HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 25-0003INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 25-0003
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
January 14, 2025
Page 1 of 11
SUBJECT: FORESTRY HAZARD ABATEMENT PROGRAM
The purpose of this Informal Report is to provide an update on the City's Forestry Hazard
Abatement Program for tree and limb removal on city -owned properties including street rights -of -
way (ROW).
Fort Worth's history with urban forestry is as old as the city itself. In 1873, Ordinance 19 declared
it illegal to hitch a horse to a tree, or otherwise deface a tree, which is recognized as the earliest
tree ordinance created in Texas and indicates tree planting was taking place before Fort Worth
was incorporated. In 1926, the first City Forester and street tree pruning crews were hired. The
street tree planting program was formally established in 1929. Fort Worth was the first community
in Texas to earn Tree City USA status from the Arbor Day Foundation and has one of the most
robust and respected municipal forestry programs in the state.
The PARD Forestry Section (Forestry) oversees activities delegated under Chapter 33 of the
Code of Ordinances which assigns jurisdiction over trees on or affecting city -owned property
including ROW. The Hazard Abatement Program's FY2025 Budget is $2.4 million including 16
full-time equivalent employees (FTEs).
Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP)
Adopted on June 25, 2024 (M&C 24-4416), the UFMP established four initial goals for the City of
Fort Worth. Two of the four goals are directly connected to the Forestry Hazard Abatement
Program including: Goal #1 Continue to manage the urban forest as an asset using industry
standards and best practices and adequate resources for sustainable management; and Goal #3
Strengthen urban forest programs through coordination, integration, professionalism, and funding
to meet the needs of a growing city and urban forest.
I. Scope of Services and Priority Classifications
The Hazard Abatement Program's scope of work includes: clearing trees and related debris
resulting from storms; removing dead and hazardous trees; removing broken trees and limbs;
pruning trees and brush for street, sidewalk and path clearance; clearance for street lights;
pruning to improve visibility of traffic signs and signals; pruning to improve visibility at
intersections; and removing large, dead wood from tree canopies. The work performed by Hazard
Abatement is demand -driven by service requests created through the call center (817-392-1234)
and the MyFW app. All service requests are inspected by Forestry staff for additional details, the
required scope of work for abatement, and assignment of a priority ranking which is based on the
perceived risk to public safety.
Priority classifications and target response times are as follows:
Emergency — Immediate response/within 3 hours: An immediate threat to person,
property or commerce. Example: a fallen tree blocking all lanes of traffic on an arterial
street.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 25-0003
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
January 14, 2025
Page 2 of 11
SUBJECT: FORESTRY HAZARD ABATEMENT PROGRAM
• Urgent — 24 hours: A threat to life, property or commerce that can be barricaded and
made safe until the risk can be mitigated. Example: a fallen tree blocking one entire lane of
a street.
• Priority #1 — 2 weeks: Significant and obvious danger. Examples: Dead tree in poor
condition at risk of failure, serious traffic hazard such as stop signs fully blocked, large
broken limbs over lanes of travel or pedestrian areas, arterial lanes of travel partially
blocked by vegetation.
• Priority #2 — 3 months: Hindrance or nuisance but not immediate danger. Example:
Dead trees which are still solid, trimming of dead wood and low limbs over sidewalks,
partial blockage of visibility on non -arterial streets.
• Priority #3 — 6 months: Routine maintenance that presents a low safety risk. Example:
Minor trimming, limbs safely down on the ground, trunk removals in low use areas.
II. Current Conditions
As of November 30, 2024, there were 788 open service requests awaiting completion by in-house
crews. Of those service requests, 269 were Priority #1, 405 were Priority #2 and 114 were Priority
#3. Attachment 1 provides a map depicting open service request locations.
Both Emergency and Urgent prioritizations are performed as quickly as possible to minimize risk
and ensure public safety. Crews will redeploy from their current work, if lower in priority, to
complete these service requests. As a result of the immediate response, these two prioritizations
generally do not show up in the backlog of pending service requests. The chart below shows the
clearance rate for Emergency and Urgent prioritizations over the last 6 quarters:
On Time Completion % for Emergency and
Urgent Service Requests (2 days or less)
400 367
300
198
200 165
107
100
89.90% 79.02% 84.24% 79.44%
0
Q3 FY2023 Q4 FY2023 Q1 FY2024 Q2 FY2024
357
71.'
Q3 FY2024 Q4 FY2024
Completed an Time (in bold) Total Completed Total Created (labeled above column)
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 25-0003
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
January 14, 2025
Page 3 of 11
SUBJECT: FORESTRY HAZARD ABATEMENT PROGRAM
While the target completion time for Priority #1 service requests is 2 weeks, the current lead time
is averaging 5 months with the oldest requests awaiting completion dating back to late June
2024. The delayed response is primarily the result of the high volume of Emergency and Urgent
requests that have an immediate need for completion.
Since the third quarter of FY2023, 28.22% of Priority #1 requests have been completed within the
target time of 2 weeks.
On Time Completion % for Priority #1
Service Requests (2 weeks or less)
300 ...............
243
250 -
200 166 . .. ............ .......................
133
150 89 ............. .
100
35
50 52.41% 24.06% 28.09% 40.00% 18.11Vn 6.67%
0
Q3 FY2023 Q4 FY2023 Q1 FY2024 Q2 FY2024 Q3 FY2024 Q4 FY2024
Completed On Time (in bold) Total Completed ■Total Created (labeled above column)
Priority #2 requests are more routine in nature with a lower potential risk to public safety and thus
carry a longer timeline for response at 3 months and Priority #3 requests are low in potential risk
and volume and have a timeline of 6 months for completion. Attachment 2 provides charts for
these priority levels.
Contract Augmentation
To help supplement in-house crews and expand capacity, Forestry utilizes 3 approved vendors to
address Urgent, Priority #1, and Priority #2 service requests. As of November 30, 2024, the
contractors collectively had a backlog of 197 service requests with 180 requests to be assigned.
Additional utilization of contractors has been necessary to help respond to emergencies and
large-scale pruning projects requiring extensive traffic control. The expanded contractor utilization
has helped to maintain public safety but at higher costs. In FY2023, one new authorized position
was added to exclusively administer these contracts. Responsibilities include inspection, contract
procurement, and bill payment.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 25-0003
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
January 14, 2025
Page 4 of 11
SUBJECT: FORESTRY HAZARD ABATEMENT PROGRAM
Further contractor utilization will require adding additional vendors as the current contractors are
at capacity for their available resources. Increased funding for additional contractual services will
require additional contract inspection services.
III. Growth and Challenges
In FY2010, a budget reduction package eliminated one Hazard Abatement crew (four authorized
positions). Since that time, Fort Worth's population has increased by 233,616 residents (31.3%
increase). 53 parks totaling 1,466 acres have been acquired and added into the system. Also,
more than 20 square miles of full -purpose city limits and over 50 linear miles of rights -of -way
were added through annexation and growth. According to the Urban Forest Master Plan, the City
of Fort Worth contains approximately 350,000 street trees and likely more than 1 million trees
across 305 parks and city owned properties.
Since FY2010, the Hazard Abatement Program's average volume of annual service requests has
increased by 46.6% with a current average of 4,246 service requests received per year. During
that same span, Fort Worth has endured two of the three hottest summers in recorded history,
multi -year droughts, two of the wettest years in recorded history and one of the coldest winters on
record. Attachment 3 provides additional details and charts related to growth and weather data.
In FY2010, to compensate for the loss of an in-house crew, the Forestry scope of work was
adjusted to only address hazards, eliminating aesthetics and structural pruning work.
A digital work order tracking system was implemented which increased efficiencies in work order
creation, inspection and resolution process, and enhanced reporting, mapping and tracking of
service requests.
Mapping capabilities allowed service requests to be visualized by location, priority, and type of
equipment required, enabling more efficient routing of in-house crews. These enhancements
helped bridge the deficiencies caused by the elimination of an in-house crew in FY2010.
In FY2019, the service request reporting system employed by Forestry was migrated into the
Motorola CSR customer relationship management software developed by the Communications &
Public Engagement Department. As a result, Forestry's service requests were included in the
citywide call center (817-392-1234) and the MyFW app. This enhancement allowed for more real-
time, in -the -field updates creating greater efficiency for staff, but has also resulted in a 36.2%
increase in service requests created annually. The higher volume of service requests is not only
indicative of growth, it also reflects greater ease for the public to report tree issues.
Also, in FY2019, Forestry was successful in working with Human Resources (HR) to obtain an
Auto -Reclassification Program (ARP) for the positions of Arborist I, Arborist II and Senior Arborist.
This process improvement allows for employees to achieve new roles and responsibilities with an
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 25-0003
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
January 14, 2025
Page 5 of 11
SUBJECT: FORESTRY HAZARD ABATEMENT PROGRAM
increase in pay as they grow their skills and gain experience. The ARP and the growth potential
for employees is a vital tool for employee retention.
IV. Response to Current Challenges
Modifications and Improvements
The FY2023 Budget included an additional $100,000 for preventative structural pruning of young
trees, one authorized position and associated equipment to exclusively oversee contractor
utilization.
The FY2024 Budget included an additional $100,000 allotted to contractual work for the specific
targeting of aesthetic pruning around high visibility areas of the central city. See Attachment 4 for
a graph depicting annual expenditures and key milestones.
Decision Package Request
In line with the goals of the UFMP, a decision package was submitted in the proposed FY2025
Budget ($1.5M, 8 FTEs) recommending the addition of two new crews along with the necessary
capital and minor equipment to address the increasing backlog of tree -work requests. The
purpose of this proposal was to scale up operations in order to meet the needs of a growing city,
improve response times to enhance public safety, reduce dependency on contractors, and
contribute to the overall livability of Fort Worth. Due to resource limitations, this request was not
funded.
V. Recommended Actions
The PARD remains committed to continuous improvement and efficiency. Currently, the Key
Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the Hazard Abatement Program are focused on work order
clearance rates. Moving forward, staff will collaborate with the FWLab to review and assess these
KPIs, evaluating the effectiveness of current measures. In addition, the department will submit a
Lean Six Sigma project request for a comprehensive review of contract procurement and work
order assignment processes. This review aims to identify opportunities to streamline operations,
reduce inefficiencies, and enhance the overall responsiveness and effectiveness of the program.
As part of the FY2026 Budget, the PARD anticipates submitting the Decision Package to fund two
new crews, equipment, and supplies again.
For questions regarding this Informal Report, please contact Park & Recreation Department
Director Richard Zavala at rich ard. zavala(a)fortworthtexas.gov.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 25-0003
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
January 14, 2025
Page 6 of 11
SUBJECT: FORESTRY HAZARD ABATEMENT PROGRAM
Attachment 1: Map of service requests for tree work that have been inspected and assigned to
an in-house crew, but not yet completed as of 11/30/2024
• I-,,-
•J
-c— Arlington
Forestry Service Requests
Pending In -House Crew
Completion (11/30/24)
Priority41 (269)
Priority#2 (405)
Priority#3 (114)
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 25-0003
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council January 14, 2025
Page 7 of 11
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SUBJECT: FORESTRY HAZARD ABATEMENT PROGRAM
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Attachment 2: Quarterly on time completion rates for Priority #2 and Priority #3 service
requests, relative to total volume of requests for the given priority
On Time Completion for Priority #2
Service Requests (3 months or less)
30D
250
2oD
ISO
10D
so
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
191
219
170
60
6&01% 38,24% 33.33% 36.67% 14.36 6
Q3 FY2023 Q4 FY2023 Q1 M024 Q2 FY2024 Q3 MO24 Q4 rY2024
Completed on Time (n bold) Total Completed ■ Total Created (labeled above column)
On Time Completion % for Priority #2
Service Requests (3 months or less)
219
188
191
63.01% 38.24% 33.33% 36.67% 14.36% 6.28%
Q3 FY2023 Q4 FY2023 Q1FY2024 Q2 FY2024 Q3 FY2024 Q4 FY2024
Completed On Time (in bold) Total Completed Total Created (labeled above column)
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 25-0003
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council January 14, 2025
Page 8 of 11
xA.
SUBJECT: FORESTRY HAZARD ABATEMENT PROGRAM
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Attachment I A summary of challenges related to population growth, land area and weather.
Population Growth
Over the past two decades, Fort Worth has been characterized as one of the fastest growing
communities in the nation. The population boom has occurred via increased density through in -fill
lots, a sharp increase in multi -family projects and a utilization of previously undeveloped areas.
Not only does the growth mean increased tree planting to meet citywide canopy goals, it also
leads to a greater number of street lane miles, more utilization of unimproved roadways where
expansion has not kept pace with private development, more drivers on the road and a larger
population to report tree -related issues.
Population Growth
1200000
5000 1000000 j.
C
v
,4000 800000 y
0 � o
C G
Q 0
tC 3000 600000
u y
} u
a 'n 200o0 400000 a
0
O
1000 200000
n
0
a
0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ry ry ry ry ry ry ry ry ry ry ry ry ry ry ry ry ry ry ry ry ry
Year
�Forestry Service Requests —Population
A subdivision ordinance enacted in 2006, includes the requirement to have one or more trees per
residential lot. Since adoption, 147,398 single/two family homes have been permitted. Trees
planted within the right-of-way become city property with jurisdiction and maintenance resting with
the PARD under Chapter 33. Trees planted on private property may also pose increased
maintenance issues as these private trees may require pruning for street and sidewalk clearance,
pruning to remove visibility obstructions, or work to clear signs, traffic signals and street lights.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 25-0003
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1875
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
January 14, 2025
Page 9 of 11
SUBJECT: FORESTRY HAZARD ABATEMENT PROGRAM
Land Area
Coinciding with population growth, the geographic area of Fort Worth has increased by more than
20 square miles over the past two decades. Annexation is owner -initiated with many developers
opting to have Fort Worth accept large tracts of land and adjacent rights -of -way. This
incorporation of subdivisions and related projects into full purpose limits allows utilization of Fort
Worth's municipal services while adding taxable value to the city. The majority of these
annexations either include existing trees or will add trees that yield tremendous benefits, but
trigger future maintenance needs.
4000
K 3000
W
z000
1000
Land Area Expansion
2004 2005 2006 2007 2009 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 cola 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Year
Forestry Service Requests —Square Miles (Full Purpose Limits)
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
so
0
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 25-0003
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council January 14, 2025
Page 10 of 11
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SUBJECT: FORESTRY HAZARD ABATEMENT PROGRAM
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Weather
To help gauge impacts from weather, statistics for annual inches of precipitation and number of
days of 1000 were compiled over the past 20 years. Though weather poses far greater complexity
with regard to potential impact than what is reflected, an increase in service requests is notable in
years of high heat and low rainfall and in years of high rainfall and low heat. There is less direct
correlation to volume of work when hot summers are accompanied by high precipitation or mild
summers are combined with low levels of precipitation.
Weather Trends
6000 80
70
5000
60
4000 AA
60 �
y `o
w
3000 — - 40 y
y L
U C
J 30 a
u
2000 w
a
20
1000
10
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Year
Forestry Service Requests —Annual Precip (inches) --q of 100'+days
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 25-0003
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council January 14, 2025
Page 11 of 11
A.
SUBJECT: FORESTRY HAZARD ABATEMENT PROGRAM
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Attachment 4: Actual expenditures for Hazard Abatement in-house work and contract utilization
Comparison of In -House Spending
vs. Contract Utilization
5M
0
05 1 15
2 2,5
2004
2005
2006
2007
2o0S
ff.r153
2009
2010
2011
ffD.191
2012
111OL0.427
2013
0.596
2014
0.58
2015
1.469
2.054
2016
Ir
1.459
1.968
2017
`
1.218
1.765
2018
W
1.298
1.892
2o19
'
1.815
2020
r
1.609
2021
1.581
2022
`
1.294
1.764
2023
1.351
1.718
2024
1.462
2.348
In House Actuals ($M) ■ Contract Actuals ($M)
2010
Reduction from 3 in-house crews to 2. Record snowfall w/ mass tree impact (February}.
2011
2nd hottest summer in DFW history. Beginning of 4year drought (2011-2015).
2012
Drought.
2013
Drought.
2014
Drought.
2015
Wettestyear in DFW history.
2018
2nd wettestyear in DFW history.
2019
Widespread severe storms (May/June 2019j.
2020
Covid (Feb 2020). Hiring freeze --operating with 68% staff.
2021
Record cold (February). Realignment of staff responsibilities to cope with work load.
2022
Winch truck down for most of year.
2023
3rd hottest summer in DFW history (47 days of 100 degrees orgreater). Decision package added 1 AP with $1001<
for structural pruning (not allocated until FY2024). Loss of 1 buckettruck.
2024
Decision package added $1001k for aesthetic pruning of central city areas.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS