A constructive Oakdale City Council meeting on Feb. 19 saw the council voting to bring back street sweeping services to the city that had gone without since 2009.

By a vote of five to zero, the council awarded a $52,500 contract to Environmental Systems of Modesto for street sweeping of 167 curb miles within the city.

Under the agreement, streets and medians would be swept once per month, year round. Street sweeping services for the state highway route along Yosemite Avenue and West F Street and the downtown business district had not been suspended since it is funded by Caltrans.

Prior to the vote approving the measure, Kathleen Westenberg questioned city officials about the street sweepers and any erosion to the asphalt surface caused by the metal brushes used by the machinery.

Operations Manager Chuck Deschenes said he would look into alternate brushes but did not think the current materials used by the sweepers would damage city streets.

The council also awarded a contract to Grover Landscape of Modesto for park maintenance at Fair Oaks Park at a cost of $68,500. The money will be paid out of a $76,000 park rehabilitation grant awarded by the state.

Discussion included why the contract was not given to Haskell and Haskell, a local company in Knights Ferry, which had a bid of $125 lower than Grover.

Housing Coordinator Lourdes Barragan told officials that the city bid was not for the lowest bidder, but what services could be done for the $68,500 allowed for by the grant.

“Grover Landscape had the best scope of the work for the amount,” Barragan said, adding that the Haskell and Haskell bid did not include the irrigation modification needed for the project.