Kincardine council

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Kincardine council is considering a delay in replacing the roof at the municipal hall in order to cover a substantial increase in the cost for road work.

In committee-of-the-whole last night (June 2), public works manager Jim O'Rourke said the reconstruction tender for three major projects came in at almost $1.5 million. The budget was $910,500.

The work includes Huron Ridge Phase 3 (MacCaskill Road), watermain along Mount Forest Avenue (leading to the Women's House shelter), and Millennium Way sanitary and water services, surface asphalt, sidewalks and landscaping.

Five bids were received and Coores Construction Inc. of Sarnia was the lowest at $1,456,533.87. 

"I do not support delaying the replacement of the roof on this building," said councillor Ron Hewitt.

Deputy mayor Laura Haight asked O'Rourke to state the difference in asphalt prices for this year.

O'Rourke said the asphalt cost had increased by 25 per cent - to $107/tonne from $85/tonne last year.

"We should not leave the roof for a year," said Hewitt. "We should look for money someplace else to do it. We worked hard at budget time to keep that roof project in."

He agreed with awarding the tender for the road reconstruction, but he asked council to further discuss finding the money for the roof replacement at the municipal hall.

O'Rourke said the engineers had checked the roof and said that 75 per cent of the structural leaks had been repaired. The remaining minor leaks were likely there when the roof was put on.

"If we can get another winter out of it, they said that was fine," said O'Rourke. "We can tender it in the fall and then next spring, have the contractor ready to go."

Haight said that if O'Rourke and the engineers are confident that the municipal hall roof will make it through another winter, she agrees with that. In the fall, council would have an actual figure to put in the budget and then proceed next spring.

"We've cut enough out of the roads budget," she said. "I don't want to cut any more. This (delaying the roof replacement project) is the only option without disrupting the roads budget too much."

Later in council session, the reconstruction tender was officially awarded to Coores Construction.

Besides MacCaskill Road reconstruction and Mount Forest Avenue watermain, the work includes servicing on Millennium Way (east of Sobeys and Canadian Tire), for a future car wash on the west side and three vacant lots on the east side. It also includes sidewalks on the Durham Street extension west of Tim Hortons, and some  landscaping in the area.

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Wednesday, June 02, 2010