Tara CDD selects new landscaping contractor

TARA — At the Tuesday board meeting continued from the week before, Tara Community Development District board members authorized staff to negotiate a contract with a new landscaping company. The scope of work will cut costs by $30,000 annually and cover more ground.

Board members chose Bradenton-based West Bay Landscape Inc. as its preferred contractor after two-week evaluation process.

Florida Lawnpros Inc., a Sarasota-based company, has performed the work for the Tara CDD for at least 10 years.

“The board believed we were paying too much for landscaping,” said John Schmidt, board chairman. “Our finances are in fine shape, but if you can cut costs by $30,000, you do it.”

West Bay’s bid calls for the CDD to pay $140,060 for landscaping the first year.

The CDD’s current contract with Florida Lawnpros is for $171,799 per year, excluding work such as planting annual and perennial flowers and layering mulch.

West Bay’s proposal includes extra services, such as applying fertilizer.

The board selected West Bay after each board member individually evaluated eight companies that made bids. Board members applied scores to various aspects of the bids, such as the experience and qualifications of the vendor, references, manpower and cost.

West Bay, which did not have a representative at the meeting, earned the highest combined score.

Board discusses costs for lake maintenance
Tara Community Development District supervisors will consider assuming responsibility for all of the community’s ponds and lakes, including those at The Tara Preserve Golf Club.

Of the $15,000 in pond bank repairs recommended by district engineer Rick Schappacher, $7,600 are golf course owned.

Supervisors agreed to talk with the golf course about sharing the cost of repairs.

The board delayed approving fixes to any of the pond banks until its March 25 meeting, after Schappacher, Matthew Huber, district manager, and Chairman John Schmidt approach the golf course about sharing costs.

In other business:
• Chairman John Schmidt expressed concern about a lack of storage space in the Tara Community Center and proposed building a small expansion to the community center that would provide storage space.

He received a $63,396 proposal from a contractor to do so.

The board agreed to look into purchasing a temporary, portable storage unit until a permanent storage solution is found.

• The board approved spending up to $4,500 to repaint the inside of the Tara Community Center.

Contact Josh Siegel at [email protected].