Council awards contract for ash tree removal

ckwstv.com
Jan. 27, 2016
Paul Soucy

The City of Kingston has awarded another contract that isn’t based on the lowest bid. This time, it’s for tree cutting. Treescape has been hired to help remove hundreds of ash trees this year. As Newswatch’s Paul Soucy tells us, the tree contract follows a recent trend of going with more expensive bids.

It’s a costly trend across Ontario.Mature ash trees being cut down to stop the spread of an invasive beetle, the emerald ash borer. Once again this year, the City of Kingston has hired a private company to help remove ash trees…. before they fall down.

Damon Wells:
“Hopefully we can do all the work we want to do which is the removals, the planting, the treatments to try to save a number of the trees as well, all within that budget and I think we’re on track to do that.”

“The city is spending about 900-thousand dollars in each of the next 4 years to remove hundreds of ash trees from streets and parks. The program also includes a special treatment to spare some trees the axe… and replanting clear cut neighbourhoods with new species.”

It’s a mammoth job. But the latest tree removal contract is more expensive than other competing bids.

Damon Wells:
“Sometimes the lowest price, you don’t get all the qualifications you’re looking for.”

Council hired Treescape — a company that’s done similar work in Mississauga — to do the work this year at a cost of 88-thousand dollars. That’s double the price of the lowest bid. But Councillors say the higher cost comes with more experience … and guarantees the job will get done.

Richard Allan:
“The bidder, which is quite low compared to some of the other submissions that has been chosen is a good value for taxpayers because they also come with a good set of expertise.”

It’s not the first time council has thrown out the lowest bids … and gone with a more expensive company.

The latest version of the Big Dig on Princess Street went to a company that charged a million dollars more than a rival firm. And recently, an extra million dollars was spent to hire a company to do the 3rd crossing bridge design. The ash tree contract may not be on the same scale as those other projects — but city officials say it’s necessary to get the job done right, the first time. Officials say they know money doesn’t grow on trees, especially the one’s getting the axe.

Richard Allan:
What we’re trying to do is be responsible with taxpayers’ money rather than simply jump at the lowest price.”