Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

After receiving three bids for the annual landscape maintenance services at the Oakfuskee Conservation Center, the county has awarded the contract to low bidder Vita Turf Lawn Care, of LaGrange.

All three quotes received were from local bidders, with Vita Turf earning the job with the low bid of $29,000.

The work will include weekly mowing, edging, trimming, pruning and blowing as needed to maintain a clean neat appearance from April through September. The property will also be blown and maintained as needed for a nice/clean/neat appearance from October to March.

Additional work includes annual pruning and fertilization of shrubs and six applications of weed control programs for sodded turf areas.

Other bids were provided by LaGrange Landscape & Maintenance, Inc. at $49,164 and Southern Oaks Landscape Co. at $32,400.

Funds for the landscape maintenance contract will not come from taxpayer monies and will come from the Oakfuskee general operating budget, which is being run as an enterprise.

“We run Oakfuskee as a business, so any revenue that is generated at Oakfuskee goes back to pay for the expenses of Oakfuskee,” County Manager Eric Mosley said.

Mosley said the event center is already well booked through the end of 2024. The weekends are just about filled up all the way until December but there are some openings available during the week, he said, noting they starting to book into 2025 and already have an event booked in 2026.

Assistant County Manager Jay Anderson said Vita Turf has been providing landscaping for the Ag Center since it opened and they are happy with their work there.