Council approves paving

Westview Avenue and the Mowat Bay area in Cranberry will have improved transportation corridors this summer.

At a special Powell River City Council meeting, Thursday, July 23, councillors unanimously approved expenditure of more than $600,000 for paving and other infrastructural upgrades.

Frank D’Angio, the city’s manager of engineering services, said the special meeting had been called regarding the awarding of a tender for a capital project that includes Westview Avenue storm, water and road contract. The project zone would cover Westview Avenue from Joyce Avenue to Huntingdon Street.

The tender also includes the paving of Cranberry Street from Crown Avenue to just past Manson Avenue, and Mowat Bay, from Cranberry Street to Coburn Street.

D’Angio said these three projects had been separately identified in the city’s capital projects plan, but for greater economy, it was decided to roll the three projects into one tender.

There was only one bid for the project. It was submitted by BA Blacktop Ltd..

“The bid was under budget for each of the three components for the project so we recommend we move forward,” D’Angio said, adding the reason why the project is being brought forward to a special council meeting is because [the company] is almost ready to go.”

D’Angio said rather than waiting until the next city council meeting to sanction the project, passing it now would permit BA Blacktop to segue from one project to the next.

Councillor Rob Southcott said he understands that in the city’s capital budget, there is $600,000 allocated for paving. He wondered if this combined project would consume all of the capital.

Part of the project reviewed at the special council meeting involves storm and water budget items. D’Angio said there would still be close to $200,000 available for paving in this budget. City staff members were looking at other paving projects for this year.

“Our objective is that if we can find projects, we will,” he said.

All of the projects identified in D’Angio’s presentation came from the city’s asset management plan.

Councillor CaroleAnn Leishman said she was so happy to see the Mowat Bay area on the project list because she receives many complaints about it.

The contract was awarded to BA Blacktop Ltd. in accordance with their tender bid dated July 17, 2015 and submitted to the city on July 17, 2015, in the amount of $606,160.23, plus GST.