Diversion Authority committee approves mowing contract, recommends award for North Pleasant Cemetery work

The Diversion Authority Finance Committee on Feb. 25 approved a task-order amendment for mowing and weed-control services and recommended a construction award for a small cemetery-protection project around North Pleasant Cemetery.

Chris Bockengard, the project engineer, told the committee the mowing contract with JT Lawn Services is budgeted at $358,783.60 for the year and covers a mix of services on about 400 acres, including roughly 300 acres of the Southern Embankment that the authority expects to assume this year. "It also includes about 300 acres of the Southern Embankment now, that we anticipate that we will take over, within this calendar year," he said.

On the cemetery project, Bockengard said the authority received five bids that ranged from a low of about $348,000 to bids above $600,000. He recommended awarding the project to Schmidt and Sons Construction. The packet and transcript contain a numeric inconsistency for the recommended award line (the speaker states "$348,000" and another line includes "$352.5"), which the committee did not resolve during the meeting; the bid tab in the packet should be consulted for the final contract amount before execution.

A motion to approve both contracting items was made and seconded, and Don called the roll. Named members on the roll voted in the affirmative and the motion passed.

The committee forwarded the recommendations to the full board meeting scheduled for the following day for final action.