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Staff says lowest holiday-decorations bid exceeds budget; board hears request for about $3,000
Summary
Staff told the Keeps Saginaw Beautiful advisory board that the lowest bid to install holiday decorations across city facilities was higher than budgeted and asked the board to allocate roughly $3,000 from unallocated funds to cover the difference. The transcript records a motion but does not record a formal final tally.
Staff presented the proposed scope for the 2025 holiday decorations — city facilities, the community center at William Houston Park and Willow Creek Park (the fire station is excluded) — and the vendor quotes obtained through the city purchasing process. Speaker 5, a city staff member, told the board the lowest quote came from First Choice Lights and that vendor is storing the city’s previously purchased trees and supplies.
Speaker 5 said the lowest bid received was $42,001.25 (reported in the meeting transcript by Speaker 5) and noted the board’s existing allocation for decorations was $39,000. "So I'm bringing this forward to give you a report what we're doing, but also to get a motion to recommend the allocation of extra funds from the unallocated funds for the budget," Speaker 5 said. Speaker 5 described factors behind the increase, including adding the new library site to the scope and vendor price increases.
Presiding board member Speaker 1 observed, "It's clearly over budget," during the discussion. Board members discussed operational details (which locations are covered, that trees are stored by the vendor, and that the parade and tree-lighting logistics are tied to the same sites) and suggested exploring a multiyear contract to reduce future costs.
A motion was made in the transcript by Speaker 4: "Make a motion that we accept the amount proposed for $313,001 dollar and 25¢ to come from our budget," and seconded by Speaker 2. The recorded meeting audio and minutes included the motion and a second, but the transcript does not contain a final roll-call vote or a clear recorded tally for that particular funding transfer. Speaker 5 had earlier described the low bid as approximately $42,001.25 and the budgeted amount as $39,000; the motion text in the transcript contains inconsistent numeric figures.
What happens next: staff will reflect the board's discussion in the minutes and follow up with corrections or clarifications to the budget lines as required. The transcript does not record a conclusive vote or amendment resolving the numerical discrepancy.
