Title
Authorizing the Department of Parks and Recreation to enter into an agreement with Xcel Energy to transfer authority to trim trees adjacent to Xcel Energy facilities.
Body
WHEREAS, the City, through its Department of Parks and Recreation- Forestry Section, has a mandate to preserve and protect the public urban forest on behalf of the citizens of Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, City, through its Department of Parks and Recreation Natural Resources Manager, is responsible for the planting, care, protection, preservation, trimming, and removal of trees on city owned property; and
WHEREAS, Xcel Energy has an obligation to construct and maintain transmission and distribution facilities necessary to deliver electricity to all of its customers; and
WHEREAS, the City and Xcel Energy have worked together for over fifty years to maintain a reliable overhead electrical distribution system where such lines intersect with City trees; and
WHEREAS, the City and Xcel Energy have agreed to work together to acknowledge and transfer the responsibility for trimming trees adjacent to Xcel Energy facilities; and
WHEREAS, Saint Paul Administrative Code §85.04(b) requires managed competition requests for proposals be submitted to the Compete Saint Paul Board for review and recommendation, but the board currently is not active; and
WHEREAS, Section 85.13(a) permits the Council by resolution to waive one or more of the requirements of the Chapter; and
WHEREAS, the Council finds that the purposes of §85 would not be frustrated by a waiver of the requirement of Board review in this instance; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council waives the requirements of Chapter 85 by authority of Section 85.13(a) that pertain to this agreement and authorizes the appropriate City officials to enter into the attached agreement with Xcel Energy.