Council OKs contracts, accident settlement

An increase in the contract for tree trimming services, a settlement for an accident involving a city employee and the purchase of office supplies were among the items recently approved by the Yuma City Council.

As part of the consent agenda, the council approved a $131,000 increase in the contract for tree, shrub and bush trimming services with Arbor Tech and All Star Tree Service, both of Yuma, bringing the total annual cost to $256,000.

The contract increase is being covered with state grant funding and does not impact the city's general fund.

In September, the council approved a contract for tree, shrub and bush trimming services at various parks, basins, right-of-ways and landscaped locations. City crews perform most park-related tree and bush removal but use this contract for occasional hazardous tree removal and trimming or to help with tree-related severe storm cleanup where the volume of work is beyond city crew capability to manage, as noted by a staff report.

The need for the contract increase arose out of a reimbursable grant opportunity through the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management to pay for costs associated with reducing, removing and eliminating wildland fire hazardous fuels such as dead trees, brush and other combustibles.

The grant funding will be used to reduce wildland fire hazardous fuels on 34 acres along Yuma's Lower Colorado River riparian and wildland urban interface areas within and adjacent to the West Wetlands Park, including the Park's Millennial and Gowan Groves.

The reimbursable grant-funded project will use the tree, shrub and bush trimming contract, exceeding the $125,000 previously approved by the council. Approval of this motion authorizes and increases the total amount to $256,000.

The council also authorized a settlement with Maria Ramirez for $62,879. This claim stems from a July 25 traffic accident involving a city employee.

According to the staff report, the city employee who was driving in excess of the speed limit on 14th Avenue collided with Ramirez's vehicle. The employee's vehicle then reportedly went into the garage of a nearby home, damaging both Ramirez's vehicle, the garage and the car inside the garage.

Ramirez sought $75,000 to settle the personal injury claim prior to filing a lawsuit. After reviewing the facts and evidence together with the claimant's medical documentation and state law, the City Attorney's Office recommended settlement of this claim in the amount of $55,000 for personal injury damages.

In addition, Ramirez's auto insurance carrier, Allstate, submitted a subrogation claim of $7,629 for property damage to their insured's vehicle, which does not include the insured's deductible of $250. The City Attorney's Office requested the council authorize settlements for both claims and pay Ramirez's out-of-pocket deductible.

"The City Attorney's Office believes this settlement is fair and reasonable in light of the facts and the potential costs of litigation," the report states.

The council authorized and directed the City Attorney's Office to settle the Ramirez claim for $55,000 for personal injuries, $7,629 to Allstate and a $250 deductible, reimbursable to Ramirez for property damage.

The council approved contracts for the purchase of office supplies and products, with estimated annual cost of $135,000, from Wist Business Supplies and Equipment of Tempe and Hoppstetters Office Products of Yuma.

These contracts will be used to obtain office supplies and products. City employees and departments can place orders online through the vendor's website for supplies on an as-needed basis, according to a staff report.

The city received bids from Hoppstetters, Wist and Chance of Hope of Greenbelt, Maryland. The response submitted by Chance of Hope was deemed non-responsive, and staff recommended Wist be the primary supplier and Hoppstetters the secondary supplier.

The vendor will be selected based on the percentage discount offered for catalog items per category.

In addition, the council authorized an agreement with the Arizona Department of Homeland Security for reimbursement of funds used to buy equipment supporting Operation Stonegarden.

The goal of this collaborative operational agreement between state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and U.S. Border Patrol is to develop and maintain a multi-tiered level of security along the United States-Mexico border.

The agreement funds equipment used by the Yuma Police Department to address border-related security issues, according to a staff report. The Police Department deploys additional patrols to help detect and deter border-related crime and support community safety.

Under this agreement, YPD will be reimbursed up to $152,052 for the purchase of two 4x4 police package trucks and 54 first aid kits to support Operation Stonegarden.

All money spent by the city related to the Operation Stonegarden project will be reimbursed by the Arizona Department of Homeland Security using federal grant funds.The grant period is from Feb. 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.

In other action, the council made appointments to the Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission and a reappointment to the Yuma County Library Board of Trustees. Jaime McGalliard was appointed to the Parks, Arts, and Recreation Commission and Pat Riley Sr. was reappointed to the Yuma County Library Board of Trustees.