County councillors vetoed the idea of hiring a staff architect after some hefty expenditures were approved for that on June 26.
Councillor Lou Maieron noted architects’ fees for social housing would approach $357,000, there would be $139,000 in costs for the archives addition at the county museum, and $170,000 more for renovations for the Carnegie libraries in Elora, Fergus, and Mount Forest.
Maieron said if the county checks with the Royal Institute of Architects, it could find its own staff architect and save. He added he was not sure what that might cost, but, “If we’re going to continue to build and renovate, look at an architect … It’s a lot of money going out to architects.”
Councillor Mike Broomhead, the chairman of the administration, finance, and personnel committee, said that idea “has some merit,” but he foresaw problems. Each architectural firm has areas of expertise, and one that is hired for an arena complex might not suit for building a library.
“They specialize,” he said.
Councillor Brad Whitcombe added, “It wouldn’t be practical for us.
He noted some are “not best for a particular job.”
Plus, he added, “We’d have to keep that guy busy.” He pointed out that in the five year forecast, a lot of building and renovation work for the county is “coming to an end.”
Councillor Mark MacKenzie asked Whitcombe why one company was chosen for a project, when it was the highest bidder, and, in some cases, more than double other bids.
Whitcombe said cost is one factor. Past history, the interview for the job, and other factors are taken into consideration in hiring.
He noted had the lowest bid but on other work it had had “quite a number of changes” to its recent projects. “You have to read in between the lines.”
