Council Approves Cast Iron Change Order Which Includes Trees And Medians
By Robert Thomas
Should things such as trees and medians complete with flowers be part of Phase Five of the Cast Iron Water Main Replacement Program was a question asked on Monday evening.
During discussion surrounding a proposed $1.4 million change order to Phase Five the issue of aesthetic street scape improvements was debated.
A change order is where a contracted or tendered work is enhanced with additional funding above the initial tender usually due to unforseen or untendered circumstances in the initial contract award.
In asking for the $1.4 million change order city manager Jim Puffalt said the main reason for the change order were things discovered underground which did not correspond to what was expected.
Puffalt said although the change order was seeking $1.4 million that it was still within the original project budget as the initial tender had come in $1.8 million lower than initially budgeted for.
“It's quite an intensive change order well within our budget,” Puffalt said.
Director of engineering services Bevin Harlton said the change order was necessitated due to what was found underground after the initial tender was awarded.
Although initially the City expected the water mains at Second Ave NW were not connected to the High Street West lines being replaced in Phase Five that work done has revealed this not to be the case and now the City will need to spend additional money to facilitate this needed work.
“At Second Avenue (NW) all of our background (information said they) were not connected,” Harlton said.
Work continues on the 200 Block of High Street West - MJ Independent photo
High Street West this year is seeing cast iron water main replacement from Main Street to the intersection of Third Avenue NW.
The section of Third Avenue NW to Ninth Avenue NW was completed in Phase Three which was mired in controversy with the City eventually taking over completion of the project from G. Unger Construction of Theodore, Saskatchewan.
One of the issues brought up by Unger was the City not knowing what was underground and the City's unwillingness to put in change orders for expensive work Unger was suppose to absorb. The matter is still before the courts.
SEE RELATED - Unger Calls It Just Politics
Councillor Brian Swanson did not agree with the asthetic upgrades included as part of the change order.
“I was really excited when cast iron came in much lower than budgeted,” Councillor Swanson said, who added he had advocated for the $1.8 million in savings to be used for additional cast iron water main replacement. The City's tender allows adding 25 percent additional work above and beyond the agreed to tendered work.
“We are not doing as much now as we could do because we are focusing on ripping up sidewalks to put trees down,” Councillor Swanson said.
“I would rather we take the money and put it towards cast iron,” Councillor Swanson said.
As part of the change order the sidewalk will be cut on the north side of the 0 block of Fairford Street East to allow the planting of trees while on the 200 - 300 block of High Street West a median to allow landscaping (flowers) will be installed. Both of these asthetic upgrades fall under upgrades included in the Downtown Local Area Plan.
Additionally the change order will allow for replacement of approximately 335 metres of cast iron water mains on 2nd Ave NW from Manitoba Street W to Fairford Street W. The cost of the work is $506,085.45.
Justification to do the 2nd Ave NW work now included it is a section of street with few service connections, the pipes are presently connected together and Mosaic Place is presently not in operation due to COVID - 19.
Other work included as part of the change order is full road overlays and the installation of new catch basins not budgeted as part of the initial tender.
Work continues on the 200 block of High Street West on Monday afternoon - MJ Independent photo
Councillor Swanson also did not like the fact the report from Administration did not have more than one option - either approve or deny the change order in its entirety.
“The only option we can do is to reject this change order…I don’t think this is what we should be doing. Ripping up sidewalks to plant trees is not top on my list of priorities.”
Mayor Fraser Tolmie asked Administration what benefits there were in doing the work as it was proposed.
Puffalt said authorizing the change order had two benefits - the crew was in the area already and by finishing the area the City woukd likely have to do any additional work in potentially decades.
“We are working with the concept we atevin an area (doing work) and don’t want to come back for 20 years,” he said.
Councillor Heather Eby said sidewalk removal on the north side of the 0 block of Fairford Street East was “not a deal breaker” although she had some concerns about the landscape medians proposed for High St W.
Where Councillor Eby had problems was not putting on a full pavement overlay and finishing catch basins as part of the work. She was opposed to simply putting patches over roadways after cast iron replacement.
“When we are doing an area it is (important) for us to do them as good as we can do them,” Councillor Eby said.
Mayor Tolmie said one of major complaints and concerns he heard the citizenry express was the City continually going back and digging up an area on multiple occasions.
“One of the things brought forward early in this term is we want to be methodical and not going back…this is a philosophy the City should have when we are in one location, let's get it done.”
In a 5 - 2 vote with Mayor Tolmie, Councillors Eby, Chris Warren, Crystal Froese and Dawn Luhning in favour and Councillors Swanson and Scott McMann opposed the change order totalling $1,413,061.77 was approved.