Petoskey council OKs 75-tree planting contract, adds language to allow unit-price extension

Petoskey City Council voted 5-0 on March 3 to authorize a contract with David Hoffman Landscaping, Inc., of Petoskey, for the city's annual tree-planting program covering 75 trees and to amend the resolution to include authority for the city manager to extend or adjust the contract by unit prices bid.

The item was taken from the consent agenda for separate discussion after Councilmember Moore asked about a sentence in the bid documents that said the city manager could offer a contract "with the ability to extend or adjust the contract by the unit prices bid." Moore said that clause did not appear in the draft resolution; City Manager Horn and Councilmember DeMoor proposed amending the resolution to add the unit-price extension language at the end of the paragraph that authorizes the contract. Council adopted the amendment before voting to approve the contract.

Horn told council 55 of the 75 trees will be planted as part of the Howard Street reconstruction project this summer. She also provided the species list included in the bid: sugar maple, scarlet oak, American hornbeam, Accolade elm, London plane tree and tulip tree.

Councilmember Shields asked for more detail in future bids on speciess and counts; Horn said staff will provide the information. Council members also noted Hoffman was the low bidder among three submissions and that the bid prices were competitive.

Motion: approve award of contract to David Hoffman Landscaping, Inc., for 75 street and park trees and amend the resolution to allow the city manager to extend or adjust the contract by the unit prices bid. Motion by Miss Walker; second by Mr. Shields. Vote: 5-0.