On September 8, Mayor and Council accepted the recommendation of the Community Pool Committee to award Stantec Consulting with the contract to design a new pool facility to replace the Norplex Pool!
We received proposals from 13 different design firms before the RFP closed on July 8. Three evaluation teams were created to tackle the submissions, with each team including a citizen representative from the Community Pool committee’s planning and design team.
Respondents were evaluated based on the experience of their over all firms and the experience/qualifications of their lead personnel. This includes experience specific to our circumstances, including government/municipal projects, aquatic facilities, an working on projects in northern, rural, and remote areas.
The proposals themselves were judged based on their ability to demonstrate:
- Green design and energy efficiency;
- Understanding construction challenges in northern/remote areas;
- Accommodating our wish-list, with the ability to scale the design down depending on budget limitations;
- Understanding the expectations of our community and stakeholders;
- Safety compliance;
- Sound, innovative ideas
The recommendation of administration and the Community Pool Committee is expected to be put forward for approval at the August 24 regular meeting of Council, and the chosen firm will have their first meeting with city administration within a week of being notified that they have won the bid.
What Else is New?
Public fundraising activities are starting to ramp up again after being on hold due to public health orders and responsible social distancing: they have a few exciting ideas lined up for this winter! In the meantime, our team has continued to apply for grants as they become available, and public donations are always welcome!
The City and the Community Pool Committee still hasn’t received word from the federal government regarding the Investing in Canada’s Infrastructure Program grant: earlier in the spring, we received word that large grants will likely not be announced until Fall of 2020, so we hope to hear back soon as September approaches!
The Northerner 