Dear Editor,
Regarding the article of March 6 on the community centre delays:
Pierre Tabet was given the contract to design, facilitate and oversee the project in its entirety as per Resolution 16-12-3003. In other words, he was the project manager.
Subsequently, LCC Construction Ltd. was given the contract for the demolition and erection of the rebuilt community centre as per Resolution 17-08-3223.
It was later identified that there were two issues:
- Being the availability of the rafters.
- Being a need for a greater quantity of cement due to the flooding conditions. Overall, there was a slight reduction in the costs. This was known before the contract was signed.
The building (demolition) commenced in October 2017 during which time there was an election forthcoming and the former council and mayor were removed from the responsibilities of the municipality. Therefore, the responsibility for this building fell to the director general.
As of Nov. 7, 2017 a new council was elected. It becomes incumbent on the new council to immerse themselves in all the ongoing issues of the previous council. Not until Feb. 11, 2018 did the Mayor create her committees. She placed herself and another councillor on the committee in charge of the community centre in Quyon (two new elected officials). What was happening on this issue in the three months prior to this date?
When I questioned at a town hall meeting on the completion date of the building, the mayor and director general denied that there was a completion date. Much to my surprise, much later on the mayor admitted that it was to be completed by February 2018.
At the March 2018 meeting of council another contract was given to Pierre Tabet for the interior layout of the community centre which included a preparatory study, presentation of the concept, management of the procurement process and the service during the construction as per Resolution 18-03-3372.
An invitation-only meeting was held in Quyon on April 10, 2018 during which the mayor chose a select group to preview the building. Immediately after meeting with them, on May 1, 2018 the first changes to the building were proposed, which in my opinion effectively cancelled the previous contract.
The last council did not fail to ensure there was a contract manager as this was assigned to Mr. Tabet in the resolution of December 2016.
There was a contingency budget as the building was to come in at what was quoted. There was also approximately $200,000 gathered by the community to add all the extras and it would have, if not for all the changes that were brought forth by this council.
The idea that CIMA had any contract obligations is false. The company name of the contractor is LCC Construction Ltd. so of course, CIMA is not going to respond to THE EQUITY’s calls.
Why was there no engineer to look after the building? It is a mystery to me as the municipality has a certified engineer on staff and the mayor indicated that she had the engineers with her at the review of the building in March 2019.
The mayor is now threatening legal proceedings and having a third party engineering report done. More legal costs when our legal expenses have doubled since this council came into office.
I question the value of this as both the architect and the construction company have legal liabilities to ensure quality construction.
If it is the mayor’s idea that the management of a project is not a politician’s, then why has she been interfering in the process and unilaterally tabled all the changes over the past months.
It is really shameful that this building is under legal consultation and that the keys have not been released to the municipality after more than one year.
Melvin Maxsom
Pontiac, Que.
