to facilitate the City's inspection
of work in a timely manner
* Daily reports of any damage occurring in the performance of the work under this contract
* Semi-annual documentation of relevant employee and equipment certifications, and
insurance coverage status
4.4 Compliance (Environmental, Safety & Other requirements)
The successful Contractors will demonstrate understanding of environmental and safety aspects
of urban forestry, including but not limited to:
* Certification requirements associated with operation of forestry equipment, such as CDLs,
aerial lift operations, certified arborist and ANSI standards
* Environmental regulations and local ordinances relating to debris handling
* OSHA standards
* Diagnosis of dangerous and diseased trees, and disposal of diseased trees under regulatory
requirements and guidelines, such as Ash trees under Missouri Department of Natural
Resources requirements and guidelines
* The awarded Contractor shall provide barricades, display necessary warning signs, and take
all necessary precautions for public safety
* In the event that streets, sidewalks, or paths require temporary closing, the contractor shall
contact the City in advance to coordinate those efforts
* Field crew sizes shall be appropriate to assure satisfactory progress and to maintain safety
standards
4.5 Other Considerations
The successful Contractor will be proactive in improvement suggestions and make cost savings
and cost avoidance recommendations and participate in improvements in the best interest of the
City and the public. The successful Contractor will address other considerations important to
economical and effective long term maintenance of the urban forest.
On-Call Supportive Urban Forest Tree Care Service Proposal 4

City of Brentwood, Missouri
5. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND REQUIREMENTS
The proposal shall include the qualifications and components requested below. No contract will
be awarded to any Contractor who, as determined by the City, has an unsatisfactory
performance record or experience, or who lacks the necessary capital, organization and
equipment to conduct and complete the services in strict accordance with the specifications.
Each Contractor must submit as part of its Proposal, a written statement covering the following
points. Information should be complete and address the following areas.
5.1 Introduction
Prepare a brief introduction including a general demonstration of understanding of the scope and
complexity of the required work. Include a statement on how the firm will provide services and
address the scope of work contained herein. Describe the contractor's ability to provide timely
access and service to the City.
5.2 Personnel
Identify individuals and list qualifications of key personnel who would be assigned to this
project. Detail experience in work related to the proposed assignment. The expertise of each
personnel must be clearly presented; it is recommended that resumes be included.
5.3 Experience
Provide company contact information, how long you have been in business, and what services
you provide. Identify and briefly describe related work completed in the last three years.
Describe only work related to the proposed effort and include any examples of similar local
government projects. Include evidence of satisfactory and timely completion of similar work
performed for past projects. Contractors must have at least five (5) consecutive years of
experience.
5.4 Price and Budget
Provide a schedule of hourly rates for various services offered. Proposals should utilize Exhibit
A and a description of any fees and services deemed to be outside the scope of this contract.
Not less than prevailing hourly rate of wages shall be paid to all workmen performing under this
contract in this area according to the rates determined by the Department of Labor and Industrial
Relations of the State of Missouri.
5.5 Service Levels
Provide responses to the service levels addressed in Section 4.2.
5.6 Reporting
Provide responses to the reporting requirements addressed in Section 4.3.
5.7 Current Client Listing
Include a listing of clients for which the Contractor provided similar scope of services in the
past three years. Provide a minimum of three references with contact names and phone
numbers.
On-Call Supportive Urban Forest Tree Care Service Proposal 5

City of Brentwood, Missouri
5.8 Appendix
Any supplementary information or material the Contractor wishes to include. The appendix
material may or may not be considered
6. EVALUATION PROCESS
6.1 Review Process
A panel of reviewers will rate the proposals. If necessary, a short list of contractors may be
selected for follow-up interviews. The review panel will make a preliminary recommendation
and forward it onto the Board of Aldermen. The Brentwood Board of Aldermen will approve
the contract with the selected contractor.
6.2 Right to Reject Proposal
The City reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals and to waive any informalities in the
Proposal process and to accept the Proposal that, in the sole judgment of the City, will be in the
best interest and/or most advantageous to the City and the citizens to be served by the
Agreement.
7. COMPENSATION
Payment by the City for the services will only be made after the services have been performed,
an itemized billing statement is submitted in the form specified by the City and approved by the
appropriate City representative, which shall specifically set forth the services performed, the
name of the person performing such services, and the hourly labor charge rate for such person.
Payment shall be made on a monthly basis, thirty (30) days after the receipt of such billing
statement.
8. INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTRACTORS
8.1 The Proposal
In submitting the Proposal ("Proposal") as herein described, the Contractor represents, warrants
and covenants that:
* The Contractor has carefully examined specifications and all provisions contained in this
Request for Proposal relating to items to be furnished or the work to be done and
understands the meaning, content and requirements of and agree to the same.
* The Contractor will enter into a written contract (the "Agreement") with the City with the
terms and conditions set forth herein and furnish the items and complete the work in the
time specified for the prices quoted in the accepted Proposal.
* Four (4) copies of the Proposal must be signed and marked "On-Call Tree Service for
Brentwood's Urban Forest Management Proposal" and delivered to Brentwood City Hall,
2348 S. Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, Missouri, 63144, no later than 12:00 p.m. on
October 28, 2026.
* The City may not accept any submittal after the time and date specified on the RFP.
* Proposals will be reviewed by the City.
On-Call Supportive Urban Forest Tree Care Service Proposal 6

City of Brentwood, Missouri
8.2 Proposal Form
Proposals must be accompanied by a completed Proposal Form (the "Proposal Form") and
include all information required by this Request for Proposal pertaining to equipment,
personnel, references, past experience and insurance. Failure to do so could result in the
disqualification of the Proposal.
8.3 Bidder's Declaration
The Contractor will not be permitted to use, to its advantage, any omission or error in the
Request for Proposal, the specifications, requirements, or the contract documents, and the City
of Brentwood reserves the right to issue new instructions for such error or omission if originally
specified. All Contractors submitting Proposals must submit the Bidders Declaration (the
"Bidders Declaration"), which is part of the Proposal Form. The Bidder's Declaration states
that he/she has examined the information and conditions of the Proposal, and is familiar with the
requirements as to equipment, supplies and labor of such undertaking; and that he/she has
carefully prepared, examined and checked the Proposal to ascertain that no mistake or error is
contained in the Proposal; and that he/she will make no claim for correction or modification
after the closing time for the receipt of the proposals.
8.4 Addenda to Request for Proposal
If the Contractor has any questions which arise concerning the true meaning or intent of the
specifications or any other requirements stated herein, the Contractor shall request that an
interpretation be made in an Addendum issued by the City which shall be made available to all
Contractors submitting pursuant to this Request for Proposal. Failure to have requested an
Addendum governing any such question shall not relieve the Contractor from delivery in
accordance with the intent of the specifications. All questions regarding this specification shall
be directed to Eric Gruenenfelder, Director of Parks & Recreation, in writing to 2505 S.
Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, MO 63144, or email at egruenenfelder@brentwoodmo.org.
8.5 Proposals Valid for Three Months
No proposal may be withdrawn for a period of three (3) months following the date specified for
receipt of proposals.
8.6 Right to Request Additional Information
The City reserves the right to request clarification of information submitted and to request
additional information from any respondent.
8.9 Not a Contract: Expense of Proposal
Neither the distribution of this RFP nor acceptance of any response should be construed as
creating a contractual obligation between the City of Brentwood and any Contractor. The City
of Brentwood does not authorize and will not be responsible for any expense or charges
associated with providing a response to this Request for Proposal.
8.10 Obligation of the City - Annual Appropriation
The obligations of the City to the Contractor firm are subject to annual appropriation. The
proposal and any contract may be cancelled in the event of non-appropriation by the city.
On-Call Supportive Urban Forest Tree Care Service Proposal 7

City of Brentwood, Missouri
9. GENERAL CONDITIONS
9.1 Exclusive Contract
It is the desire of the City to award an exclusive Agreement to one Contractor to provide on-call
community urban forestry management services throughout the city of Brentwood and at times
work hours and intervals to be negotiated with the successful Contractor and the City.
9.2 Contract Term
The term of this contract will be three (3) years with an option for two (2) one-year extensions
under the same terms and conditions. This contract shall be contingent upon annual
appropriation by the Board of Aldermen of the City of Brentwood. The contract will begin
January 1, 2027.
9.3 Contract Termination
This Agreement shall be subject to termination by the City in the event of sale or destruction of
the facilities or because of misfeasance or non-misfeasance by the Contractor. The City may
also terminate this Agreement for repeated non-compliance with the requirements as set forth in
these specifications. Either party may terminate the contract for any reason with a 30-day
written notice.
The City also reserves the right, by the Agreement, to cancel any part or all of the same for
failure by the Contractor to follow terms of said Agreement.
9.4 Licensing
All licensing required by Ordinances of the City of Brentwood will be required of the
Contractor.
9.5 Regulations
The Contractor will be required to meet all regulations set forth by Ordinances of the City of
Brentwood and St. Louis County as well as abide by State and Federal Laws.
10. INSURANCE
10.1 General Liability Insurance
The Contractor shall procure and maintain for the duration of the contract insurance against
claims for injuries to persons or damages to property which may arise from or in connection
with the performance of the work hereunder by the Contractor, his agents, representatives,
employees or subcontractors. The minimum amount of insurance shall be $1,000,000 per
occurrence, $3,000,000 general aggregate.
The Contractor shall not commence work under the Agreement until it has obtained the
insurance required under this Section 10, and such insurance has been approved by the City.
The Contractor shall not permit any employee to commence work in relation to the Agreement
until insurance equivalent of that required of the Contractor has been so obtained and approved
by the City. An original Certificate of Insurance from the company of record must be furnished
to the City and provide that the City of Brentwood is "Additional Insured" during the term of
the Agreement. The Contractor must obtain and maintain (at its sole expense) during the life of
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City of Brentwood, Missouri
the Agreement, insurance of the type and the minimum amounts stated in Sections 10.1 through
10.5. This requirement of insurance does not limit the Contractor's liability under the
Agreement in any manner.
10.2 Worker's Compensation Insurance
The Contractor shall procure and shall maintain during the Term of the Agreement, Worker's
Compensation Insurance in an amount equal or greater than Missouri Workers Compensation
statute requirements ($500,000) for all of its employees to be engaged and perform work under
the Agreement.
The insurer shall agree to waive all rights of subrogation against the City, its officers, officials,
employees and volunteers for losses arising from work performed by the Contractor for the City.
Contractor shall be in full compliance with the Workmen's Compensation Act of the State of
Missouri and Employer's Liability Coverage as required by Missouri State statute.
10.3 Comprehensive Automobile Liability Insurance
The Contractor shall maintain Comprehensive Automobile Liability insurance coverage in the
amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and shall supply proof of coverage to the City before
commencing work in the facility.
10.4 Satisfactory Coverage
The insurance which the Contractor is required to obtain and maintain pursuant to this Section
10 of the Request for Proposals shall be written by a company or companies licensed to do
business in the State of Missouri and satisfactory to the City. Insurance is to be placed with
insurer with a Bests' rating of no less than A: VII. The Contractor shall not allow any policies
to be canceled or permit the policies to lapse during the Term of the Agreement. All insurance
policies shall include a clause to the effect that the policy shall not be canceled or changed
unless thirty (30) days prior written notice has been received by the City and provided further
that the notice must be evidenced by receipt of registered letter.
10.5 Proof of Insurance Coverage
"Certificates of Insurance" shall be originals, not copies, shall contain true transcripts for the
policy, authenticated by the proper officer of the insurer, evidencing in particular those insured,
the extent of the insurance, the location and operation to which the insurance applies, the
effective date and expiration date and the notice of cancellation clause referred to in Section
10.4 An original "Certificate of Insurance" shall be furnished to the City, clearly specifying the
City as an "Additional Insured" and the date of issue, prior to commencement of services by the
Contractor.
11. THE CITY OF BRENTWOOD TO BE INDEMNIFIED AND HELD HARMLESS
The Agreement shall require that the Contractor covenants and agrees to release the City from
any and all liabilities of any kind or nature in which the right, cause of action or claim of any
kind or nature whatsoever may hereafter accrue to the Contractor, its employees or agents, by
virtue of the Agreement between the Contractor and the City. Contractor further covenants and
agrees to indemnify and hold the City harmless from any and all claims, rights or causes of
On-Call Supportive Urban Forest Tree Care Service Proposal 9