12-12-2016 BPU RPT 07 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

W A I E R E N E R G Y I. l F F RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES J W& Board Memorandum P U B L I C U T I L I T I E S BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES DATE: DECEMBER 12, 2016 ITEM NO: 7 SUBJECT: FISCAL YEAR 2016 -17 TREE POWER PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $750,000 ISSUE: Approve the issuance of purchase orders to qualified vendors to implement the Fiscal Year 2016 -17 Tree Power Program Free Shade Tree Coupon Campaign in an amount not to exceed $650,000 and approve $100,000 for the Tree Power Rebate Program. RECOMMENDATIONS: That the Board of Public Utilities recommend that the City Council: Authorize the City Manager or his designee, to issue purchase orders to Parkview Nursery, 4377 Chicago Avenue; Parkview Nursery, 3841 Jackson Street; Louie's Nursery, 18550 Van Buren Boulevard and Moon Valley Nurseries, 9501 Lincoln Avenue and make changes to the purchase order amounts based on the variable product demand of each nursery in a collective amount not to exceed $650,000 for the Tree Power Program's Free Shade Tree Coupon Campaign; and 2. Authorize the City Manager or his designee, to credit customer accounts for trees purchased under the Tree Power Rebate Program in a collective amount not to exceed $100,000. BACKGROUND: The Riverside Public Utilities (RPU), Tree Power Program, has been successfully operating for over 15 years. The Tree Power Program is an energy efficiency program which provides rebate incentives to RPU electric customers who plant shade trees in locations adjacent to their homes or businesses to help conserve energy and save on summer cooling costs. The program is administered using a dual marketing approach which gives RPU customers the opportunity to receive a maximum of six trees annually (one from the coupon and up to five from the rebate). Tree Power Program's Free Shade Tree Coupon This campaign was launched in 2001 and runs annually from March 1 to June 30. Each year, a coupon is printed on the back of the March utility bill that customers take to a participating nursery to redeem for one free shade tree valued up to $25. The back of the bill strategy was created to ensure that a free tree coupon would reach all RPU electric customers as well as raise awareness for the regular Tree Power Rebate Program. The participating nurseries are: 1. Parkview Nursery, 4377 Chicago Avenue; 2. Parkview Nursery, 3841 Jackson Street; 3. Louie's Nursery, 18550 Van Buren Boulevard; and 4. Moon Valley Nurseries, 9501 Lincoln Avenue