A planned addition to the Drayton fire hall to accommodate expanded ambulance presence here will go ahead, despite the fact tenders came in over budget for the project.
Mapleton council accepted a bid from Domm Construction for $113,000 at the July 9 meeting. Staff felt the only other bid received, $111,120 from Stahle Construction, did not meet the requirements of the tender, as site work such as asphalt paving/line painting, landscaping, concrete curbs and sidewalks, which were part of the tender specifications, was not included.
In a report to council, CAO Patty Sinnamon pointed out only $70,000 has been budgeted for the project.
“Both bids are well over the budgeted amount,” noted Sinnamon, adding that annual rental fees for the ambulance space, based on an agreement with the City of Guelph amount to $12,000. While it was anticipated the agreement was to be for a 10-year period, the city has since indicated it wants a five-year agreement, she explained.
Council elected to award the project to Domm Construction, rather than choosing one of the other options outlined in the staff report, which included rejecting both tenders due to the high cost and having the township act as general contractor on the project, or not proceeding with the addition.
The latter option, the report states “may have implications on the presence of an ambulance located in Drayton throughout the day.”
The budget shortfall for the project will be taken from reserves.
Guelph-Wellington Emergency Medical Services has used a bay at the Drayton fire station to house an ambulance for the past several years, but with no written agreement in place. The ambulance is scheduled to operate from there daily from 8am to 4pm.
