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Woodstock snow removal contracts approved
The Woodstock City Council unanimously approved contracts for snow removal for the 2012-13 winter season at its Oct. 2 meeting.
The council awarded a contract of no less than $15,000 for services rendered by GRO Horticultural Enterprises to collect snow and prepare it for hauling from parking lots and downtown; a $250 per hour contract to Gavers Excavating to provide equipment and operators to load snow into dump trucks; and a contract for various hourly rates, depending on equipment, to Excavating Concepts for dump trucks and operators as determined by the street supervisor.
The city waived the requirements for competitive bids due to two of three contractors defaulting on their bids and leaving the city temporarily unable to complete snow hauling services from the downtown during the winter of 2011-12.
“Because the city has had difficulty securing responsible bidders through the bid process and the potential that this action could have on the city’s ability to meet the needs of the community, it is recommended that the City Council once again consider waiving the requirement for competitive bids and accept proposals for all three parts of the downtown snow removal program,” a staff report stated.
In the past, some problems were experienced when accepting a contract from the low bidder included the bidder’s sub-contracting services.
“Communication is key to the success of this program,” the staff report stated. “When subs are involved, they may or may not be able to work and communicate efficiently with the city, one another, or other contractors performing a related portion of work to be completed.”
The report stated the city has been contacted by subcontractors who were not being paid by the contractor, had experienced unorganized and inefficient work and more damage occurred to curbs and bump-outs when low bids from inexperienced contractors have been approved.
The approved streets budget includes $100,000 to pay for the related services. The estimate is based on historical data from years past. A severe winter could result in greater expenditures.
