Authority reviews landscaping contract: weekly cuts, automatic renewal and rebid timeline discussed

Interim economic development director Rochelle Dennis and other staff reviewed the Development Authority’s 2025 property landscaping services contract with Anderson Lawn Care.

Dennis told the board the packet shows $887.94 and that the vendor performs weekly cuts for the listed authority properties. She said the contractor did the first cut last week and will continue weekly through October; the contract contains a clause to automatically roll into another year unless written notice is provided. Dennis said the contract currently ends in August and staff expects to rebid in late May or June before the next fiscal year. She said the current figure represented in the packet is lower than last year’s cost and might decline further if some Main Street properties are sold.

Staff and board members discussed procurement practice; a procurement staff representative described the city’s normal practice of using its vendor registration lists and pulling proposals from registered vendors for small contracts and vendor symposium outreach. Board members asked whether bids were solicited; staff said four or five companies responded to last year’s solicitation and the vendor was selected based on best quote/fit. Staff noted the Downtown Development Authority pays a portion of related downtown work but holds a separate contract. The transcript records discussion of rebidding options and gives the board the option to open the contract for new proposals during the June rebid window.

No formal vote to terminate, extend or rebid the landscaping contract is recorded in the transcript; staff described next steps and the June time frame to revisit procurement choices.