By Sue Tiffin
Craig Douglas director of public works brought plans for bonus funds resulting from the federal government doubling the gas tax allocation to county council last week.
Back in March the federal government announced a one-time top-up of the federal Gas Tax Fund by $2.2 billion which results in about $542000 for Haliburton County.
At an April roads committee meeting staff recommended negotiating with the successful bidder on the 2019 hot mix tender to add a section of hot mix paving on County Road 16 starting at Hwy 35.
“We did reach out to the contractor the prices came back and were simply too high and I really couldn’t justify them in the budget” Douglas said in his update at a May 22 county council meeting.
“As such” reads his report “staff are now recommending to delay the County Road 16 hot mix paving until 2020 and instead add on to the existing surface treatment tender” that being County Road 4 – Essonville Line from Hwy 118 easterly 2.3 kilometres and all 3.75 kilometres of County Road 17 – Ingoldsby Road.
Douglas listed five reasons for the recommendation:
“If County Road 16 is hot mix paved next year it is in close proximity to County Road 1 which is earmarked for hot mix paving. Combining these projects should result in better pricing based on the higher quantities and all being in one location;
“County Road 16 although in immediate need of hot mix paving will not generate spring pot holes to the extent that a surface treatment road does;
“County Roads 4 and 17 suffered a lot of damage this spring and are not currently on the list of roads to be surface treated in 2019. It is very likely that next spring will produce similar poor road conditions;
“The surface treatment option is a lower cost option which affords a contingency allowance not currently in the 2019 projects; and
“Miller Paving has agreed to hold unit prices for the 2019 add-on surface treatment (County Roads 4 and 17).”
Douglas offered a word of caution “that we haven’t received the money and that typically comes in July.”
