ELORA – Centre Wellington senior staff have discovered that tendering projects early in the year yields more bids and better pricing, which is why they brought five capital projects to council at its Jan. 5 meeting for approval before council has really delved into the 2023 budget.
“Normally we would pass the budget in December and in January start the tendering process,” CAO Dan Wilson explained.
“We find we are competing with every municipality and after March, with the province” on building projects.
“This time we did some tendering in the fall to get ahead of municipalities and the province and that resulted in excellent pricing.”
Those projects include replacement of bridge 24-WG on 1st Line and bridge 16-WG on 5th Line in West Garafraxa, reconstruction of East Mill Street in Elora, reconstruction of Beatty Line from St. Andrew Street to Millage Lane in Fergus, and renovation of the Elora Community Centre.
Bridge 24-WG
The original bridge was built in 1922 and has been closed since 2018 due to structural instability.
This bridge was approved for replacement in 2019 and went to tender in March of 2022. But only one bid was received, and it was well over budget, manager of engineering Adam Gilmore told council.
The project was re-tendered in November and staff recommended awarding the $3.9-million contract to Finnbuilt General Contracting Ltd.
Money to replace the bridge had been set aside and staff anticipated it would take another $700,000 to meet the price. But because of the early tender, the top up has been reduced to just $96,400
“Worth noting however, is that a portion of the anticipated budget savings on this project will be requested by staff to be directed to another bridge project (16WG) to facilitate construction works on both structures in the 2023 calendar year,” states the report by purchasing and risk supervisor Sandi Wiles.
Gilmore said construction should take place from spring to fall of 2023 and the bridge should reopen this year.
Bridge 16-WG
This bridge, on 5th Line north of Wellington Road 19, is the top bridge in the township in terms of risk, Gilmore said.
It was built in 1910 and was closed in 2021 due to poor structural integrity.
A request for tenders went out in November and staff was recommending the contract go to UrbanLink Civil Ltd. at a contract price of $2.6 million.
Savings from bridge 24WG will be used to cover some of this cost.
East Mill Street, Elora
Work is planned for East Mill Street between Metcalfe and Melville streets.
The watermain will be replaced, overhead utilities will be buried and there will be a new sidewalk on the north side of East Mill all the way to Melville Street, where a crosswalk will be added for those heading to Bissell Park.
There will also be a defined entrance to the plaza.
Gilmore said some pre-work with gas was done in 2022 and phase one of the project – burying the utilities – will get underway from May to December this year.
Phase two – the surface work – is planned for 2024.
Staff recommended awarding the contract to J.G. Goetz Construction Ltd. at a contract price of $2.39 million.
As Mill Street East is a county road, Wellington County will pick up the tab for part of that amount.
Beatty Line from St. Andrew Street to Millage Lane
This project includes a roundabout for the Beatty Line/Colborne Street intersection, a centre median for traffic calming, a turn lane, and sidewalks on a short strip of the street that will eventually link with sidewalks from a future development.
It will also connect cyclists and pedestrians to the Elora-Cataract Trail.
The project total is estimated at $6.6 million; $3.9 million from the Storybrook developer, $580,000 from Wellington County (it has property on the road) and the balance from Centre Wellington.
Elora Community Centre
COVID-19 slowed this project down but an Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) federal/provincial grant has it picking up steam.
The scope of the project had to be pared back when 2021 pricing proved astronomical.
The pared back version, with an overall price tag of $4.1 million, includes a new ice pad, new refrigeration system, accessible change rooms and washrooms and a heated viewing area.
Staff recommended awarding the contract to Gateman-Milloy Inc. at a contract price of $4,166,000.
Work is to begin in March and be completed by January 2024.
Tenders pre-approved
Council voted to pre-approve all the tenders and these figures will be reflected in the draft capital budget.
Council also got a “budget 101” lesson at the meeting, with a big-picture look at where money goes and where it comes from.
Township treasurer Adam McNabb recommended the fees and charges bylaw be updated to reflect inflation. Council voted to increase fees and charges by 3.5 per cent.
Council didn’t go through every line, but the draft capital budget for 2023 has $37.1 million worth of projects.
Highlights, aside from the five already mentioned, include developing a long-term parking strategy for the Elora and Fergus downtowns, updating the water and wastewater servicing master plan, new stairs from Victoria Park down to the Elora Gorge, and beginning the design work on St. David Street North in Fergus.
Gilmore noted the township did not get a Connecting Links grant from the province for the St. David Street project, but the municipality has re-applied and will know by April if it is successful.
“The project proceeding is contingent on getting the grant,” he added.
Council has many more meetings, including a public meeting, before approving the final budget in February.
