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Board approves landscaping contract after debate over vendor performance
Summary
The New Haven Board of Education voted to approve a landscaping contract (Contract 7.01) after public comment from the vendor and a board discussion that added a contractor performance documentation process and a scheduled performance review in November. One board member voted no, citing ongoing problems with grounds maintenance.
The New Haven Board of Education voted Aug. 25 to approve Contract 7.01, a landscaping contract, after a public comment from the contractor and a prolonged board discussion about how the district will document and review vendor performance. The motion carried with one dissenting vote.
Board members said the memo accompanying the contract creates a formal system to document contractor performance and will produce evidence for future decisions. “I like to trust but also verify,” said Board Member Matt Wilcox, who moved approval and said the board will review landscaping performance on Nov. 1 to determine if contractors meet contractual obligations. He said documentation will allow the district to exercise contractual remedies, including removal of vendors who do not perform.
Kelly Brennan, who identified herself as majority owner of Cheapscapes, told the board her company has been the district’s landscape contractor for five years and asked the board to base its decision on the company’s multi-year record. Brennan said Cheapscapes maintained 21 New Haven schools without formal complaints and called prior public statements that the company was “not a reputable company” “incorrect, unfounded, prejudicial and slanderous.” She requested the district share the criteria used to evaluate vendor performance.
Board Member Tamara Downer, who said she has documented problems at multiple sites, opposed the contract. She listed overgrowth, blocked handicap ramps, leaves left at emergency exits and soil-health issues, and said poor grounds care created safety hazards and interfered with outdoor learning. Downer said she will check school sites and photographic records to verify performance and voted “no” when the contract was adopted.
Superintendent Madeline Negron and facilities staff told the board the administration will monitor contractor performance consistent with the new documentation process described in the contract memo. Wilcox and others framed the new step as a way to create a written, photo-supported record of conditions and performance that can be used in contract enforcement.
Outcome and next steps: The motion to approve Contract 7.01 passed (Yes: Matt Wilcox, Dr. Joyner, Dr. Benitez, Mr. Juarez, Mr. Ailey, Mayor Matt Ellerker; No: Tamara Downer). The board plans a performance review on Nov. 1; the administration will implement the documentation system outlined in the contract memo. Public comments and board discussion were recorded for administrative follow-up.
The vote closes this agenda item; board members said they expect facilities staff to present evidence at the November review and to pursue contract remedies if documentation shows contractors did not meet the district’s performance standards.
