Martensville public works crews will have an easier time starting their snowplows next winter, thanks to a new building going up this summer to accommodate storage of the city’s heavy equipment.
Martensville City Council voted at its meeting on Tuesday, June 20 to award a contract totalling $212,821 (plus tax) to Zak’s Building Group, the lowest bidder for the construction of an equipment shelter at the city’s public works shop property on 9th Street North. The building would be used for winter storage of both heavy and light equipment, and allow crews to perform some routine maintenance on the machines indoors.
In a report to the June 20 council meeting, Martensville Director of Infrastructure and Planning Matt Gruza noted a total of $175,000 had been set aside in the city’s 2023 budget for the storage shelter. However, the original plan was to construct a steel-framed structure in several phases, with just the outer steel shell intended to be completed this year. The other components, including a concrete floor slab, heating and insulation, were envisioned to be finished in the coming years.
In preparing documents for tender, it became apparent that the cost of steel construction had skyrocketed due to inflation and supply issues. Gruza added that suppliers and contractors were experiencing delays and challenges in acquiring steel components. Eventually, the city issued a request for proposals (RFP) which allowed wood-frame alternatives that would be equivalent to steel.
Three companies submitted bids in response to the RFP, with prices ranging from $162,135 to $332,120 plus tax. The lowest priced bid was for a commercial-grade wood-framed structure with metal exterior finish.
The low bidder also stated that electrical components could be installed at an additional cost of $15,950 plus tax. In addition, roof and wall insulation, vapour barrier and internal metal cladding could be included in the package at a price of $34,736 plus tax, bringing the overall project total to $212,821 plus tax.
“The contractor indicated that by completing these components at the same time the exterior shell is constructed, the costs will be lower than completing them separately in the future,” said Gruza in his report.
The concrete floor slab is not included in the overall price and will be installed at a later date.
To cover the unbudgeted portion of the equipment shelter project, Council approved the reallocation of $71,000 in savings from roadway construction projects that had come in under budget.
PROJECTS UNDERWAY
Construction progress on the new multi-purpose recreation facility west of Highway 12 is proceeding on schedule, according to a city administration report to the June 20 council meeting. The $44.5 million complex is targeted to be operational by the fall of 2024.
Progress is also being made on the Saskatoon-Martensville water and wastewater project, with ongoing meetings to finalize the memorandum of understanding between the two cities by the end of June. The goal is to have a pipeline in place by next summer.
Upgrades are currently underway to the playground at Lions Park in Martensville. According to a city administration report, accessible swing sets have been installed and a new rubberized surface should be completed shortly. The goal is to have the playground open by the July 1 long weekend.
MEMORIAL TREE POLICY
Council voted at its June 20 meeting to endorse a new policy regulating memorial tree plantings in Martensville’s public green spaces. The new policy provides consistency while still allowing a level of commemoration that does not create maintenance issues for city crews.