LIVERMORE — Selectpersons voted 5-0 Tuesday to terminate the cemetery mowing contract with Michael Webber.
Last week more complaints about the mowing were received, Administrative Assistant Aaron Miller said. “I received a call from Sen. (Lisa) Keim’s office after a complaint was brought to their crew there,” he said. “I’m just keeping you guys apprised of the situation.”
After several complaints were received in June, the board agreed to meet with Webber to discuss the situation. In August several more complaints were received, including grass not mowed and brush and debris not removed.
“It happened this year, it happened last year,” Selectperson Scott Richmond said after moving to terminate the contract. “I’m sick of my phone ringing.”
The contract states the town will notify the contractor within 48 hours of receiving a complaint, Selectperson Tracey Martin said. “If we haven’t done that, how can we hold him accountable?”
“It says he’d contact us too if he wasn’t able to do (the mowing),” Selectperson Mark Chretien noted.
Selectperson Brett Deyling said he needed to know whether there’s a plan before he could vote.
There is a plan, Richmond said, but he didn’t want to discuss it until after the vote on terminating the contract.
“I’ve contacted somebody, had him give me a price,” Richmond said. “We’re going to get fined for not having veterans’ graves mowed.”
Chretien said it was a contractor with the required insurance.
After terminating Webber’s contract, the board unanimously approved hiring Sunshine Pools for $4,650 to finish out the year and do fall cleanup.
The mowing will be rebid in November, Chretien said.
Prior to the first vote, Webber said the reason for not mowing was because of a couple instances of vandalism to his equipment.
“My machines don’t run on diesel,” Webber said. “Somebody siphoned the gas out and added diesel so it took a little while to get parts and get the machines back into running order. I should have called Aaron and I didn’t.”
“Who would siphon gas out of a tank and replace it with diesel,” Deyling asked later.
“My dog ate my homework,” Richmond replied.
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