Policy trumped dirty water at the Tuesday (Oct. 5) Squamish council meeting.
The District of Squamish's solid waste project manager, Rod MacLeod, requested that council permit a change to the $2.8 million landfill expansion project. The change would allow the project's current contractor, Whistler Excavations, to finish the final phase of upgrades - an approximate $400,000 proposal.
The final phase closes the old dump, covering it with a giant tarp. The tarp would minimize the amount of polluted refuse water - leachate - created by the old landfill, MacLeod said, noting unlike the new landfill, the old one only has two small pipes encircling it which are meant to collect leachate and safeguard the surrounding area from environmental harm.
In the report to council, engineering and parks staff stated that the tarp would also reduce the amount leachate flowing to the district's infrastructure and sewage treatment plant by half. To get the job done before November's usual heavy rains, MacLeod requested the district use the project's $400,000 contingency fund to pay Whistler Excavations to complete the work.
"There is not time to go to a design and tender process and keep the goal," MacLeod warned council.
Not allowing other companies to bid on a $400,000 project made some councillors uneasy.
It is a large sum, Mayor Greg Gardner said. The original project drew in approximately eight bids, he said. Out of fairness, council has no choice but to follow standard procedure, Gardner said, adding that the old landfill has been at its current state for 33 years.
Coun. Paul Lalli backed Gardner. In the current economic climate, it only makes sense to put the phase to tender, he said.
"I know there are a lot of contractors looking for work," he said.
Coun. Rob Kirkham followed suit, stating that it was unreasonable for the district to turn away the possibility that it might save money by going with the most competitive bid.
The change to the contract is needed to get the job done quickly, Coun. Patricia Heintzman said, noting that one of the main reasons for the expansion was to address environmental concerns. In 2008, the Ministry of Environment issued the district a "non-compliance" certificate because of leachate leaking into the soil surrounding the dump.
"I do think the environmental concern outweighs the competitive bid process," she said.
Coun. Doug Race reiterated Heintzman's concern.
"I think we should do this now," he said.
Coun. Corinne Lonsdale supported putting the project out for tender, but added that she hoped the work could be done before spring.
In the end, council adopted a motion to put the project out to tender, with Heintzman, Race and Coun. Bryan Raiser casting the dissenting votes.
The expansion, adjacent to the existing landfill, started this summer. The new landfill is lined with 9,000 square metres of plastic sheeting to catch water that seeps through the trash. The leachate then goes into a pipe that transfers it to the municipality's sewage treatment plant.
