Town council has authorized administration to move forward with an Request for Proposal (RFP) process regarding a Parks Master Plan (PMP) update to the tune of $200,000.
Administration was given the green light by council to execute an agreement with the proponent of the “highest ranking proposal according to the purchasing bylaw” for an amount not to exceed $200,000 inclusive of HST. A report from director of parks, facilities and recreation Heidi Baillargeon noted the town advertised the RFP online May 29 with the RFP requesting “a team of qualified professionals to prepare a full update to the town’s Parks Master Plan that was adopted by council in 2018.”
“Due to the timing of this project, administration is requesting council approve the highest ranking proposal in accordance with the Town’s Purchasing Bylaw.
Proposals close two days shy of meeting council report deadlines and therefore administration is requesting the CAO be given authority to sign and execute the contract with the successful highest ranking proposal so long as the proposal is within the council approved budget of $200,000 and meets all the requirements set forth in the RFP, satisfactory in content to the Director of Parks, Facilities and Recreation and in Financial content to the town treasurer,” Baillargeon wrote in her report. “An updated report will follow on a supplementary agenda outlining all the proposals submitted along with the final scoring. If additional funding is required it will also be outlined within the supplemental report.”
Councillor Peter Courtney believed the report was “very vague,” and there was already master plans for parks with no infrastructure put in or even referenced in the capital budget for five years.
“What are we looking for from this third party?” Courtney asked.
Baillargeon said the overall parks master plan was adopted in 2018 and this process is to update it. It will include all parks in Amherstburg.
“We are planning a parks master plan summit July 29 at the Libro (Centre) and that will include public consultation for every park in the town,” she said.
A similar process was already held for Jack Purdie Park and H. Murray Smith Centennial Park, Courtney said.
Courtney indicated the town has spent a lot of staff resources and have had a lot of public consultation.
“We have a gameplan.”
Courtney said nothing has been done for those parks but now the town wants a $200,000 study to see what can be done at other parks.
“It seems like we’re just kind of snowballing here without getting real icing on the cake,” he said. “In my second term, I want to get some icing on the cake. I want to get the residents some lost amenities back.”
Courtney wanted to know how many parks need a plan, with Baillargeon saying there are six out of 25 with a plan. She said every four years, plans should be updated, comparing it to the Official Plan.
Councillor Don McArthur wanted clarification if the money was budgeted for, with Baillargeon stating it was already included in the capital budget and was not new money.
Councillor Molly Allaire wanted to know why other master plans for parks weren’t being tackled first. Baillargeon said all the individual park plans will be looked at “in consultation with each other” and identify where council wants to spend money going forward.
Allaire said council has already said they want to fix Jack Purdie Park and H. Murray Smith Centennial Park but hasn’t done much yet. She said $200,000 would help provide amenities already planned. Baillargeon noted Jack Purdie Park, Briar Ridge Park and Warren Mickle Park have all had resources put towards new playgrounds.
“The master plan identifies high-level concepts and this is actually to define that further in terms of designs,” she said. Council would have the ability to make decisions in concert with all plans and see where money is going, she stated.
Regarding H. Murray Smith Centennial Park, Baillargeon said money has been identified in an upcoming budget.
Councillor Linden Crain noted the project had already been approved in the budget and gone to RFP and was concerned about risk should it not be authorized. CAO Valerie Critchley said she would prefer to answer the question in-camera.
Councillor Diane Pouget asked why town staff couldn’t complete the parks master plan with Baillargeon stating the firm will be used to help current personnel.
“If we can get out of this RFP, I cannot support spending another $200,000 on a study we already agreed to. I don’t even see the words H. Murray Smith Centennial Park in this parks master plan. Administration and some members of this council seem to have a hard time saying those words. That is one of our priorities is to fix up that park,” said Pouget.
Courtney said if processes are done for parks, he believed it could cause confusion for residents who already provided input on what they want to see at those parks. He eventually supported the motion, even though he was concerned about confusion with residents, but he didn’t want to jeopardize the municipality due to the point of the process they were in.
Pouget asked for a deferral to get a legal opinion to see if the town is in a position that would hurt the town if the RFP was reconsidered, but the motion failed due to a lack of seconder.
McArthur believed it is an update of the plan that was created in 2018, adding “the landscapes of our parks have changed since then.” He interpreted the report as “a refresh” of the plan, with Baillargeon stating all information collected to date will be brought together to look at everything in concert with each other.
“Those master plans will be definitely part of the public consultation process,” said Baillargeon.
Parks Master Plan to get updated, questions raised by council members By Ron Giofu
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