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Council awards mosquito spraying contract to Cypress Creek after reporting and coverage concerns
Summary
Council unanimously approved a three-year contract with Cypress Creek Pest Control for mosquito spraying services after staff cited lapses in 24-hour reporting and coverage by the previous vendor; the new vendor committed to GPS-tracked reporting and the ability to increase spray frequency for storms and events.
Missouri City Council voted unanimously on April 21 to award a three-year mosquito-spraying contract to Cypress Creek Pest Control of Texas LLC after staff said the prior contractor repeatedly failed to provide 24-hour operational reports and had coverage gaps.
Staff told the council that the previous vendor did not deliver required 24-hour post-treatment reports and had communication and mapping issues that sometimes left parts of the city untreated. Joy (staff), who presented the item, said those reporting failures and mapping errors prompted the city to seek a new vendor.
Lee Hudson, representing Cypress Creek, told the council the company has 58 years of experience in mosquito control, 29 trucks available on a typical night and GPS tracking that will allow the company to produce a street-level map and time-stamped report the next morning. "By the very next morning, we're able to send to y'all complete GPS reports showing mapping, showing that every street was done in the city," Hudson said.
The contract description in staff materials capped the three-year agreement at $302,266. The contract allows for routine weekly spraying (normally scheduled at night between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.) and includes provisions for increasing service frequency (to twice weekly, and additional special-event or storm-response sprays) and for reporting the times and locations treated. Staff said the contract also accounts for special-event spraying needs such as Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day and for surge responses after storms.
Council members asked about product safety, coordination with Fort Bend County aerial spraying, park coverage and whether trucks produce audible warnings. Hudson said Cypress Creek follows Texas Department of Agriculture labeling and EPA rules for pesticides, uses flow-control devices to suspend applications when people are nearby, treats parks by paved roads (and uses daytime off-road ATV-based treatments when required), and coordinates to avoid overlapping aerial treatments. He also said trucks are GPS-pinged every minute and the city will receive detailed, time-stamped reports.
Action: Council Member Clauser moved to approve the contract with Cypress Creek Pest Control of Texas LLC for mosquito spraying services; Mayor Pro Tem Brown Marshall seconded. The motion carried unanimously. The council later voted to accept the consent agenda minus item F and then returned to approve item F as a separate vote.
Ending: The vendor committed to provide the required GPS-backed reports and to respond within 24 hours to requests for increased spraying frequency when conditions require it.
