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Faribault awards citywide tree-removal contracts; low bids come in well under estimates
Summary
Council approved resolutions 2025-177 through 2025-180 to award four contracts for the 2025 citywide tree-removal program. Staff reported roughly 183 trees and total low bids around $186,000 (about $1,000 per tree), with assessments to be paid over five years at about 4.98% interest and an assessment hearing scheduled for October.
The Faribault City Council approved a package of resolutions (2025-177 through 2025-180) awarding contracts for the 2025 citywide tree-removal program.
Director Mark Duchain said staff divided the project into four geographic contract areas (AA–D) to encourage competition. Bids were opened the morning of the meeting after an extension; several contractors requested extra time. "From the Ground Up" was the low bidder on the bundled packages. Staff reported that 14 trees previously included in the lists were removed because property owners had already taken them down during the bid period.
Duchain said the aggregated low bids totaled about $186,000 for roughly 183 trees, an average far below the earlier per-tree estimate of about $2,000. Work is expected between Aug. 8 and Oct. 22, with the assessment-hearing set for the Oct. 28 council meeting. Assessment notices and consent-assessment agreements will be mailed to affected properties; assessment payments are expected to begin in 2026 on five-year terms at an interest rate cited as roughly 4.98 percent.
Council members moved and approved each bundled resolution by voice votes. Staff will send consent-assessment agreements to property owners and accept signed agreements back at Public Works before the contractor begins work.
The contracts allocate the contractor responsibility to meet the completion deadline of Oct. 22, regardless of whether a single bidder accepts multiple areas. Staff noted that the final contract counts and assessment amounts will be finalized once property owners return consent forms and the assessment hearing is completed.
