Council accepts most snow-plow route awards; staff to seek informal bids for remaining routes

Council accepted bids and recommended awards for snow-plow services covering most city routes for the 2025–26 winter season and placed the ordinance on the consent agenda.

An engineering/public-works presenter told council that contractors' limited labor capacity following market changes meant staff made awards based on contractor capacity rather than strictly on lowest bid, and that 19 of 21 routes were awarded. The presenter said some contractors historically handled more routes but have reduced capacity; staff therefore prioritized reliable coverage. "So, consequently, what I was forced to do is make awards based on vendor's capacity or contractor's capacity," the presenter said.

Council discussed whether to run a further procurement process for the two remaining routes. Staff recommended awarding the 19 routes, publishing the awards, and then securing informal quotes for the two remaining routes so the city would have coverage. Several council members agreed that a short informal process would be faster than rebidding formally.

The ordinance accepting bid awards (Ordinance 2025-107) and related procurement items were placed on the consent agenda and adopted by roll call. Staff said they will return with formal pricing or informal quotes for the remaining two routes and that city crews or emergency contracts would be used if needed.

Council also discussed coordination with recreation and parking-lot maintenance and noted the city does not have resources to cover missed private driveways or large commercial lots outside contracted routes; staff will address any service gaps on a case-by-case basis.