Wellington County council has approved the tender for the Fergus library renovation and addition pegged at $3.5 million at a special meeting Aug. 14.
Council approved the tender from TRP Construction General Contractors of Burlington over four other tenders received for the work, the highest coming in at slightly more than $6 million. TRP was the lowest tender received and did not include 13 per cent HST.
Council has already approved a $5 million budget for the work. The budget includes the $3.5 million for construction, $200,000 for removal of soil, $344,000 for architect fees, $300,000 for furniture, $50,000 for permits and approvals and a $339,000 contingency fund.
“We’re under the construction estimate and we’re still optimistic the work will come in under the $5 million budget,” CAO Scott Wilson told councillors.
Councillor Jean Innes inquired about the financial spread between the different tenders.
Warden Chris White said companies are always looking for work which may have resulted in the low tender.
“There’s all kinds of reasons,” he said of the differences in the tender prices.
