by Geoff Fox
Town officials awarded two contracts for mowing and maintaining the town’s fleet of vehicles during the October town meeting.
There was only one bid submitted for the mowing with the fleet maintenance receiving six bids.
The town has had issues with lawns getting too long and since given warnings stating if they didn’t mow their grass, they’d start getting fined and the town would mow it.
Town Manager Mike Faith said the bid was advertised in The Hancock News, Morgan Messenger, the town’s website and social media page.
Only one bid was received and that was from REM Mowing.
REM Mowing and Trimming gave the town a per lot rate, which was for $40 an hour, which the town approved unanimously with some clarification on the bid.
The clarification was on how the rates were calculated.
Councilman Richard Strong pointed out how the rates went up if the mowing was done bi-weekly ($65/hour) and monthly ($75/hour).
“You don’t know if it’s all that,” Strong said.
Mayor Roland Lanehart, Jr. told Faith to contact REM for clarification as one lot might be only done once.
For fleet maintenance, there were six bids received – Hancock Chevrolet ($99.99/hour), Main Street Motors ($95/hour flat rate, diesel power $115/hour, and hybrid $125/hour), Atlantic Off-road ($110/hour), LC Repair ($70/hour under 8500 GDW, $90 over), and Roland’s Garage ($50/hour under 8500 GDW, $65 over).
This pricing would cover the town’s 14-vehicle fleet that includes the Hancock Police Department vehicles, Public Works’ vehicles, and Faith’s work vehicle.
Faith said these rates are for fleet and not individual rates.
Officials unanimously approved Roland’s Garage for the fleet maintenance contract.
