Tree removal contract awarded in Freehold Borough

FREEHOLD The Borough Council has awarded a $38,958 contract for tree removal and tree trimming to Drago Services of the Perrineville section of Millstone Township.

A resolution passed by the council on Aug. 5 states that Freehold Borough has one of the more significant inventories of shade trees in Monmouth County.

It references that the recent remnants of superstorm Sandy had a profound impact on the health and sustainability of the boroughs shade trees, necessitating an expeditious contract to remove many of these hazardous trees.

The resolution notes that the boroughs Shade Tree Commission recommended that a contract be immediately prepared to begin removal of trees that are diseased and pose an imminent hazard to the public safety.

According to the resolution, the Shade Tree Commission and municipal officials prepared a bid to establish a contract to perform tree removal and tree trimming services.

The bids were advertised on May 2 and opened on May 23. According to the resolution, the only bid was from Drago Services. The resolution states that the firm was the apparent low bidder and has satisfied all of the bid requirements.

Council members said Drago Services has completed similar work in town in the past, and they said they were satisfied with the companys work.

Councilman Ron Griffiths said that before Sandy struck on Oct. 29, Mayor Nolan Higgins reached out to a number of tree trimming companies to ask if they could be on alert if needed to be available the day after the storm.

All five companies said yes, Griffiths said, but Drago Services is the only company which kept its word and showed up the day after the storm.

Griffiths said he believed it was appropriate to proceed with the awarding of the contract even though there was only one bid received for the job.

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Tree removal contract awarded in Freehold Borough