Council awards contract for cleanup

Rector took a big step forward Monday night in its efforts to remove and dispose of the large amount of debris and the large number of hanging limbs left behind by the late January ice storm.

In a special meeting, held at City Hall, the city council opened and discussed bids for the three-pronged project. The city received bids for removing the debris, cutting limbs and monitoring the overall process to ensure the project meets guidelines set forth by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Most of the bids encompassed both brush and limb projects and were based on a cost rate per cubic yard of debris removed and cost per tree for trimming dangerous limbs.

Companies submitting bids were Evergreen Tree Service of Florida, J.B. Tree Service of North Carolina, Watson Construction Company of Rector, Langley Excavating of Searcy, Crafton Tree Service of Blytheville, Crowder Disaster Recovery of Florida and Pete and Ron's Tree Service of Florida.

The bids from Crowder and Watson dominated the discussion, with the two estimates close in total cost. Watson came in as the low bidder on brush removal, at $3.95 per cubic yard. The Watson bid for cutting limbs was $39.99 per tree. Crowder's bid for debris removal was $4.09 per cubic yard, with a charge of $27 per tree for limb trimming.

Prior to opening the bids, the council expressed its interest in not only examining the total cost of the project, but also in reviewing the equipment and overall capabilities of the companies to get the job done in a timely manner.

"We're likely to take the low bid," said mayor Ron Kemp. "But a big part of any decision made will be based on the capacity (of the bidder) to do the job."

Based on that criteria, the council was highly interested in the prospect of using Crowder. Evergreen and Crowder were the only bidders for both the debris and trimming projects with representatives present for the opening of the bids.

Steve Jackson of Crowder provided a list of available equipment and offered a description of how the work would be done. Jackson said Crowder would likely start the cleaning process with six self-loading trucks in the city, allowing for more work to be done, as well as serving as a sign to residents that efforts were underway. He added the task probably ultimately could be managed with two or three trucks hauling brush. Jackson said the company uses trucks with automated lifting arms, allowing for greater ease and accuracy when collecting brush piles. He said five bucket trucks are available for the tree trimming.

Jackson went on to say that he believes his company could remove most of the brush in approximately two weeks.

Council members noted that Watson Construction Company, a general contractor which has been hired by the city for numerous projects in the past, does not have the same type of equipment immediately at its disposal. There was no Watson representative at the meeting for confirmation on what type of equipment the company would use if awarded the bid.

Also noted was Crowder's experience with similar projects. Jackson told the council the company has worked extensively in areas recovering from hurricane damage.

"Personally, I'd like to see us go with someone in this type of business," said alderman Cam Cate. "No disrespect to any of our local general contractors, but I think we'd be better off with someone who specializes in this type of work."

Cate and alderman David Freeman also expressed a preference in using one company to handle both debris removal and tree trimming.

Several companies offered lump sum bids for the entire project, at least one of which was at a discounted rate. However, the council was hesitant to lend support to such a bid, as the projected numbers of 20,000 cubic yards of brush is only an estimate. That number could be lower or, more likely, higher.

After a period of discussion, Cate made a motion to accept the bids offered by Crowder. He was seconded by Freeman, with council members Teresa Roofe and Lavern "Mac" Manchester voting in agreement.

While the city typically accepts the lowest bid for such projects, it is not required to do so, especially in this type of circumstance where the work done is required to meet strict standards enforced by FEMA. If the projects do not fully meet FEMA regulations, the city could lose all rights to reimbursement on the project.

As such, city attorney Kimberley Dale said the council was fully within its rights to choose a bid other than the lowest offered, based upon criteria such as experience in the type of work and confidence in the ability to complete the project in a timely fashion.

Also present at the meeting was Ahmed Itayem of Solid Resources. Solid Resources offered a bid solely for the monitoring aspect of the operation. Itayem said the monitoring service offers a lot of positives to cities in the clean-up process. Itayem said the purpose of the monitoring is to make certain the work done is in compliance with FEMA regulations and to handle much of the management for the entire project.

"Basically, we take a lot of the burden off the city," Itayem said.

The council admitted to being taken aback by the projected cost of hiring a company to perform the monitoring part of the project. In its bid, Solid Resources stated the cost for a project manager for the operation would be $67 per hour. A field supervisor position would receive a rate of $62 per hour. These two positions would be filled by members of the company. Solid Resources also planned to employ approximately 10 field monitors at a rate of $36 per hour. The field monitor positions would be hired out to local persons, who would receive training for the job from Solid Resources.

With Jackson estimating Crowder would work approximately 12 hours per day, seven days a week for around 10 to 12 days to complete the project, the cost of having the monitors quickly escalated beyond what the council envisioned.

"What it all boils down to is that FEMA makes you spend a whole lot more to clean up some brush than you ought to," Freeman said.

Still, the city showed interest in working out an agreement with Solid Resources.

Kemp said he was inclined to recommend the city secure the services of a monitoring group, but wants to talk with FEMA representative Frank Ford about the number of monitors needed for the effort. The state and federal government will pay for all but 12.5 percent of the monitoring work and the mayor indicated the city has in-kind matching resources for its share. Therefore, the monitoring should not require any city funds.

Itayem indicated Solid Resources would be willing to work with the city in determining the least number of monitors needed in Rector, adding he would serve as the project manager. He said the project manager and project supervisor would split their time between work in Rector and other areas to limit the cost for the two positions.

The council agreed to enter into discussions with Solid Resources on their monitoring program, with additional information and insight from FEMA on the matter.

While the overall process has taken some time, Kemp said he is confident the city is following the correct guidelines.

"We're doing this right," Kemp said. "We're doing it the way it's supposed to be done."

Final Date For Pickup

After much discussion, the council agreed to set a final date at the April 6 council meeting for debris to be placed near curbside for removal as part of the city effort. The council expects the final date to be in mid-April.

The council expressed concern over residents waiting until the last minute to make brush piles available for removal. Residents are encouraged to have their downed limbs ready when Crowder begins collecting them.

Airport Grant

Rector was awarded a state grant for airport improvements in the amount of $328,590. The money will be used to resurface and stripe the runway, as well as erect new fencing at the site. Rector received more money for airport improvements than any other city in the state.

The city currently is taking bids on the project and will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, April 13, to accept a proposal.