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UNDAY .

farch 18, 1990) News 985-213

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SECTION: 13

Classified 980-6222) Distribution 986-1537 S36 pupes 25¢

BUT NVD MAYOR DEFENDS COUNCIL’S DECISION

‘Bureaucratic bungling’ sank
wave pool, contractor charges

A NORTH Vancouver construction contractor whose com-

pany bid unsuccessfully Jast year to

build the proposed

Karen Magnussen wave-pool sports centre has charged that

ry

‘*bureaucratic
million project.
Said David Webbe, sice-presi-
dent of Darwin Construction Ltd...
“On this occasion you have a
municipalily which is not par-
ticularly cognizant of the way in
which projects are tendered and
how the construction industry
operates. They got themselves into
a bic of a mess on this project.”
North Vancouver District has to
date spent $330,000 on tendering
and design costs for the proposed
project. The aquatic centre has

CREE

bungling,

‘..we would have
lost face if we went
with one of the first
two bidders.”’
—North Vancouver
District Mayor
Marilyn Baker

SERS ECE CS SOTTO

been rendered twice.

The project went to tender July
{4 with a working budget of $3.9
milion for construction. Three
tenders were received, with the
“most comprehensive’ bid coming
in at $5,772,000 for construction.

Webbe says the $3.9 milion
construction budget way ‘tab-
surd.**

Council anticipated more com-
petitive project tenders the second
time around, but the municipality
dismissed a low bid of $5,020,000
last month. The price was consid-
cred too rich by some council
members while others expressed
concern over a flawed bidding
procedure.

Webbe says that if the project ts
retendered a third UUme, “there
would not be a construction com
pany in the provinee prepared to
toucd: it atiter the fiasco to date.”

But osaid North Vancouver
District Mayor Marilyn Baker, 0s
my estimate, we would: hase lost
face Gf we went swath one of the
first two bulders (Darwin Con
struction) included. Phe itorma-
tion } fads thar there Was a erent
deal of diflicidts in getty
subtrades fo bid. sao the tenders
Weren Tas COMpsSliliy es as We word
bormid ls fhe face

Baker said wat the second
tender call the flow bidder didn't
come oe until after the closing

deadline.

not high

costs, sunk the $5-

By MICIIAEL BECKER
News Reporter

“The neat Inzhese bid was
$500,000 higher, | wasn't ready to
deal with an irrevelar tender on a
project of this scale" she said.

Baker said ceunced) has con-
sistently adjusted the project's
fudget upward, from oan initial
budget of $2.94 million more than
five years ago to the current
$4.8-million budget allotment,

Council now has to decide
whether or not (© put more money
on the table for the project of con-
sider a scaled-down version.

The wave pool is one of three
major projects before council this
year, Ao new ROMP coniptex is
budgeted at S115 million, with the
district’s share of the cost
estimated at $6.5 million. A new
district municipal hall is budgeted
at over $8 million.

Said Baker, “Both have to go
whead and they're part of the
budget process we're discussing
Tight now. But by no means are we
taking money out of the Karen
Magnussen project) to cover
these,”

Baker said she does aot support
a sealed-down wase-pool projec
and would rather see an increased
consiruction budget.

Meanshile Ald. bernie Crist
dismisses bungling and expense as
reasons for the shelving Of the pool
project.

“i's all polities at the expense
of the taxpayer.” he said. th
sould appear Clark GANG. Craig
Clark, the councif member heading
the technical committee for the
project since 1987) has mayoralty
uspiraticns and the mavor doesn't
want to give him any credic for the
pool, 60 she hasnt supported: it in
the past.**

Bot countered Chirk. hvery
member of council dts considered
atone time or another the possibil-
ity of running for mayer. G's tar
Too vary to speculate who will be
running.

Added Clark. "One
revenue tor capitab pregecis ot this
sort is damd sales, As ao result J
think that council should probabiy
fave looked at the cseakition in
fend scles cea the tcrcasiig Costs
of vonstructon of Uhimk that
ther’s been a dufficuit time for

source of

seme counerb members foo realize
that these tthe bids) are a ready

NEWS photo Mike Waketield
CANYON HEIGHTS student council members build a pyramid out of the pennies the
students collected on a recent fundraiser for the school's foster child. The 3550 raised
during the drive took approximately 10 bours to roll. Pictured are (clockwise from
left) Melissa Rieder, Cory Cameron and Shellie Duan.

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