Posted from the Daily Graphic June 28 2008

It was a packed house at the June 24 Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie council meeting, as more than 30 residents came to watch councillors vote on whether to go to tender on the PCU multiplex at the fair grounds on Island Park.

The majority of the crowd were gathered to oppose going to tender, but were told they were not allowed to address council during the vote.

“There were obviously people (there) who were not in favour of the process,” said Reeve Toby Trimble after the vote. “But we’ve heard the concerns about our analysis before, and we took them into our consideration and went ahead with our decision.”

The standing-room-only crowd watched quietly, with only a couple of minor outbursts, while councillors listened to Guenter Schaub, project manager for the multiplex and principal structural engineer at Tower Engineering, discuss the tendering process prior to the vote.

The tenders, he explained, would come out in three or four separate groups over the next six to eight weeks, meaning some of the tenders would still be coming back while construction got underway in August of this year.

“Obviously, we’re fighting a construction season … and we need to get mobilized and be prepared to go,” he said. “So there are some components that we will tender ahead of time so we can get a jump on it,” he said.

That plan did not sit well with Ward 3 Coun. Terry Simpson, who said he was worried the project would get going and one of the tenders would come back over budget. Simpson added he was concerned if that happened, council would be forced to either go back to ratepayers for more funding, or have a half-finished sports facility.

“It was the way that the tender is going to take place, that’s what has really got me upset,” said Simpson. “If it comes in way above the $37 million, I’m sure they’ll come back and see if they can get more money out of the RM and the city.”

Simpson likened the situation to someone asking the bank for a loan to do construction, without knowing exactly how much the project would cost.

“If I’m going to a bank as an individual to build a brand new hotel, they would like to know the plans, and what it’s going to cost,” he said. “So they can tell you whether it’s feasible to be built under the circumstances.”

When it came time to vote, Simpson, along with Ward 7 Coun. William Alford, went against their fellow councilmen and opposed going to tender on the project. Ward 5 councillor, Arnold Verwey was absent from council and the vote, making the final tally five to two in favour of going to tender.

“I know I’m going to be in trouble with some of (the councillors), some of them don’t like how I voted,” said Simpson about his decision. “But this is my opinion, and I’m representing the ratepayers of my ward; they’ve told me how to vote, and I’m doing what they told me.

“Don’t get me wrong, I have no problems with the multiplex, I’d like to see a new one built in Portage, but when you’re sending tenders … I want the complete quote.”

Trimble said he wouldn’t comment on how his councillors voted on Tuesday, but he did say he believed Schaub and the team at Tower Engineering had properly researched the total costs involved in the project.

“I think, as was explained, that the tenders will go out in four different sections, and we should have the majority of them back before construction actually gets underway,” he told the Herald-Leader after the vote. “They stage the tenders because they go to different construction companies; it’s an ongoing process, so not all of those tenders are going back at the same time.”

For Simpson, even though the vote didn’t go his way, he’s proud he was able to ask the questions the residents who attended the meeting weren’t able to ask.

“I was concerned, and I think that the ratepayers who were there today left with the understanding that somebody spoke up and asked questions,” he said. “I felt that the truth needed to be coming out there, and the facts needed to be out there so the people know what’s going on.”