"We called them for a quote and the quote seemed very reasonable for the removal and stump grinding. We were happy with the way they performed at SOAR, so when we needed two more removed at Ashley we called them again. They again responded quickly and cleaned up after themselves. I would anticipate calling them again if the need arises. "
Again, Mealy's questions were not completely answered. So...on to a little detective work. There was no website for the firm, but there was a yellow page ad in the Sun Prairie phone book. A Google search of the company's phone number revealed that the phone number was also the home phone number of someone with the same unusual name as a certain member of the SPASD District Administration.
In a pre-Finance Committee meeting discussion with board member Terry Shimek, Shimek understood the underlying concern about the district contracting out for business with family members. But he seemed to be the only one who knew of the situation and understood the potential gravity. Interestingly enough, Phil Frei, Rhonda Page, and school board member/ Finance Committee chair, Jim McCourt all indicated that they had no idea that a familial relationship existed between a school district administrator and the local lawn care firm.
What is at issue here is not the quality of the work performed or even the price of the work performed. The underlying theme that the school board and district do not seem to understand is the need to conduct business in a manner which ensures against any potential conflicts of interest.
Even for such a small amount ($1450), if the district even considered having the firm in question perform the work, they SHOULD have accepted at least two other bids and gone with the most competitive bid. Only doing business in that manner could the board and the district escape the questions that continually gnaw at the root of trust. The fact that other district staff presumably had no knowledge of any relationship only adds further fuel to a smoldering fire.
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