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| Broadwwater industries working the First Avenue East waterline project in 2023, the Prince Rupert based contractor was awarded the contract for the Overland Watermain replacement project |
A local contractor is the successful bidder for a key element of the city's ongoing water infrastructure program, with Broadwater Industries of Prince Rupert announced as the contract awardee for the work on phase one of the Overland Watermain replacement project
The call for submissions from the City was issued earlier this year through the Bid BC program.
The Contract award was a late addition to the Monday night Agenda package, the last item considered before the Council Discussion period.
Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond noted that council members had a report on the award and then outlined the scope of it, noting how the Broadwater bid was the lowest of three bids and was the lowest compliant bidder for the project.
"There is information in the report that follows, there are three bids that came in. The lowest by considerable measure was Broadwater and in addition Broadwater has been identified as the lowest compliant bidder.
So in other words, the bids are reviewed to make sure that contractor is capable of doing the work"
Councillor Forster had a question related to the significant savings found from the Broadwater bid and asked if that was normal and asked if there were any concerns towards having to pay additional money should the project require it.
City manager Buchan noted that it was not unusual to find a large spread between bids, providing a review of some of the elements that could go into that difference.
He did express confidence in the bid from Broadwater.
"It is not unusual to find significant spreads for bids, especially when things are busy and a contractor might not know the area as well, or might see an opportunity for a bigger profit margin.
Our confidence with the bid that is recommended is that they're local known contractor and we know that they can do the work.
So you know, we're confident in that bid, we can't really say what the agenda or the motives were for those higher ones. But we are confident in the one that is recommended." -- City Manager Robert Buchan
Councillor Cunningham noted of some of their previous work and some of the services that Broadwater could bring to the job. He also noted of his support for their bid noting how it is good to see a local contractor getting the work.
"Speaking on that, Broadwater is rather very adaptive to this kind of work they have both marine barge, spud barge everything to do it, where other contractors may have to contract that out to another contractor.
They're doing everything in house and I'm really happy to see a local contractor that has totally 100 percent local workforce from Prince Rupert getting this contract.
Rather than what we've see even with so called ;ocal contractors bringing a lot of people in from out of town, so I'm really happy and support this."
While Council members had a report to review, as it was a late item, there is no documentation towards the contract award currently included as part of the Agenda package .
As such there is no additional information towards the competing bids and who provided for them, or other background towards the process for the public to review as of yet.
The Contract Award and the discussion related to it, can be reviewed through the city's video archive starting at the 14 minute mark.
More notes related to Monday's Council session can be reviewed here.
A look at past Calls for Bids from the City can be explored here.
A wider overview of the city's major Infrastructure replacement program is available here.
Cross posted from the North Coast Review.
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