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Council approves $362,000 electric line‑clearance contract; budget amended by $62,000
Summary
The council authorized a service agreement with Aspen Tree Expert LLC for 2025 electric line‑clearance at a low bid of $362,000, requiring a $62,000 amendment to the FY2025 electric fund budget to cover the higher-than-budgeted cost.
Fountain City Council on Feb. 25 approved a service agreement with Aspen Tree Expert LLC to perform 2025 electric line‑clearance (tree trimming) work and amended the FY2025 electric fund budget to cover a $62,000 shortfall.
Randy Burrows, electric engineering and planning technician, told council that the utilities department uses outside contractors for tree trimming because specialized certifications are required to work safely around overhead electric lines. The city ran a competitive bid process and received three responses; the two lowest bids were within 3% of each other while a third bid was roughly two‑thirds higher, Burrows said.
Burrows reported the previous two planned trimming areas cost $248,000 and that the lowest responsible bidder this year — Aspen Tree Expert LLC — submitted a bid of $362,000. He said that amount exceeded the $300,000 budget for the work by $62,000, and staff recommended the council authorize the city manager to execute the service agreement and amend the FY2025 electric fund expense budget by $62,000 to complete required work.
Councilmembers asked for more transparency in future reports, and one asked the staff to include the three bidders and their bid amounts in packet materials. A resident asked which parts of town would be serviced; staff responded that work will include overhead portions in Widefield and Fountain proper. Staff also reminded the public that the city’s electric service territory includes significant numbers of customers outside the city limits.
Councilmember Hinton moved to approve Resolution 25‑009 authorizing the contract and the budget amendment; Councilmember Estes seconded and the motion passed 6‑0.
Burrows said the contractor expects to begin work within about a month and that the contract reflects specialized training and insurance requirements for work around energized lines. Council emphasized the safety and reliability rationale for routine line‑clearance to reduce outages and fire risk.
