ASSIGINACK—After a disappointing second round of retendering, Assiginack made the decision during special meeting held Thursday, July 26 that it would not proceed with the proposed new fire hall.
The first round of tendering saw two tenders come in at almost double the budgeted amount of $800,000. Council met with its engineers to find ways to knock the price down and re-tendered. During the opening of the latest tenders last week, the figures were still far too high, clerk-treasurer Jeremy Rody explained.
“Council felt that, although it was high on their list of priorities, due to the bids coming in high it would be put on the list for the next council in the hope that it goes through,” he told The Expositor. “Council isn’t comfortable with the timing either,” he added, noting the close proximity to the municipal election and lame duck period where no major spending is allowed.
Mayor Paul Moffatt said CAO Alton Hobbs is looking into how the engineering company managed to be so far off in their estimations.
“It’s very disappointing,” the mayor said.
Currently, the fire hall operates from a shared space with Assiginack’s public works department on Highway 6, across from the Ontario Provincial Police detachment. The current building is in need of repairs.
The fire hall was to be 4,160 square feet and host three bays and be built at the corner of Arthur and Vankoughnet Streets (the northeast corner of the fairground lot) and would include two offices, a kitchenette/training room, one washroom and one barrier-free washroom, a bunker room, electrical room and compressor room. There was also to be a mezzanine offering 1,322 square feet of added space.
