Pestered by advisors, Dukes County seeks bids for pest control

Dukes County Commissioners voted unanimously at their May 22 meeting to issue a request for proposals (RFP), seeking bidders who want to provide pest control services to Island towns.

The commissioners also agreed to revise the fiscal 2014 county budget, to reflect that only three of the six Island towns have appropriated money to continue participation in the county's integrated pest management (IPM) program. This year the county asked towns to fund 100 percent of the program, which was once funded entirely from the county's operating budget.

The commission's decision to issue an RFP came after a testy meeting of the county advisory board, where representatives from Tisbury, West Tisbury, and Oak Bluffs said they would not sign a memorandum of agreement outlining the scope of services offered by the county.

Representatives from Aquinnah, Chilmark, and Edgartown said they want to continue the program as it now operates.

The county advisory board, which includes one selectman from each Island town, has oversight responsibility for the county budget.

Unanimous vote

If the county services only three towns, revenue from town contributions and from fees would be significantly reduced.

"We must at the very least revise our budget to reflect that there are three towns now willing, and have voted funding to pay for the program," county commissioner Melinda Loberg of Tisbury said at the May 22 meeting. "We obviously have to not only revise the budget, but perhaps the program itself, the size of it, to be able to pay for it."

Ms. Loberg said putting the services out to bid will help towns make a decision about whether they want to continue a regional approach, or contract individually for pest control services.

"They've been questioning if this is the best we can do for our money, should we be looking in another direction," commissioner Melinda Loberg said at the May 22 meeting. "I think this will answer those questions for them, and may enable the towns who are questioning it to say yes, a regional program makes sense for us."

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Pestered by advisors, Dukes County seeks bids for pest control