The 2016 road patching and pathway project was awarded to Border Paving at the Tuesday, June 7 Town of Stettler council meeting.
The company submitted the lowest bid out of the three submitted tenders, Melissa Robbins, director of operations, told council. The project includes the 48 Avenue overlay, pathway improvements and pavement patching. The town had a budget of $175,000, $100,000, and $150,000 for each project respectively.
Border Paving's tender came in nearly $26,000 less than the nearest competitor at $275,889. Park Aid Asphalt submitted a bid of $301,468.50 and Central City Asphalt came in the highest at $441,614.
The overlay would fix 48 Avenue from Highway 56 to Highway 12 (behind Kentucky Fried Chicken). The pathway project, which according to Robbins was "quite aggressive," includes pathways on the south side of West Stettler, a connection to the new Kinette playground at West Stettler, the south side of 44 Avenue between 60-62 streets, a connection behind Lift Station A (Highway 56 and school), Emmerson pathway connection and the Meadowlands connection.
With Border Paving's tender coming in well below asking price, council asked if it would be possible to use the remaining money to add more pathways to the project, but Robbins indicated that time would be an issue.
"I think we'd run out of time before we run out of pathways," Mayor Dick Richards agreed.
Councillor Darcy Bachman expressed some concern about selecting Border Paving, citing issues the town had with the company more than two years ago.
"At the time, I said that (Border Paving) would have a hard time getting a job with us so long as I sat at the council table," Bachman said, adding that it took almost two years before Border Paving was awarded another tender.
Robbins explained that the contract will have options to penalize the contractor if the work is behind schedule or not to the standard set out in the request for proposal.
In the end, council unanimously decided to select Border Paving for the project.
Downtown park nearing completionThe downtown park, located at the corner of 50 Street and 50 Avenue, is nearing completion. Contractors hired by the Heartland Beautification Committee were putting the finishing touches on the southern external wall of the neighbouring business, transforming the bland grey cinderblock wall into a facade of old-fashioned storefronts.
The storefronts were selected from businesses that no longer operate in Stettler, but were instrumental in the community's growth. Some of the windows in one of the faux storefronts is original to the business whose storefront the facade emulates, councillor Karen Sernecky revealed.
The grand opening of the park is being scheduled for when Communities in Bloom judges come to town later this summer.