HomeMy WebLinkAboutFCS-11-156 - Prequalification Victoria Park Lake Improvemen
REPORT TO:
Pauline Houston, Acting CAO
DATE OF MEETING:
2011-08-05
SUBMITTED BY:
Laurie Stecho, Supervisor of Purchasing, 3576
PREPARED BY:
Laurie Stecho, Supervisor of Purchasing, 3576
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
9
DATE OF REPORT:
2011-07-29
REPORT NO.:
FCS-11-156
SUBJECT:
Prequalification of General Contractors for Victoria Park Lake
Improvements
RECOMMENDATION:
That Council approve a request from the Engineering Division to proceed with a prequalification
process to select a maximum of six (6) General Contractors to be used for Victoria Park Lake
Improvements.
BACKGROUND:
The Victoria Park Lake Improvements project is the culmination of several years of study and
analysis as well as public requests to address ongoing issues at the Lake including degraded
water quality and sedimentation problems. The selection of a Consultant to undertake the
detailed design and contract administration and inspection during the construction was
endorsed by Council on March 28, 2011. The report to Council (FCS-11-060) also included a
proposed schedule which outlined the goal of beginning construction in 2011.
The Victoria Park Lake Improvements project is a unique project for the City. Not only is there a
significant amount of accumulated sediment needing to be handled and disposed of (in excess
3
of 30,000 m) while Schneider Creek continues to flow into the project area, but there are also a
number of constraints on the site such as mature vegetation and structures. Furthermore, this is
a high profile project for the City in that there is a high degree of public involvement and visibility
on account of its historic and cultural significance, as well as its location in the downtown.
Construction is proposed during the winter months (November 2011 to April 2012) when the
park usage is lower, to minimize the impacts to the public and residents. This will result in more
difficult working conditions on account of shorter work days (due to fewer hours of daylight) and
potential harsh weather conditions which can impact the functioning of equipment, etc. This
also limits the timeframe during which a contractor is able to complete the works as the current
in-stream construction window allowed by the Ministry of Natural Resources would only enable
work to be undertaken between the months of July to March. An experienced contractor would
assist with the timely completion of the project.
As part of our risk management exercise for this project, we have identified that a
prequalification process for the short-listing of contractors will assist the City in managing our
risks. The following lists the advantages of proceeding with a prequalification process:
?
Construction process will require specialized expertise and need to have a contractor
familiar with these processes for a successful project
?
Allow for an evaluation of contractor expertise/ability without a price factor
?
Allow for interaction with potential contractors before release of tender to identify
concerns early in the process
?
Identify potential bidders to minimize the risk of few or no bids
?
Make contractors aware of the aggressive schedule
?
Make contractors aware of high level of public visibility and scrutiny
?
Facilitate the tender process
The contractor prequalification process will provide the City with an opportunity to examine the
contractor’s project history and their experience in the performance of projects of similar
magnitude and scope. The reference checks facilitate the best indication as to the satisfaction
of owners on previous projects.
As outlined in the Victoria Park Lake Budget Issue Paper #44 (included in Council Report DTS-
10-015), the anticipated construction costs for the Victoria Park Lake Improvements is between
$7.1 and $10.4 million dollars. The prequalification process will take into consideration:
experience, project team qualifications, quality of work, time management and availability of
equipment to complete the project on schedule.
REPORT:
N/A
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no financial implications to the prequalification process.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Joyce Evans, Deputy City Treasurer/Director of Revenue