Town council gets update on new fire hall progress

The site of the new Amherstburg fire hall on the Libro Centre grounds.

The subject of the new Amherstburg fire hall was brought up at the most recent council meeting members of council relaying concerns.

The town is claiming there were changes that were needed for the foundation and those issues will not be paid for by residents. There are also issues with the ability to obtain structural steel.

Councillor Diane Pouget said she was getting “a lot of concerns” with the new fire hall, to be built along Simcoe St. at the Libro Centre property. Pouget asked for a complete report on the progress of the new hall, though information was given verbally at the most recent meeting.

Councillor Peter Courtney said he had also heard concerns, stating he heard rumours about foundations and things have to be redone. Courtney said council needs to be brought up to speed and whether contingency funding is needed to address any issues that may have arisen.

CAO Valerie Critchley said she had advised town council there were some changes that had to be made to the foundations that were caught by town building staff and fire engineering staff.

“That’s being taken care of. That’s at no cost to the town. That’s been dealt with,” said Critchley. “We have had some delays with respect to structural steel and we’re working through that with the supplier and the contractor now. If we need to bring anything back to council with respect to additional costs – right now we are anticipating being able to deal with it within the contingency – we would, of course, bring that back to council.”

Courtney said “it shouldn’t be a contingency thing” and that he “didn’t want to blow taxpayers money, which is contingency money on hiccups which is solely the responsibility of the tender winner, the architect or whoever.”

Critchley responded the town always carries a contingency for items that may come up and the town has the ability to deal with that within contingency. She reiterated if costs were outside of the original project costs, they would bring that back to council.

The CAO emphasized the town isn’t paying anything extra regarding the footings, and that she noted the conversations are being held with regard to structural steel and that is the issue being looked at possibly through contingency.

Councillor Molly Allaire asked about timing of the project, with Critchley adding while September or October was the original move-in date, the completion will likely have to be pushed back due to the structural steel issue.

Pouget said she visited the site and large equipment was being removed from the site. She said constituents are very concerned with a lack of action at the site and the removal of equipment. Critchley noted the issues around the structural steel and footings, but said she could not speak to the matter of removal of equipment. Town council gets update on new fire hall progress

By Ron Giofu