The Pulaski County Commissioners are reconsidering the outsourcing of lawn care and snow removal at certain county properties. On Monday, they voted to turn the snow removal back over to the County Maintenance Department.
Maintenance Director Mia Salyers pointed out that her staff has already been doing quite a bit of the work. “We do it anyway from 8:00 to 4:00,” she explained. “If it’s snowing constantly all day, we’re all out there all day, anyway. So this is just helping us take care of the morning removal before 8:00 a.m.”
Meanwhile, the commissioners directed Salyers to see what it would cost to repair or replace her department’s zero-turn lawnmower, before they decide to continue with a lawn care contract. The mower was considered beyond repair two years ago, which is what eventually led to the decision to hire outside companies in the first place. Former Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston maintained that the county was seeing a significant cost savings by outsourcing the work for the past year, at least when it came to lawn care. Salyers presented additional figures to the commissioners Monday.
The commissioners also decided to hold off on awarding a bid for the removal of a large ash tree by the Annex Building, until the County Highway Department could check and see if it can handle the work. Only one bid had been received.
