The realignment of a turnaround on Bill Joy’s Lane is in a state of limbo after Bay Bulls council voted against a motion to award a tender for the work. A second motion that would see the work delayed until next year due to budgetary concerns received no support from council.
During the September 12 meeting, Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien made the initial motion to award the tender to the lowest qualified bidder, and councillor Corey Ronayne seconded it.
Town CAO Jennifer Aspell noted the motion did not include the additional cost, per tonne, of rock removal.
An amended motion was read, and Mayor Keith O’Driscoll vacated the mayor’s chair to address a concern he had with it.
“I’m not sure that we have the funds in regards to being able to accomplish this right now,” said O’Driscoll. “I’m just wondering if maybe there’s a possibility to move it to the next budget?”
There was silence following the motion, and councillor Ronayne asked for clarification on it.
Aspell reread the motion, which was to award the contract to Harbour Construction.
Deputy Mayor O’Brien and councillor Ronayne voted in favour of the motion to award the contract, while Mayor O’Driscoll and councillor Sharon O’Driscoll were opposed. Councillor Jason Sullivan was not in attendance and thus did not vote on the matter.
Because it was a tied vote, the motion was defeated.
Councillor Shannon O’Driscoll then made a new motion to withdraw the request and reissue it next year, so the work could be budgeted in 2023.
That motion found no support in the form of a seconder, and after three calls for a seconder, it died on the floor. While Mayor O’Driscoll had earlier expressed his desire for this exact course of action, as mayor, he could not second the motion.
Aspell advised council to move onto the next item, as there was no consensus on the matter.
