Kincardine Mayor Anne Eadie says their options regarding the newly-quoted $15-million Inverhuron water and sewer project are very narrow.
At a special meeting on Monday, officials with BM Ross, the engineering firm behind the project, said the looming deadline and the lack of competition were possible reasons for the estimated cost increase to go from $9.1-million to $15.7-million.
Those same officials said council could either accept the tender, wait, or develop the initial portion of the project in order to keep costs down for residents.
If they accept the tender in its entirety, the cost per property would be around $33,000. Moorefield Excavating and Omega Contractors were the only two bidders on the project.
“But that’s part of the tendering process at this time of year. It’s hard to keep costs down as a lot of the contractors are already committed.” Eadie told CKNX News after the meeting, which featured over 40 members of the public.
The reduced area recommended by BM Ross would service a portion of the community just north of County Road 15. Staff said 48 homes would be serviced by water and 92 would receive sewage service with the reduced area project.
The municipality was promised $6-million from the federal and provincial government for the project in 2009, with a deadline of completion set for March 2016. A request to extend that deadline one year was rejected by the Build Canada Fund earlier this year.
BM Ross’ had set a completion date for the project for February 10th, 2016 on its website.
Kincardine Council will discuss the project again at a meeting on Wednesday.