ACTION REQUESTED:
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Communication from the City Manager, Community Development Director, and Public Works Director with a Recommendation to Approve a CONTRACT with WINEINGER AND SONS, in the Amount of $60,000, for the 2014 MOWING OF VACANT LOTS Held by the PEORIA COUNTY TRUSTEE.
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BACKGROUND:
The Peoria County Trustee acquires properties through the tax deed process. The Trustee holds these properties on behalf of all taxing bodies until they are sold at auction. If the properties are not sold at the auction, they remain in the possession of the Peoria County Trustee indefinitely.
However, the Trustee does not maintain the properties. As such, the responsibility to maintain properties within the corporate limits of Peoria falls to the City. Traditionally this maintenance has been administered through the work order process that is used for privately held vacant properties. A complaint or on-sight case would be opened; a Code Enforcement Inspector would visit the site to verify that the violation existed and would then issue a work order for a private contractor to abate the violation.
This reactive process is necessary for privately held properties because there is no method to determine whether a violation will occur on a property until it actually occurs. However, we know that properties held by the Trustee will need to be maintained during the warmer months.
The Community Development and Public Works Departments have worked together over the past few months to move the Trustee held lots from a reactive process to a proactive process, similar to the process used for City owned properties.
To that end, the RFP for 2014 lot maintenance services included Trustee held properties and City held properties. The initial thought was that the contract for the maintenance of City held properties would be managed from the Public Works Department, and the contract for the maintenance of Trustee held properties would be managed from the Community Development Department. Upon further discussion, it was determined that the more efficient approach would be to have both contracts managed from the Public Works Department.
As with the City owned properties, the Trustee held properties would be placed on a scheduled maintenance calendar. In total, this will result in the proactive cutting of over 700 parcels during the growing months, rather than the traditional reactive approach to over 500 of these parcels. Historically, the Peoria County Trustee lots were cut 3 to 5 times each year. In 2014, the Peoria County Trustee lots will be cut 9 to 10 times.
The table below outlines the approach and responsibilities related to property maintenance.
Property Maintenance Responsibilities |
Cutting of Grass and Weeds & Minor Litter Items |
Dumping of Garbage, Litter, Car Parts, etc. |
Housing Code Violations |
City Owned Property |
Public Works - Private Contractor - Scheduled Rotation |
Public Works - City Personnel |
Not Applicable |
Trustee Held Property |
Public Works - Private Contractor - Scheduled Rotation |
Community Development - Private Contractor - Work Order |
Not Applicable |
Vacant Privately Held Properties |
Community Development - Private Contractor - Work Order |
Community Development - Private Contractor - Work Order |
Not Applicable |
Occupied Privately Held Properties |
Community Development - Private Contractor - Abate Notice then Work Order |
Community Development - Private Contractor - Abate Notice then Work Order |
Community Development - Hearing Officer |
The selected contractor for the rotation cuts of Trustee held properties is WINEINGER AND SONS. They represent the lowest bidder at a cost per cut per lot of $12.50.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Funds were budgeted for 2014 in account 101-1916-507.36-14
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS: Tall grass and weeds are a blighting influence to neighborhoods and can cause health concerns.
IMPACT IF APPROVED: Blight would be reduced in neighborhoods as Peoria County Trustee lots would be cut much more frequently than years past.
IMPACT IF DENIED: Lots would be cut less frequently and they older work order process would be utilized.
ALTERNATIVES: Continue to use old work order process.
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER:
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL'S 2014 - 2029 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Attractive Neighborhoods with Character: Safe and Livable
2. Financially Sound City Government, Effective City Organization
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Reinvest in neighborhoods.
2. Have an efficient government.
3. Keep taxes and fees competitive.
DEPARTMENT: Community Development