Garfield Board of Education will not farm out district's landscaping

The Garfield Board of Education voted down a resolution that would start a bidding process for the district's landscaping, snow and tree removal.

Business Administrator and Board Secretary Dr. Edward Izbicki said currently the work is being done in house by two custodians. Izbicki said after the meeting that it was a matter of the amount of work and how large the district's facilities are for two people to handle. He said the resolution would have gotten competitive prices and to see what else is out there.

Before the resolution came to a vote, board member Anthony Barckett made a motion to table it so there could be further discussion instead of the resolution failing. The motion to table until the next meeting didn't pass.

The majority of the board either voted no or abstained on the resolution, resulting in it failing.

The resolution recommended by the superintendent of schools and assistant superintendent of finance/board secretary, was to approve Edvocate, a consulting company, services for managing the invitation for bid process of the district's landscape, snow and tree removal. The resolution was for $5,000 for the proposed services.

Board member Elizabeth Gray said she couldn't vote in favor of the resolution because she is against privatization that could take away jobs from residents. Board member Jeffrey Stewart said he wants to talk with the director of facilities, the union and superintendent, who was absent from the meeting, to see if the impact could be positive or negative.

Email: cattafi@northjersey.com

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Garfield Board of Education will not farm out district's landscaping