MD of Bonnyville Exploring Ways to Support Local

Council will research options for supporting local contractors

At the September 28th Municipal District (MD) of Bonnyville Council meeting two recorded votes were needed to award the 2017 winter gravel contractor after a discussion on how to use more local contractors was brought to the table. The discussion prompted Council to ask of Administer whether or not it could be possible to bring a policy to the table that would help support local companies during the bid process.

The recommendation from Transportation and Utilities was to accept the lowest bid received, from Jay Sidhu Transport Ltd. at $1,554,000. However, Councillor David Fox noted there was $26,000 separating the lowest bidder from local contractor JMB Crushing Limited, and the tender should be awarded locally. Councillor Dana Swigart noted that the Town of Bonnyville recently put in place a system where contractors are scored on a system which takes into account elements like whether or not they are local, quality of their work and ability to execute the job. “We should be looking at, as other communities do, when putting to tender, you weigh it so you can be giving points to locals,” says Councillor Swigart.

“I agree, it would be nice to give the jobs to local contractors; but we do not have a policy in place and the bids are in. Once you have the bid, it’s pretty tough not to give them the job.” Reeve Ed Rondeau noted that because the MD didn’t already have a policy in place with a weighted system that they municipality could be opening itself up to problems. With that in mind, he called for a recorded vote with the motion to award the contract to the lowest bidder, Jay Sidhu Transport Ltd. The vote was defeated with Councillors Swigart, Don Sinclair and David Fox and Deputy Reeve Mike Krywiak voted against the motion. Reeve Ed Rondeau and Councillor Barry Kalinski voted in favour of that motion.

“It’s not only the lowest bidder, it’s also the quality of the work,”  Councillor Swigart expressed that there would need to be a system put in place, similar to the policy the Town of Bonnyville had recently implemented. Right now, the MD does not have a local contractor policy in place.

Councillor Fox called for another recorded vote and made the motion to award the contract to JMB Crushing. In favour of that motion were Councillors Fox, Swigart, and Sinclair with Deputy Reeve Krywiak. Voting against the motion were Reeve Rondeau and Councillor Kalinski. Council agreed amendments to the purchasing policy should be considered for future tenders.