By Thia James

Contracts highlight high cost of maintaining facilities

Jan 14, 2015 | 5:46 AM

Prince Albert’s city council is poised to approve renewals to caretaker agreements for a handful of city buildings to the tune of nearly $235,000 for one year.

The agreement would see the City continue to contract out its janitorial work at City Hall, the Prince Albert Arts Centre, City Yards, the Municipal Services Centre and the Baler Building to Markling Enterprises from March 1 to Feb. 29, 2016, at a cost of $169,980.

The City would also pay Nexus Contracting Ltd. $64,000 to maintain the Margo Fournier Centre and the Kinsmen Heritage Centre.

Administration is recommending that council approve both agreements, particularly because both contractors have agreed to continue to use their 2012 pricing and not raise the monthly charge.

Community services director Jody Boulet said that over the previous term, the department found the work of both contractors satisfactory. He called the agreements the better, more cost-effective option, rather than re-tendering them and put the City in a position where it would face more current 2015 pricing.

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But the $64,000 cost to maintain the Margo Fournier Centre, albeit at 2012 pricing, raised Coun. Rick Orr’s eyebrows at Monday evening’s executive committee meeting.

“It’s amazing how much money it’s costing to maintain some of the assets that are underused,” he said.

After the meeting, Boulet acknowledged caretaking it is one of the City’s expense items and part of the operation.

“And it’s an important expense item and it’s an item where anytime where you’re encouraging the community to come into your facilities, and utilize them on a regular basis, we want to make sure they’re up to a particular standard and part of that’s having good janitorial and caretaking services, and we think that they’ve achieved that in the initial term, and now we’re looking to extend that for one more year.”

The cost of janitorial work at each of the facilities will be included in the facilities review, and Boulet said it’s one of the bigger expenses.

The long-awaited report is being held up by a couple of items of a legal nature within the review. Boulet said that once these items are resolved, administration plans to make the report examining the operations at all of the City-owned facilities public.

Kinsmen Water Park update

The request for proposals (RFP) process for the restoration of the slides in the Kinsmen Water Park has now closed.

The RFP will allow the City to get more current pricing for the project, as well as the options available.

Boulet said that with one council meeting in January, it’s unlikely the information will make it to council during this cycle this month. The City is still unable to name the donor who pledged $50,000 towards the slides’ rebuild. 

“We do expect though all of our information related to any funding agencies in support for the project along with updated pricing, all in a full package for February.”

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames