North Battleford city administration had to eat humble pie at Monday night's council over cost overages to infrastructure around the Credit Union CUPlex site.
City Manager Jim Toye took responsibility for changes made to the storm sewer installed around the site from the original 750 mm diameter pipe to a more expensive 1,350 mm diameter pipe. Meanwhile, city councillors made clear they were not happy that council was not called to a special meeting to deal with the nearly $400,000 increase in cost associated with that storm sewer.
According to a Nov. 3 memo to council from Public Works Director Stewart Schafer, that upgrade was necessary to allow for the handling of storm water from areas north of the CUPlex site. He emphasized in that memo the increase was not for the CUPlex site itself, but for future development in the areas north of the CUPlex.
The increase to a 1,350 diameter pipe raised the cost of that storm sewer from the originally tendered $296,000 to a tendered price of $691,000, a difference of $395,000.
In total, the difference between the tendered price for all the roads, water, sanitary and storm sewer with the CUPlex came in a full $538,155 higher than the original estimate.
That increase caused consternation among many councillors when reported at the previous meeting in October. At Monday's meeting, councillors expressed further unhappiness that the storm sewer overages were never brought to council.
Councillor Grace Lang posed the question to Toye about whether the overages were ever put to council.
Toye confirmed that they had not. "How come?" Lang asked.
Toye admitted a decision was made by administration based on a recommendation from the consultants, that "in hindsight, should have come to city council."
Initially the storm sewer around the CUPlex site had been a budgeted item in the capital budget, but in order to move ahead with the project the lines had to be put in so the ground would not have to be dug up again within a year.
"This is a project that went a little bit sideways. It should have been reported to city council," Toye admitted. Ultimately, he said, the decision "lies on my shoulders."
Lang made clear she was not impressed with the handling of the situation.
"I think we probably should have called an emergency meeting of city council, a special meeting," she said, as "taxpayers want to make sure that we are fully transparent."
"I hope this does not happen again," Lang said.
Councillor Trent Houk echoed Lang's comments, saying next time such a purchase comes up that "we're given a phone call and a special meeting is called."
