By Mark Squibb
Bay Bulls council has decided to not take advantage of a provision to re-new it’s current snow clearing contract, but instead will issue a new tender for the upcoming winter season.
The motion to call a new tender for snow clearing and ice control was approved unanimously at last week’s public council meeting.
“I think we need to get back to the hourly rate just because certainly I don’t think anybody saw the prices coming that we got last year, so we’re going to have to revisit that,” said councillor Jason Sullivan. “Our winters are getting milder but our costs are going through the roof.”
Council awarded the snow clearing contract to Southeast Construction at a bid price of $329,900 plus HST back in October. Council paid an additional $5,000, plus HST, for additional work following a particularly rough storm in February and another in March.
“That backfired,” summarized Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien. “We’ll pay as we go. That will work better for the town.”
