KAGAWONG – Billings township council has awarded a contract for the engineering work involved in the reconstruction of Main Street in Kagawong.
At a meeting last week, council passed a motion to accept the proposal from EXP Engineering Services for design and associated engineering services related to the reconstruction of Main Street in Kagawong.
“I would like to thank staff for all its efforts on this, considering where we were a year and a half ago when we were forced to give back substantial government funding for the project (due to a much higher amount tendered for the work from prospective companies),” said Councillor Bryan Barker. “It is quite exciting to get the project back on track. This work is well-needed and it is nice to see this is going ahead.”
Todd Gordon, economic development officer for Billings told council, “as council has before them, proposals that we have received for the design and associated engineering services related to reconstruction of Main Street, tender service, and administration of the contract. And last but not least, the site inspection and having a professional on site during the project. The intent is to provide for start-to-finish engineering.”
This spring, council initiated a request for proposal process to obtain engineering design and related services for the reconstruction of Main Street in Kagawong.”
The RFP was written by the EDO, with assistance from other staff, and Mr. Gordon managed the RFP process. The RFP was hosted online using a procurement site called Biddingo, council was informed.
Mr. Gordon outlined the parameters of the scope of the project which includes the intersection of Main Street and provincial Highway 540, northerly down the hlll, through the hamlet to the proximity of the north intersection of Main Street and Upper Street (a distance of just under one kilometre). “Important issues/considerations include drainage, vehicular safety, safe and accessible pedestrian movement, ease of maintenance, including winter control and maintenance.”
The RFP for the engineering design includes the detailed cost estimating, tender services, contract administration and project management, as well as construction site inspection services in addition to the overall design itself. The project design work is to be completed by November 13.
“We received four proposals,” said Mr. Gordon, who pointed out there was extensive discussion and evaluations undertaken of each. The proposals were evaluated by the EDO, the CAO, the mayor and Councillor Barker. Public works staff provided input and were fully engaged in the site inspection meetings, “a reality genuinely appreciated by me as facilitator of those sessions,” said Mr. Gordon.
The four quotes including HST included Greer Galloway Consulting Engineers at a tender of $143,591; Tulloch Engineering at $150,166; J.L. Richards and Associates Ltd. $214,689; and EXP Services Inc. for $155,559.
Mr. Gordon recommended to council that the tender from EXP Services Inc. be accepted.
Councillor Barker put forward the motion accepting the recommendation from Mr. Gordon and Councillor Sharon Alkenbrack seconded the motion prior to council passing a final motion to accept EXP Services Inc.’s tender.
“I would like to echo what Bryan (Barker) has said. It has been an up and down exercise to get back on track and I’m extremely pleased this project is going to go ahead,” stated Mayor Ian Anderson.
