Moorestown Council Approves New Lawncare Company

MOORESTOWN, NJ - Moorestown Council unanimously approved a non-consent agenda resolution that township officials say would reduce the proposed budget by $24,000 Monday night. Council approved the resolution with a 4-0 vote at its meeting Monday night at town hall.

The resolution involves the awarding of a contract to Maple Leaf Lawncare for lawn maintenance and landscape services worth $113,341.25. It takes the place of a current request for an additional Department of Public Works employee currently included in the draft budget.

The work was previously provided as follows:

• Four different public service contracts in the amount of $62,190. Those contracts covered services for town hall, the dog park, Westfield Estates and athletic fields, except Memorial Field;
• A property rental contract with the comparable cost not broken out in the rental bill (police station property, the maintenance of which is now the responsibility of the Township);
• A capital construction contract with the comparable cost not broken out in the contract (2nd Street Parking lot, the maintenance of which is now the responsibility of the Township); and
• Internally by the Department of Public Works. The inclusion of Memorial Field in the new contract will allow for the Department of Public Works to cover other important maintenance issues, according to township officials.

The township sought aggressive competition for this consolidated contract, including mailing 10 potential vendors, officials said. The low bid was accepted.

"It should be noted that references/customers of the low bidder have been contacted, and they have provided very positive feedback about quality of services provided by, and the responsiveness of, the vendor," officials said in the agenda packet.

Council also approved seven consent agenda items, including a change order calling for $34,060.63 in reductions for improvements at the Kings Highway Water Treatment Plant. It would be the ninth change order in the contract, and provides for "miscellaneous additions and deducts in field quantity adjustments." If passed, the new cost for the contract would be $6,440,705.68. The original contract was for $6,210,798. For the complete list of change orders, click here.

Council also approved a second and final $80,000 one-year contract extension to Supply Waterworks for water meters, and a $53,040 one-year contract extension to Woolston Company for the removal, transportation and disposal of wastewater sludge. The contract with Woolston included a 4 percent increase in price, as required under the contract.