By ANDREA POTEET
Sunday Times Newspapers
ALLEN PARK — To cut costs, city officials are cutting down on grass mowing.
City Administrator David Tamsen said at a special meeting Tuesday that grass will not be cut in areas of parks farthest from residential areas.
Additionally, he said, officials plan to negotiate with lawn contractor B and C Property Maintenance to reduce its stated price of $47,000 for 26 cuts to all city parks and some boulevards, or to include baseball fields for the same price. The contract was awarded to the Allen Park-based company Tuesday.
The cost saving also applies to the city’s 2011 Memorial Day Fireworks, scheduled for June 25. Following its resolution that no special events can cost the city money, the council adopted a liquor license that would raise the cost of police overtime from $400 to $2,000 for the event, but completely cover the overtime expense under a state grant to prevent underaged drinking.
Without the liquor license, the $400 overtime expense would have fallen to the city, which would have had to seek additional donations to pay it.
The event currently is funded completely by donations, including a $10,000 prize from Reader’s Digest’s “We Hear You, America,” contest, awarded April 28 after residents voted for the city online.
In order to avoid paying employees overtime, cleanup is to be handled by the Department of Public Services during normal business hours and the Fire Department is to respond to calls from the site.