Fenton to seek bids for contracted snow removal of city parking lots

The City of Fenton will solicit bids for contracted snow and ice removal of municipal parking lots after aldermen said a recent storm overwhelmed staff and created unsafe conditions at Riverchase and other city-owned lots.

Public works director Dan Howard described the workload at Riverchase during the recent storm and said outside contractors are better equipped to clear parking lots so city crews can focus on streets. Howard provided a rough city cost model for an 8-hour shift that factored maintenance wages, benefits, salt usage (4–6 tons) and equipment costs, estimating about $925 per 8-hour shift in direct city cost for an equivalent effort.

Howard said TopCare submitted a contractor quote but told staff it would be difficult to provide guaranteed service this season because of staffing limits. Board members discussed whether contracted crews would be prioritized during regional storms and whether the contract should cover Riverchase and city hall lots only or additional municipal lots.

Alderman Wissbrock moved to solicit bids; Alderman Claus seconded. The motion carried.

Why it matters: Large parking-lot operations at municipal facilities strained city resources during the recent storm; contracting some lot-clearing work could keep facilities open safely while allowing city crews to concentrate on public streets.

What remains: Staff will prepare and release a bid package; aldermen discussed making the contract on an "as-needed/on-call" basis rather than a firm daily service, and noted that guaranteed priority during region-wide storms would likely come at additional cost.