Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Contracts Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council tables Briarwood Building Services contract after lengthy contractor presentation
Summary
Briarwood Building Service LLC requested a three-year contract renewal and increased hourly rate; councilors questioned snow-removal scope and cost and voted to table the contract for two weeks to allow more analysis and discussion with public works staff.
KIEL, Wis. — Representatives of Briarwood Building Service LLC asked the Kiel City Council on Wednesday to renew a facilities-maintenance contract for three years and increase hourly charges. Councilors asked questions about the scope of work, the cost of snow removal, and whether the city should instead hire a full-time custodian.
Contractors explained their proposal would remove snow, perform cleaning, launder mops and towels used at city facilities, and manage supplies for city hall, the library, the community center, the bridge, the police department and the fire station. They said snow removal is physically demanding and that they were proposing to drop snow-clearing from their scope if the city could contract it separately; they described current charges of $150 per trip when they respond to snow calls and estimated private snow-control rates in the area of $80–$100 per hour for mechanized equipment.
Contract representatives said they currently use two single-stage snowblowers and hand tools, which increases time on larger snow events. They suggested the city could purchase a universal rear-steer unit or otherwise help with mechanized equipment to speed snow removal. The contractors said they were open to continuing a one-year arrangement if the council preferred to evaluate results before committing to a longer term.
Council members asked about the cost differences between continuing the contract, contracting snow removal separately, or hiring an in-house employee with a benefits package. Staff estimated total first-year costs in the proposal were roughly $77,400 not including outsourced snow removal; with snow added the total could approach about $90,000 (estimate stated in meeting).
After discussion the council voted to table the contract for two weeks to allow staff to examine options and, if desired, to seek a mechanized-equipment quote and consult with the public works department about shifting sidewalk/work priorities.
Motion to table passed by voice; staff and contractor representatives will return to the council for further discussion at the next meeting.
