MINOOKA, IL — The Minooka Village Board has approved a three-year tree trimming contract that officials say will help the village maintain trees in parks and along public parkways while keeping costs down. The agreement totals about $180,000 over the life of the contract, or roughly $60,000 a year, with the final year expected to run a little higher. Village Administrator Dan Duffy said the village has been leaning more heavily on multiyear contracts in recent years to lock in better pricing and service. He said the approach gives contractors more certainty and can produce savings for residents.
Why the village uses contracts
Duffy said the village has made a habit of combining services into longer-term agreements, including tree trimming and tree planting, because the board believes the strategy leads to better value. He said the village was able to secure what he described as a strong price for the work under the new contract. The idea, he explained, is to provide contractors with an assurance of future business in exchange for more favorable rates. Village officials say the practice has become part of a broader effort to control costs while still maintaining public spaces at a high level.
Keeping roads and paths safe
The trimming work is aimed at more than appearance. Duffy said village standards require trees to be cut high enough to avoid blocking stop signs or obscuring a driver’s view of the road. He said the village also wants to make sure branches do not interfere with people walking or biking on sidewalks and parkways. By keeping trees elevated and properly maintained, officials say the work helps preserve visibility at intersections and makes public spaces easier and safer to use. The contract covers work in both parks and the village’s parkway areas.
Staffing limits at Public Works
Duffy said Minooka’s Public Works Department has about eight employees, and the crew does not have enough staffing to take on all of the tree trimming while also handling its other duties. He said contracting out the work allows the village to get it done more efficiently than trying to absorb it entirely in-house. The outside help also lets village employees stay focused on other maintenance and service needs. Officials described the arrangement as similar to how the village relies on contractors for some snow removal and for mowing larger public areas.
What the agreement means next
The new contract gives the village a scheduled plan for tree trimming over the next three years rather than leaving the work to be arranged year by year. Officials said that kind of stability can help with budgeting and planning for routine maintenance in parks and along streets. The agreement is also another example of Minooka using multiyear service contracts to stretch public dollars further. For residents, village leaders say the practical result should be better-maintained trees, clearer sight lines and less interference with travel on sidewalks, roads and parkways.
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