11/18/2008 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 11/18/2Q08 Control, as amended. This legislation was originally similar to the idea of the landscaping and mowing proposal, with an idea to see what it would cost to use an outside vendor to provide brush chipping throughout the course of the year. As it currently stands now, we have a truck with two people on it that runs throughout the course of the summer. The administration, in an effort to reallocate resources, is looking at perhaps using those employees for other city services such as crack sealing rather than having them manning the trucks. The original proposal was to determine if it would be cost effective to use an outside vendor for the entire brush chipping service. After the end of the first committee meeting, Director Limpert came back and said they were moving in a different direction to establish a new brush chipping program. The program would provide for brush chipping in spring and fall and after a significant storm event rather than having a continuous truck running all throughout the course of the summer, which is cost prohibitive due to other city needs. The new proposal under this legislation is to advertise for bids to get prices so that we could use a preferred pricing list. In the event that a resident had a tree removed where the brush wasn't removed, they would be able to contact City Hall for the name of a vendor to be contacted. The resident would enter into a contract with the vendor. That was a different approach and provides some other alternative if the current program is modified. It's an interesting way of dealing with a unique problem. In committee, Councilman Gareau made a motion to recommend approval of Resolution 2008-127. The committee motion was seconded by Councilman Barker, and the vote was 2-1 for recommending approval with Councilman Kearney voting no. Councilman Gareau made a motion to amend Resolution 2008-127, consistent with the form as presented to Council, which would advertise for bids to find out the cost of creating a preferred pricing program. The motion was seconded by Councilman Barker and passed unanimously. Resolution No. 2008-127 amended. • Resolution 2008-128, a resolution authorizing the Director of Public Service to advertise for bids for snow plowing services in accordance with plans and specifications on file in his office; and further authorizing the Mayor to enter into an agreement for said services with the lowest and best bidder subject to approval by the Board of Control. This legislation was an attempt to create a backup to the current snow plowing program. We currently use as many of the resources we have available to us through our employees, be thtry in any department, via a list of employees willing to be called in or available to be called in for assistance in the event of a snow emergency. We have enough trucks that can handle the situation, but we oftentimes are short on staff. At the committee meeting, there was a good attendance from the members of the bargaining unit who were there to express their opinion on this particular program, in addition to the other two programs discussed. Most importantly in this one, was the very clear statement that, if we've got a list and we have employees on it, we need to have those employees step up and help out when we have an emergency. If there's a suggestion that people aren't answering their phone when the phone call comes in, we need to address that because this is a service we absolutely have to provide. We can't be in a situation where our streets aren't being plowed because we're 5