Boaters will soon have a few extra spaces where they can moor their boats at the Town Dock.
Huntsville’s Operations and Protective Services Committee has accepted a modified proposal for replacement of the floating pods at the Town Dock that will add an extra four boat parking spaces. As part of that proposal, it has also accepted an offer by the proponent to replace the existing nine finger docks—which were built and installed by a different supplier—closer to the swing bridge at no cost to the Town.
Following an RFP process that garnered five bids ranging in price from $27,499 to $114,300, the Town awarded the project to replace the floating dock pods to Pipefusion Services Inc. According to a staff report presented at the committee’s Jan. 29, 2020 meeting, Pipefusion’s proposal scored highest based on the RFP requirements and was also the least expensive bid.
As part of its proposal, Pipefusion also offered alternate options, including a slightly different configuration for the floating pods (denoted in yellow in the image above) which would add four boat parking spaces at an increase in cost of $11,500, bringing the total to $38,999.
In response to a question from Mayor Karin Terziano regarding whether boat traffic would be impeded by the proposed new configuration of the floating pods, Steve Hernen, director of operations and protective services for the Town, said that staff have completed the required application with Transport Canada’s Navigational Protection Program and that “they see no problem with it. [Staff are] just finalizing the paperwork.”
With both options—the original like-for-like replacement and the alternate expanded floating pod option—Pipefusion offered to replace the nine existing finger slips (seven of the nine slips are denoted in green in the image above) at no cost to the Town. The new slips would be two feet wider and two feet longer than the existing slips—for overall dimensions of eight feet by 20 feet—and would be built with pressure-treated decking. In response to a question by Councillor Tim Withey, Hernen, said that the placement of the slips would still allow room for tour boat parking at the end of the dock nearest the swing bridge.
“It is important to note that no consideration was given to Pipefusion for the inclusion of the additional fingers at no cost during the procurement process and the decision to accept that offer will be made outside of the procurement process,” noted the staff report.
The Town’s 2020 capital budget included $90,000 for replacement of the Town Dock floating pods, but the lesser amount of the modified proposal, at $38,999, will not reduce the tax levy. “As the Town is not currently fully funding the capital plans the amount required to replace assets is greater than the funds available,” notes the staff report. “When the amount of the replacement is less than the budget amount, this will help reduce the Town’s overall infrastructure deficit and does not result in levy savings to the overall capital budget.”
The recommendation for the modified proposal was accepted by committee and will be forwarded to council for ratification at its next meeting.
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Now if we could get some parking spots for vehicles in town that would be pretty sweet…. Seeing as they are the preferred vendor for everything here in Tom Thompsonville, I’m crossing my fingers that pipefusion knows how to build a parking garage too.
Ray…the big impede in the water flow through downtown Huntsville is the abutment under our iconic Swing Bridge…very little to do with the finger docks…the cement abutment is actually the major cause of cessation in water flow through bath tub basin….the difference in water level in the Spring Freshet from one side of that abutment to the other is measured in feet if not inches…
Join our crew in the Spring to see for yourself…I heard today that the dam at McReady Lake in the Algonquin Park is no longer there BUT it might hold back thousands of acres of water when essential…all this is anecdotal but lacks verification from the MOECC or any other Provincial Gov’t Body
All this being put in the river will impede the water flow and cause more flooding I know this likely sounds crazy but every bit of flow that is held back makes flooding worse then add all the run off we have now from the paved paved parking lots and streets and it all adds up to more floods.
As long as this doesn’t impede local kayaks/canoes from stopping off at docks and coming to shore. There was a spot there that was ideal.
Otherwise a great deal for the town!
Unless I’m misreading this, Pipefusion won the bid without their offer to replace a number of existing docks being taken into consideration, which I take it will be done at their expense. Given the company’s treatment during the Pipeman process I would give Pipefusion two thumbs up for their commitment to this community. Great to see a local company getting the business. (should I add it should have happened in the first place!)