Director of Public Works and Utilities Paul McMunn shared some good news with council during the Committee of the Whole meeting in Smiths Falls on Monday night. The Beckwith Street Phase 2 project was recently out for tender, and the town received an astonishing seven submissions. McMunn noted that Smiths Falls had received only one submission for Phase 1 of the project.
McMunn recommended that the town award the contract to Thomas Cavanagh Construction, who presented the lowest bid of $4,720,000.00. The bulk of the project’s cost will be covered by funding which is already earmarked particularly for this work; there remains a $950 000.00 shortfall – a smaller amount than staff had originally estimated.
Mayor Pankow gave this news “two thumbs up.”
Councillor Allen celebrated the forward motion of the project, noting that Beckwith will soon “seem like the same street with the same treatments [on both ends]. I’m looking forward to that; that’s great.”
Councillor McGuire pointed out that this bid was “half a million dollars less than we’d expected; I’m excited to see this move forward very soon.”
CAO Malcolm Morris encouraged council to note that the tender and budget as presented does not include the gateway feature that council had formerly discussed, “that will be in addition to the costs we’re seeing.” He also pointed out that the town is waiting to hear from other funding applications for $750 000.00, “so there is potential for the cost to the local tax payer to go down even further.”
Council was pleased to support the recommendation, and will bring the motion forward during next week’s special council meeting.
Article by Janelle Labelle
