NORTH BATTLEFORD — The city council of North Battleford grappled with challenges surrounding delayed tenders and budgetary concerns during the July 8 special council meeting.
Council ultimately approved crucial infrastructure contracts aimed at enhancing local roads and utilities under the city’s Urban Pavement and Underground Replacement (UPAR) Program.
During the meeting, council members voiced concerns about the timing of the tenders, noting the budgeting process was moved to November and December the year before to ensure timely project execution early each year.
“We do have the necessity of doing some work that wasn't in our budget, because it showed itself in the spring of last year, when we were talking about our budget last December … ,” explained Mayor David Gillan.
Property owners are charged a levy each year calculated based on their property frontage measurement and a utility flat rate for properties with a water connection. The money collected under the special tax is put in a special fund used for surface work as well as underground pipe replacement.”
Staff resources have been strained due to ongoing internal restructuring efforts. Some projects had delays in starting, impacting the set timelines, explained James Johansen, director of Engineering, Planning, Asset Management and Infrastructure.
"The good news is we had two bidders on this project. So, we have a good comparison, at least currently in 2024," added Gillan.
Despite the setbacks, the council discussed and approved two significant contracts under the 2024 Urban Pavement and Underground Replacement (UPAR) initiative:
Surface Works Contract Awarded to G&C Asphalt
G&C Asphalt secured the contract for surface improvements totaling $1,970,566.50. The project involves rehabilitation work across several roadways in the city including 17th Avenue, 18th Avenue, 15th Avenue and 101st Street Crescent.
Underground Project Contract Awarded to Unicon Construction Inc.
Unicon Construction Inc. won the contract for underground infrastructure improvements at a cost of $824,687. The contract covers upgrades such as storm sewer installations on 117th Avenue and 19th Avenue, as well as water and sanitary sewer replacements on 15th Avenue.
As the city prepares to receive a comprehensive report on project statuses and budget outlooks, Gillan said, "Today was about getting two contracts awarded because time is of the essence."
