An elected official in The Villages has expressed concern about a pair of landscapers recently walking away from contracts for work with the District.
Community Development District 10 Chairman Don Wiley, a member of the Project Wide Advisory Committee, on Thursday said he was concerned about KB Lawn and Landscaping, Inc. and Hardscapes of Central Florida LLC, who gave up contracts for landscaping at Lake Sumter Landing Market Square. The $226,091.78 annual contract had been awarded to KB Lawn and Landscaping Inc., which had the contract for five and a half years. It was turned over to Hardscapes of Central Florida LLC, when Kevin Burke of KB Lawn and Landscaping Inc. decided to take his business in another direction.
Now, Hardscapes of Central Florida LLC has decided it doesn’t want the contract.
“The owner indicated he could no longer meet the needs of the contract and asked to be released from their contract,” said the District’s Purchasing Director Mark LaRock.
Wiley said he is concerned that now two companies have opted out of the contract.
“It’s starting to be a trend,” Wiley said.
“If I bought a new car and I decided three months down the road I couldn’t afford it, I couldn’t just turn it back in,” Wiley said.
Sam Wartinbee of District Property Management said Hardscapes owner Benjamin Hess, who previously owned Shepherd’s Landscape, had experienced a labor problem.
“Ben got rid of the majority of his employees because they were not doing a good job,” Wartinbee told PWAC members.
“Right now labor is a major issue. Landscape, janitorial, construction,” Wartinbee added.
Hardscapes of Central Florida will continue with a contract for landscaping at The Villages Public Safety Department fire stations.
Wiley asked if penalty clauses could be added to future contracts in an effort to persuade contractors to live up to their side of the deal.
Wartinbee warned that penalty clauses could drive up the price of the contracts.
For now, the work is being parceled out to contractors at the same rate of the original contract. There has not been any additional expense to the District.
PWAC is funded by maintenance assessment fees paid by residents living south of County Road 466.
