Committee forwards award of two-year street-sweeping contract to lowest bidder

Staff presented a recommendation to award street-sweeping services to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder after two bids were received. The low annual bid from McDonough and Sons, the incumbent, was $162,615.84. The recommended two‑year authorization is $334,140.58 with a contingency of $16,261.58 for a total authorization of $350,402.16.

Council members asked why the other bid was so much higher; staff suggested subcontracting and markup differences can create large variances and noted that review of bidder responsiveness (references, equipment age and specifications) is part of procurement. Council also asked about service frequency: staff said residential (local) streets are swept four times a year while collectors and arterials are swept more often.

Following discussion, the committee voted unanimously to forward the recommended award to the March 24 consent agenda for council approval.