The Strathcona Regional District has awarded the contract for repairs of one of the Sayward Valley firehalls to the only bidder.
In late May, the board agreed to accept a bid from D. Borgfjord Contracting from Campbell River to provide the repairs to the fire department’s hall located at the 1300 block of Sayward Road.
The Borgfjrd bid was the only one the regional district received. There was some discussion during the meeting around the issue of having only a single submission.
“Having one bid only may not be perceived as competitive in the truest sense of the word,” corporate services manager Tom Yates told the board.
The board had budgetted $37,000 for the project, and the bid came in at $31,962, including GST. Staff’s recommendation was to award the contract to repair the foundation and concrete slab.
Area A Director Gerald Whalley suggested moving ahead with the work, as the offer fell within the amount they had set aside for the project.
“These repairs have been outstanding for a considerable period of time,” he said. “It’s important to get it done now before it gets any worse. Even though we only have one bid, it’s a reasonable bid, it’s within our budget.”
The Heidema Engineering report from May 2017 noted the building was constructed more than 30 years ago “reputably by volunteer labour.” It stated the site was filled with suitable material but not adequately compacted, which had led to problems with the foundation.
The report recommended a number of actions including providing temporary supports, removing the damaged foundation and slab, and removing and replacing the existing fill.
Area D Director Brenda Leigh asked a question following up on the engineering report that suggested having an engineer supervise the work.
“It is a structural element that could collapse,” she said.
Leigh noted the cost was not included in the estimate, though staff responded the contract was simply to provide digging and other work for the repairs, not engineering services.
Following the discussion, the board passed Whalley’s motion to award the contract to D. Borgfjord Contracting.
At the same May 24 meeting, the board passed a motion from Mayor John MacDonald, Sayward’s SRD representative, to move ahead on a modification agreement for fire service with the Village of Sayward.
The move follows up a one-year extension from a year ago that was to provide more time for all parties to explore alternative service models. An SRD staff report from May 18 said more time is needed to conclude discussions.