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Committee approves county facilities landscaping contract for Ratliff Landscaping after amendment to change award from Berry Landscaping
Summary
After public comment from local bidder Jim Ratliff and subsequent floor debate, the Executive Committee amended a motion to award the county landscaping contract to Ratliff Landscaping and approved the amended award; the amendment and final vote passed with one dissenting vote.
A public commenter and local business owner urged the Kane County Executive Committee to award a county landscaping and grounds maintenance contract to his company, and the committee ultimately approved that change on the floor.
Jim Ratliff, who identified himself as owner of Ratliff Landscaping Inc., told the committee his firm has performed grounds maintenance for county properties for five years, cited no documented complaints, and said Ratliff was the low bidder by more than $10,000. He asked the committee to reject awarding the contract to Berry Landscaping in favor of Ratliff.
Later in the meeting, the committee considered a motion to authorize a contract for lawn maintenance services. A motion to award the contract to Berry Landscaping was amended on the floor to name Ratliff Landscaping instead. The amendment passed with one 'no' vote; the amended contract award also passed on a roll call with one dissent.
Board members and the clerk recorded the votes by roll call; the meeting record shows a single dissenting vote on both the amendment and the final motion. No additional contract terms, contract number, or dollar totals for the landscaping contract were stated on the record; those details will appear in the contract documentation or committee minutes.
The committee also heard public comments during which Michelle Betag criticized the county’s procurement rules and urged elimination of the 'responsible bidder' ordinance, claiming it disadvantages local firms; Betag’s remarks included allegations of donor influence that were not substantiated during the meeting.
