jim-jam Posted July 6, 2006 Report Share Posted July 6, 2006 I've been noticing the very shoddy state of the grass around Shetland of late, especially in the North Isles. From what I gather, the grass cutting contract specifications state that each area of grass has to be cut a specific number of times per year. The new contractors have obviously been cutting the grass less frequently than what they should. I'd like to know if the council still pay the new contractors the full amount, even though they're not actually doing the work they tendered for, or do the council fine them/deduct money from the payment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted July 7, 2006 Report Share Posted July 7, 2006 jim-jam wrote he new contractors have obviously been cutting the grass less frequently than what they should. I'd like to know if the council still pay the new contractors the full amount, even though they're not actually doing the work they tendered for, or do the council fine them/deduct money from the payment. In common with all government contracts there should be a performance related penalty clause.....if not then perhaps the way the SIC awards contracts is flawed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeriebryan Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 Somebody told me that the point had been raised with councillors on Radio Shetland (Thursday, I believe). The councillors claimed that the new contactors were having a 'settling in period' There is no provision for such nonsense in the contract documentation. It's not rocket science. Grass grows = cut the grass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally jumblat Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 Does anyone know when the grass at Nederdale was last cut. To quote one of my parents, "it is a hell of a sight". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petergear Posted July 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 Pretty hopeless fuel So far as I understand (and this is just a vague impression based upon a casual conversation with the boys at the dump), the grass is used to help regulate the temperature of the incinerator. I think that the temperature of the incinerator varies considerably depending upon the type of stuff they're burning. For example, if there's a high polystyrene content then it gets too hot, and they then use the grass to cool it (!). I might be wrong though so don't quote me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petergear Posted July 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 there should be a performance related penalty clause Unfortunately there isn't so far as I know. The SIC's officers at Infrastructure Services can give repeated warnings to the contractor, and should they have the will, can give any work which isn't getting done to other contractors. However no local firms have yet been offered to give prices for any of the work which Golders are quite clearly failing to get around to. Very frustrating and disappointing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 Pretty hopeless fuel So far as I understand (and this is just a vague impression based upon a casual conversation with the boys at the dump), the grass is used to help regulate the temperature of the incinerator. I think that the temperature of the incinerator varies considerably depending upon the type of stuff they're burning. For example, if there's a high polystyrene content then it gets too hot, and they then use the grass to cool it (!). I might be wrong though so don't quote me! Well, at least there's one person on the council payroll somewhere in the big girse merry-go-round, that has some common sense and can be practical then. Find them, and make them Convenor immediately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 there should be a performance related penalty clause Unfortunately there isn't so far as I know. The SIC's officers at Infrastructure Services can give repeated warnings to the contractor, and should they have the will, can give any work which isn't getting done to other contractors. Just how bad does it have to be then before a contractor is technically in breach of contract?....Vanish completely off the isle like a few cowboy builders in the 70's, and it appeared to take days/weeks for the council to even notice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowe Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 I'm not living in Shetland at the moment so I have no reason to complain about the grass cutting. However, I was talking to a friend in Unst earlier and she said that she and others had really noticed the poor quality(and in some cases, total lack) of grass cutting locally. I think it hasn't occurred to a lot of people that a quick call or letter to the council could really help to draw attention to the problem. Maybe people feel like they can only complain if its about an area right outside their door but the state of verges and parks etc is everybodys business really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 there should be a performance related penalty clause Unfortunately there isn't so far as I know. The SIC's officers at Infrastructure Services can give repeated warnings to the contractor, and should they have the will, can give any work which isn't getting done to other contractors. However no local firms have yet been offered to give prices for any of the work which Golders are quite clearly failing to get around to. Very frustrating and disappointing. Well there should be.........it should be standard practice for all contracts that are spending our money.......yes it is our money not the SIC's......to have clauses that can penalise the contractor if work is not up to scratch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheesht Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 The bits I see around us never cut often enough. Twice this summer so far? Surely something wrong there SIC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Golders have been cutting the grass in the bit of town I live in. Seems to me that they do not cut it quite as short as has been done in previous years but I fear I have one thing to say in their favour. I think that the equipment they use is quieter. Maybe this is just a year 1 thing and anyway I would rather have seen a nosier local firm doing the work. As for the quality of work......it is ok other than the cut not being so close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petergear Posted August 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 The flower beds still haven't been touched yet. They should have 10 visits over the course of the summer. This is us well into August now. Great going. The Council upgraded the specification this year quite considerably, with in some instances, double the previous frequency of cuts. So we should have enjoyed a huge improvement in service this summer over previous years. What do you think? Have we seen a huge improvement? Incidentally, an excuse which was used to justify the "problems" they were having was that the new contractors were having a "settling-in period". If the contracts had been awarded to a local firm, I wonder whether such indulgences would have been given? And whether this would be allowed to continue all summer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted August 10, 2006 Report Share Posted August 10, 2006 The Council upgraded the specification this year quite considerably, with in some instances, double the previous frequency of cuts. So we should have enjoyed a huge improvement in service this summer over previous years. What do you think? Have we seen a huge improvement? Improvement ?. Quite the opposite. As someone who generally makes his way around the town on foot, I have noticed a marked deterioration over previous years with some areas looking very 'scruffy'. If this is an example of 'Best Value' in action then I think someone needs to remind our public employees that best value is about more than saving a few pounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArabiaTerra Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 Surely the issue here is the minimum wage. Golders are offering minimum wage to foremen, so are hardly likely to be paying even that much to their ordinary workers who are, I understand, Eastern European. Isn't this against the law? Who do you complain to? Does anyone in the council have responsibility to check what Golders are paying their staff, or is this something to report to the Inland Revenue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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