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Wlaf1450
By Charlotte Underwood
LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- LaFollette Utility Board members met very briefly on Monday morning in a special called meeting, approving the low bidder Baird Tree Company for hourly tree trimming bids. This agenda item was tabled following last month’s meeting after board member Laura Byrge asked for time to get more information on the bids.
“I have received documentation for clarity on that, and I am ready to move forward with that decision now,” Byrge said after the hourly bids were presented Monday morning.
The utility received six bids for the hourly tree trimming services. Darkhorse Companies was rejected because there was a conflict of interest due to former LUB General Manager Kenny Baird’s affiliation with that company and that he was also still on the payroll at LUB until March 6th when his contracted position officially ended.
Of the five bids that the board could choose from, Baird Tree Company was the low bid at $168.00 hourly. The high bid was from Townsend Tree Company at $300.07 hourly. The low bid was recommended and approved by the board. Other bidders included W.A. Kendall with a bid of $291.90 an hourly, Thomas Contracting/Xylem at $269.83 hourly and MidSouth Power at $196.73 hourly. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-03/11/2026-6AM)