City awards landscaping contract

Corsicana The Corsicana City Council awarded a two year-plus contract for mowing and landscape maintenance of city properties and parks when it met Tuesday.

Aguado Lawn Care, owned by Tony Aguado, a fireman for the city of Corsicana, was the low bidder of four companies that bid on the project that includes not only mowing approximately 465 acres of parks and rights-of-way, but maintaining them as well.

Council members discussed the scope of the contract in a work session prior to Tuesdays vote. The project was re-bid at mid year because the city terminated the contract with its previous contractor over performance problems, said City Manager Connie Standridge.

The contract calls for mowing and maintenance of 13 city parks, six municipal buildings, and 18 medians, entrances and even some TxDOT properties. The city will pay approximately $29,700 monthly for Aguados services, based on the frequency of mowing and maintenance needed at the selected sites.

Standridge said the move to contract mowing and landscape maintenance a decision the city made about four years ago has generally worked well for the city, and reduced the number of employees in the parks department from 14 to seven.

The deal with Aguado will cost more than the previous contractor by about $5,400 per month, but includes about 90 additional acres not involved in the previous contract. Still, Aguados bid was the lowest of all four received in response to the citys call for bids.

Standridge said the new deal will allow the city to eliminate one full-time position in the parks department that is currently filled through a temporary employment service.

Aguado said he would be purchasing new equipment from local dealers to fulfill the contract with the city, and would work along with a five-person crew to make sure everythings done right.

The council approved the new deal unanimously, set to run through October 2016.

In other action Tuesday, council members heard requests from three non-profit agencies for funding in the 2014-15 budget year The Freedom Flag Plaza Committee requested $6,000 to help fund additional improvements in Bunert Park; Community Services, Inc. asked for continued financial support from the city for the Meals on Wheels program; and the Festival of Lights Committee asked the city to fund the annual Christmas celebration in the amount of $6,000 in the upcoming budget.

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City awards landscaping contract