Over $630,000 in unforeseen public works costs were approved by council during a special meeting last week.
On Sept. 16 council decided to use next year’s budget to cover $609,150 in additional costs to extend paving on the 14th Line-Concession 14.
It also agreed to fund a $21,000 cost overrun on Moorefield sidewalk improvements through roads department reserves.
On Sept. 8 council awarded a tender worth just over $1-million to the Murray Group Limited for paving along the 14th, as well as for a half-kilometre section of Blind Line and the Moorefield works yard and fire hall parking lot.
Included in the 14th Line-Concession 14 portion of the tender, were two sections of the road:
– 14th Line, from Wellington Road 12 to Sideroad 21, a distance of 7.3km; and
– Concession 14, from Wellington Road 11 to Sideroad 12, a distance of 3.5km.
However, last week Clerk Patty Sinnamon told council the Murray Group’s price of $68.50 per tonne of asphalt is about $10 less than the 2008 price.
“Given the lower price on the asphalt … staff would recommend that the entire length of the 14th be repaved,” Sinnamon said in her report.
She added the estimate from the Murray Group to complete the entire road with 50mm of asphalt is $1,294,150 – “representing a $609,150 increase for that additional work.”
Sinnamon recommended the additional paving be shown as “unfinanced capital” in the 2009 budget, with the funds to be recovered in next year’s budget.
As part of the deal, and to help keep costs as low as possible, council decided to forego paving the Moorefield works yard and fire hall parking lot this year. However, the paving on Blind Line is still going forward.
Sidewalks
Last summer public works director Larry Lynch told council sidewalks throughout the township are in poor condition – particularly in Alma and Moorefield.
Council approved his suggestion to set aside $110,000 for sidewalk improvements in 2009, though that figure was eventually lowered to $100,000 during the budget process.
But Lynch told council last month all that money was spent fixing just the Moorefield sidewalks.
In fact, Sinnamon’s report last week stated costs for the Moorefield work came in just under $113,000, with another $8,000 expected for landscaping, which means the project is $21,000 over budget.
“The reason for the overage is that significant excavation work had to be carried out,” Sinnamon told council.
She explained that upon removal of the sidewalks, it was discovered some had been placed on top of the previous sidewalks. So additional excavation work was required to remove both sidewalks, and more gravel was required to prepare for the new concrete.
“This information was unknown to staff at the time of tendering,” Sinnamon said in her report.
Council okayed spending $21,000 from roads department reserves to cover the extra sidewalk work.
