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Harvey County rejects mowing bid, moves parks mowing in‑house and approves seasonal hires
Summary
Facing a single mowing bid that exceeded budget, commissioners voted to reject the external bid, bring mowing back in‑house, authorize purchase of one mower and hire two part‑time (32‑hour) seasonal employees; motions passed unanimously.
The Harvey County Commission voted to reject the lone bid for 2026 parks mowing and bring mowing and trimming services back in‑house.
Parks Director Kass Miller said only one bid was returned — AWA Lawn and Land Management — offering $4,700 per cycle for the three parks and projecting a season cost of $56,400, which exceeds the department's $52,042 budget. Miller recommended using existing equipment this year, purchasing one new mower now and replacing the second mower next year on a four‑year replacement cycle to reduce long‑term costs. "I estimate a total cost of about $51,500 for this year, including the purchase of one new mower and hiring two part‑time seasonal employees," Miller said.
Commissioner Don Schroeder moved to reject the received bid; Becky Reimer seconded and the motion passed unanimously. Schroeder then moved to proceed with moving mowing services in‑house and to authorize staff to purchase one new mower using Sourcewell pricing; Reimer seconded and the motion passed unanimously. Commissioners also authorized hiring two part‑time temporary seasonal employees for the Parks Department.
County staff said bringing services in‑house will increase savings in years three and four of the mower replacement cycle, and that the contract documents specify performance, insurance and compliance requirements for any contracted work should the county return to contracting in future seasons.
