Clive’s infrastructure improvement projects came in well below budget, saving the village about $87,000 after low bids were submitted during Alberta’s sluggish economy.
Clive council, during its regular meeting June 13, awarded the 52 St. and 49 Ave. project to lowest bidder PME Inc. for $458,293.
The village received eight bids with the highest being $688,794 from Fusion Piping.
“We’re pleased to receive a very aggressive bid from PME,” said Clive Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Carla Kenney in a phone interview Monday.
“The project can be completed within the originally estimated budget, and that the pricing received was very competitive and indicative of the slower economy still being experienced in Alberta,” said Steven Breeze, Tagish Engineering’s Project Manager, in his report to council.
“It reduces the amount the municipality has to contribute towards the project,” said CAO Kenney.
Engineering and testing fees are expected to come to about $80,000 and another $10,000 for additional testing bringing the total cost of the project to about $552,793.
Clive received a $524,000 grant for the project.
Construction is expected to start July 1 and be finished by Oct. 31.
Residents’ complaints
To deal with residents’ complaints about 51 Ave., Clive council approved administration’s recommendations of: erecting a 50-km maximum speed sign at the west entrance of 51 Ave.; continuing regular maintenance of grading and adding millings to 51 Ave.; and continuing to offer dust control on a cost shared basis to residents.
The gravel road is the west access road into the village and is the primary road used by trucks accessing the seed cleaning plant road and access for the eight developed properties fronting the road.
CAO Kenney, told council in her report that the village received 12 complaints from nearby residents. Ten wanted speed limit signs installed, nine were concerned about the potholes and rough condition of the road, nine said dust was an issue and didn’t think the dust control costs should be the responsibility of the residents, four said the addition of six street lights along 51 Ave this year were an improvement and one asked for additional street lights on Westling Road.
Last year the village cost shared dust control with residents on a two third and one third basis respectively.
CAO report
In CAO Kenney’s report to council, she said 47 utility accounts were more than 60 days overdue totaling $19,634 compared with 26 accounts in 2016 totaling $7,827.
CAO Kenney said that due to a severe wind storm, Clive’s power was out from 5 p.m. on May 24 to 11:10 a.m. on May 25.
Several homeowners had trees uprooted or fallen. The village opened up its burn pile to the public to dispose their branches and trees from the storm. It took the village three man days to clean up trees on the villages roads after the storm.
The village’s emergency portable generator failed to provide backup power to the lift station pumps. The village rented a generator to run the sewer lift station pumps.
Public works suggested, in 2018, council consider planning to purchase a portable, diesel fired generator for about $30,000 for the lift station.
There was a complaint of overhanging trees in the alley between 47 St. Close and 48 St. and additional enforcement is needed to resolve the complaint. Two complaints were received about an unauthorized shipping container on a residential property and unauthorized RV units on commercial property.
A complaint of a tractor in a residential area was referred to Lacombe County Enforcement.
Lisa Joy
ECA Review reporter
