Jan
03
2010 budget start looks promising
First two outside services bids in 2010 come in under budget.
Council will consider two bids for tree services Tuesday, the first two bid proposals before council for 2010.
The first is for stump and tree removal awarded to Homer Tree Care, Inc. of Lockport IL. The approved FY10 budget provides $180,000 in the General Fund for this service. The proposed tree and stump removal contract in BID 00-04005 would result in a total charge of $126,275 for these services in FY10, $53,725 less than budgeted. This three year contract covers removal of dead trees, trees creating hazardous conditions, trees with infectious diseases like Dutch elm disease, and the planned reduction in ash tree population due to the Emerald Ash Borers impending arrival.
The one year FY09 contract to D. Ryan Tree & Landscape for this service was budgeted for $170,000 and was bid out at $170,412.50.
The second is for parkway tree pruning services awarded to D. Ryan Tree & Landscape LLC of DeKalb, Illinois. The adopted FY10 budget provides $130,000 in the General Fund for parkway tree pruning services. The proposed three year tree pruning contract in BID 00-04006 would result in a total charge of $87,109 for services in FY10, $42,891 less than budgeted.
D. Ryan Tree & Landscape was awarded a FY09 one year contract to provide similar work for the village for $111,884.00, and was budgeted at $112,000.
Tree pruning improves tree structure, strengthens trees, makes them look better, reduces wind damage, allows for clearance of sidewalks and streets and maintain safe conditions in the right-of-way like visibility at corners. Starting in 2007 the village went from an eight year to a five year pruning cycle. FY10 will be the 4th year of a five year cycle.
Between the two contracts, 11 companies bid for the village business. That’s good news for two reasons; there are plenty of companies still out there plugging away, and they are bidding aggressively for blue-chip contracted business. It may portend a pattern in 2010 for projects that are bid out, resulting in more services coming in below budgeted amounts, in turn saving more money.
That adds up to more than the salary of one young police officer, doesn’t it?
Throw it into reserves for next year. 2011 won’t be any easier come budget time.
Trish it’s January 4th. There are still 361 days to go.
Commissioner Durkin was a big proponent of pushing for bidding out more projects to more bidders to obtain better pricing on projects such as this. I think it’s a very good thing.
Oh, I think its a good thing too. It’s only January and the village is $96,616.oo ahead. Which I would venture to guess is about the salary of the two police officers that were let go.
Overbudgeted and underbid. MT you say they are three year contracts but only give the first year cost. What about the other two years?
I’m not sure on overbudgeted and underbid. That’s sort of an off based assumption. The town is still pulling money from reserves using the proposed budget for 2010. Remember it’s just that, it’s proposed so there’s no knowing exact figures until some expenses are incurred. Just because 2 bids for projects are bid under to start the year doesn’t mean the same will occur throughout the year.
With regard to stump and tree removal:
2010- $126,275
2011- $126,275
2012- $126,275
With regard to tree pruning services:
2010- $87,109
2011- $86,107
2012- $86,590
Trish…
why do we need to add back a police officer? Why are you assuming that the officers who are left on staff are the best and brightest we could hire? I don’t know any different, but before we say we have to hire more bodies…make sure the bodies we have are giving a 110%. Lets make sure that the Chief is running the department as best and as effecient as he/she can. What new ideas has he come up with to do more with less?
Some like Homer flat bid each year, some put in slightly higher bids each year, some pruning bids like D. Ryan varied.
Any green word or phrase is a link (usually). In this post the two bids are linked to the documents council will be work-shopping tonight (and probably approving next week), and they both show everyone’s bid for each year of the three year period.
Anyone know if Gypsy Moth or Emerald Ash Borer treatments are in the budget. The Gypsy Moth spraying was absolutely terrific. it cut down the amount of caterpillars to almost nil.