Mike Duffy
Guest Opinion
I would like to add some comment to the issues raised in the editorial entitled “Don’t Pave Over this Question,” which ran in the Sept. 14 issue of The Guardian (and Journal Pioneer).
Coun. Bob Doiron (Ward 6) had raised the question as to why the City of Charlottetown allowed $940,000 of paving without city council’s approval. Coun. Doiron contends that spending anything over $25,000 also requires council approval. The City of Charlottetown, like all municipalities in the province, follows the Municipal Government Act — not only in spirit and intent but also to the letter of the law. Charlottetown also ensures that policy compliance is maintained in all of its activities.
Before going into the events of 2018, your readers should be advised that the city maintains a list of city streets which ranks each street in relation to other streets according to condition. This list, which is referred to as the “worst is first” list, and is updated every spring as soon as the frost has left the ground. There are approximately 700 streets, or in construction terms, approximately 250 kilometres, in the city of Charlottetown.
A review of documentation surrounding events back in 2018 in regards to the street resurfacing program indicates that the City of Charlottetown passed its 2018-19 capital budget on March 21, 2018. That capital budget provided the public works department with $2,999,571 to repave streets. This capital budget was approved by a resolution of council.
In May, the city issued a call for tenders to carry out its paving program. Island Construction Ltd. was low bid and was awarded the paving tender(s) for 2018 by the passing of a resolution of council on May 24, 2018.
At this point in time, council had passed two resolutions: the first gave public works permission to spend up to $2,999,571 on street resurfacing, and the second awarded the contract to Island Construction Ltd. to provide the service and the asphalt.
As part of our tender process, it is important to note that in the tender documents provided to potential contractors, it is clearly stated, “that the city reserves the right to increase, decrease or remove any portion of the work” dependent upon either budgetary or operational requirements.
Post tendering process, it was realized that city staff had estimated more tonnage of asphalt than would be required for the streets that were designated for resurfacing. The city then decided to exercise its option to add additional work and pave the next 11 streets on the “worst streets first” list (actual cost $630,500.61, not $940,000). The additional streets paved in 2018 consisted of three in Ward 3, one in Ward 7, three in Ward 8, three in Ward 9 and one in Ward 10.
In regards to the $25,000 limit, suffice to say, it is a requirement only if there is no prior council approval, which in this case, would not apply as there were two prior resolutions approving this expenditure.
In conclusion, I would suggest that any individual who has the time and/or opportunity to pursue these sorts of unfounded and purely fictional-based pursuits in the hopes of embarrassing or defaming any city official(s), elected or hired, would take that time and opportunity to work toward making Charlottetown an even more appealing and attractive municipality in which to live, work, learn and raise a family.
Mike Duffy is a Charlottetown city councillor representing Ward 3 and chairperson of the Public Works and Urban Beautification Committee.
