Piney questions use of waste contractor

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This article was published 29/03/2015 (3315 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Deciding to go with a new waste disposal contractor in the RM of Piney had council questioning if they should even go with a contractor in the first place.

Bryan Hiebert was the lowest bid of the six quotes submitted to assume responsibility for the municipality’s unique waste disposal model, which includes three different sites, in Woodridge, Piney and Sprague, each with only two days per week in operation, confirmed chief administrative officer Martin Van Osch.

Hiebert’s bid came in at a little more than $59,000, which happened to be virtually identical to the cost the municipality calculated if RM employees handled the task.

Council debated whether it was worthwhile to select a contractor, with the employees he would hire, or choose RM staff, especially when the cost was nearly identical.

A contractor, it was mused, would be an outsider, but on the same token was someone they wouldn’t have to worry about, since contract terms have already been laid out.

They would be more oversight over employees, but then there are numerous auxiliary matters to be concerned with like sick days and lunch breaks.

Council elected to go with the contractor after a lengthy debate. Councillors David Beaudry, Dale Edbom and Ken Prociw and reeve Wayne Anderson voted in favour of accepting Hiebert’s offer, while Mel Parent voted against. A development agreement must still be crafted, which would then go in front of council.

Anderson said during the debate he had heard “a lot of comments” that the penalties to contractors who fail to comply with numerous provisions in this agreement were too severe.

A total of 47 different fine options are listed in the contract, from failing to open the waste disposal grounds ($500), failing to ensure no burning ($250) and not maintaining a daily log ($100).

Van Osch said Hiebert did not express those concerns.

Parent questioned why the RM’s request for quotations automatically selects the cheapest offer, a RM of Stuartburn native, when the second quotation, a marginal difference of less than $1,000, was a Piney resident.

Policy does not dictate preference for a local candidate, but Van Osch said at the end of the council meeting Tuesday he would compile research on other governments that may follow hire local legislation.

The municipality terminated their contract with previous waste contractor, Derek Barrow, earlier this year after the two parties could not resolve their differences concerning compaction.

Barrow’s contract began in Nov. 2013 and was scheduled to last for a three-year period. He bid for the new contract but was unsuccessful.