WESTLOCK — Westlock County is proceeding with the clean-up of three unsightly properties in the hamlets of Busby and Pibroch, though the demolition of the Fawcett Hotel is still on the municipality’s radar.
During their Sept. 26 meeting, councillors passed a motion to award a tender for the demolition and removal of two mobile homes with additions in Busby and one mobile home with an addition in Pibroch to Amack Excavating Ltd., a company out of Three Hills, at a cost of up to $55,000.
Chief administrative officer (CAO) Tony Kulbisky said enforcement services had been working to clean up the county’s hamlets and had identified four properties where the buildings on these sites must be demolished.
This includes the two properties at 4814-50 Street and 4803-50 Street in Busby, 4901-50 Avenue in Pibroch, and the Fawcett Hotel at 5002-50 Avenue.
Administration put out a request for proposals to have the first properties cleaned up via the Alberta Purchasing Connection website.
Kulbisky said they received a total of eight proposals which ranged in price from a low $40,000 plus GST to a high of $437,038 plus GST to clean all four properties, including the Fawcett Hotel. “It was quite a range, I must say,” he added.
In addition to some proposals referring to the abatement of asbestos, which may or may not be a concern, Kulbisky said some of the proponents actually visited the properties and got an idea of what would be required.
“If you actually went on site, you would see what the reality of the situation was as opposed to just putting a number based on what you think might be there,” he said. “I think that was the difference in terms of some of the bids that we got.”
Kulbisky said staff are working on some options for the demolition of the Fawcett Hotel that it will bring back to council at a later date, which is why he was recommending the county only proceed with the clean-up of the Busby and Pibroch properties at this time.
He clarified for council that if any abatement of asbestos is required, they will receive documentation confirming that it took place.
Tender debate
Coun. Stuart Fox-Robinson asked if the county had an established relationship with the bidding company and whether they had been properly vetted.
Kulbisky indicated this would be the first time the county did business with AMACK Excavating. While they hadn’t delved into the company’s history, administration could do that extra level of checking with similar projects in the future.
Fox-Robinson then pointed out that there was nothing regarding bonding in the tender proposal and asked what would happen if the company didn’t complete the work to the county’s satisfaction.
Kulbisky said there were no bonding requirements with the proposals, but the company would not get paid until their work was complete. Nevertheless, he acknowledged Fox-Robinson's point and suggested bonding could be incorporated into similar requests for proposals in the future.
Coun. Sherri Provencal then put forward the motion to award the tender, adding that she was happy to move forward and let the CAO decide if this was a reputable company.
"This is something that we need to start,” she said.
Reeve Christine Wiese said there would likely be some people upset that the Fawcett Hotel is not being dealt with immediately, but this is something the county is working on, and the building would not just be left to stand there.
“I’m excited for this. I know there are many people in … these communities that are wanting this done,” she said.
Coun. Francis Cloutier asked if there had been any consideration to simply burning down all three mobile homes to save money.
Kulbisky said that option had been considered, but these properties were still full of all kinds of materials that would release contaminants into the air if they were simply burned.
"In the old days, it probably would have been an option to look at doing that, but I think as people have evolved and as society has evolved, some of these contaminants in the air are big concerns for some people, and so we’re trying to look for the cleanest, most affordable way of taking care of these problem properties.”
Cloutier and Fox-Robinson then asked about where the demolition debris would be hauled and if there was any liability to the county if it was not properly disposed of.
Kulbisky said it was up to the company to decide where to haul the debris, but promised to clarify with the company about where it would end up.
He stressed that after the demolition, the lots these mobile homes sit on would be in “tip-top shape” for re-sale and the construction of new homes.
Wiese agreed that was an important consideration since Canada, and this region in particular, is experiencing a housing crisis.
In response, deputy reeve Ray Marquette questioned if these lots would actually be sold once the mobile homes were removed.
“Yes, the communities will be cleaned up, but it’s still costing Westlock County,” he said. “If no one was buying (these lots) before, you actually think somebody will buy (them) now there’s nothing on it?”
Wiese acknowledged the financial cost to the municipality, but pointed out that there was also a social cost to these hamlets of having these unsightly premises going unattended.
Provencal added, “We know this is going to be a cost to the county, but our hamlets are part of the county … and we need to do (this clean-up) for safety reasons as well as everything else.”
Before the vote on the motion, Fox-Robinson suggested council should not award the tender that day and instead delay the decision to a special meeting, adding he had an issue with Amack’s bid being “significantly lower than all the others” and administration had failed to allay his concerns.
