Centre Wellington will spend just over $80,000 this year for better sidewalks here and in Fergus.
Council approved the tender on Monday night to Drexler Construction Limited of Rockwood.
Treasurer Wes Snarr said the work is for the removal, disposal, and replacement of about 380 square metres of sidewalks in Fergus, and 400 square metres in Elora, plus the removal and replacement of about 25 metres of concrete curbs and gutters divided between the two communities.
Snarr noted the bid also includes about 90 square metres of hot mix asphalt for ramps at intersections, streets, and sidewalks, again divided between the two communities.
Drexler’s bid was over $50,000 cheaper than the next closest company’s offer. Eight companies were asked to bid, and three companies applied for the work.
Audit tender
The township also rehired KPMG LLP, of Waterloo, to do its auditing work for three years.
It had the best score of the three companies that bid to audit the township’s books.
Snarr said KPMG’s fees this year are $62,250, and that will increase to $64,065 in 2012 and to $65,980 in 2013. All fees are subject to HST. The 2010 fee was $58,500.
Snarr said most of the increase was due to the addition of a new entity that brought more work. The township has created Centre Wellington Energy Inc., a holding company that the township owns. That company, in turn, owns Centre Wellington Hydro.
Hydro general manager Doug Sherwood said nothing will change with the hydro operations, but the holding company gives the township flexibility to do more business in the future if it wishes to. He added that many other hydro operations are doing business in a similar manner.
KPMG and the other bidders were graded on a point system out of 140. The highest points awarded was a firm’s fees, set at 40 points. Other considerations included qualifications, evaluation of the lead audit manager, completeness of the proposal, estimated time for the assignment (a work plan), a quality assurance management plan, a schedule of services, and an interview of the proponents by the township’s selection committee.
That committee consisted of Snarr, deputy-treasurer Mark Bradey, hydro vice-president and treasure Florence Thiessen, and financial analyst Lisa Gatto.
The township invited eight firms to bid and three firms sent in proposals. Those firms were from Orangeville and Cambridge.
