Evanston committee approves $78,000 sole-source holiday lighting contract with vendor that stores and maintains decorations

The City of Evanston’s Administration and Public Works Committee voted Oct. 27 to approve a sole-source contract with Illuminate for installation, storage and maintenance of holiday lights and décor in Evanston business districts.

Council member Kelly moved to approve the contract and Council member Harris seconded. Council members approved the motion; the meeting record states the measure passed by a vote of 4-2-0.

The decision came after Kelly asked why staff recommended a sole-source contract. Paul Zalmizak, the city’s economic development manager, said the vendor ‘‘stores the lighting for us. They’ve selected the lighting for us. They maintain the lighting for us in the off season, and they’ve done an excellent job for us.’’ Zalmizak added the company’s ability to deliver a turnkey annual program, including storage and overnight installations that minimize traffic disruption, is uncommon among vendors the city has evaluated.

Kelly said she ‘‘get[s] concerned when we sole source a lot because it's easier just to continue with contracts’’ and pressed whether the city should rebid to obtain better pricing. Zalmizak told the committee he and public works staff expect rebidding periodically and recommended seeking competitive bids in the future to check the marketplace; he also said in-house installation would likely be more expensive once city salaries, benefits and overnight staffing needs are included. The chair noted the $78,000 contract is ‘‘relatively low’’ and suggested staff focus on larger-ticket items while periodically rebidding smaller contracts.

The vendor was identified in committee discussion as Illuminate; staff said the vendor has performed similar installations regionally, including at Lincoln Park Zoo. Committee members also noted that some districts and special service areas normally pay for lights in parts of Evanston and that Downtown Evanston and other business districts already fund their own decorations in whole or in part.

The committee did not produce an itemized bid comparison in the meeting record; the exact contract term length and renewal provisions were not specified during the discussion. Staff said they will consider rebidding in future procurement cycles.

The chair called for a roll call for the item with the four members in the room recording affirmative votes; the record reports the motion passed by a vote of 4-2-0. The transcript does not list the names of any ‘‘no’’ votes.