City awards study contract for wastewater startup

Summary#

Montréal city council unanimously adopted its position on awarding a professional-services contract to Les Consultants Ammco inc. The contract would pay the firm to identify critical spare parts needed to start up the disinfection plant at the Jean-R.-Marcotte wastewater treatment plant; the stated goal is to support reliable operations during start-up. The agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting.

  • The proposed contract is $687,550.50, taxes included, for up to 24 months from the start date or until its budget is used up, whichever comes first. There is no renewal option.
  • The city’s position also includes $34,377.53, taxes included, for contingencies, bringing the total to $721,928.03.
  • The contract followed a public call for tenders with three bids. Two were compliant; Ammco received the highest final score. It was not the lowest-priced compliant bid: AECOM’s bid was higher.
  • The resolution requires an evaluation of Ammco’s performance.

What it means for you#

  • Residents and taxpayers: This decision concerns professional advice about spare parts, not the purchase of the parts themselves. It does not directly change water or wastewater service.
  • Agglomeration: The agglomeration would bear the expense. The city staff report says it is charged under borrowing bylaw RCG 24-024.
  • The wastewater service: City staff say the study would identify and prioritize spare parts considered essential for the plant’s start-up and operation.

Money#

The proposed total expense is $721,928.03, taxes included; the net amount after tax rebates is $659,216.52.

  • The contract amount is $687,550.50, with $34,377.53 set aside for contingencies.
  • The contract bid was 4.90% above the city’s estimate.
  • The expense is assigned to the agglomeration.

What is unclear#

  • The decision does not say what spare parts will be identified or how much any later purchase of those parts might cost.
  • It does not set out the study’s detailed deliverables or reporting requirements.
  • The 24-month period starts when work begins, but the start date is not given.

Case for#

  • City staff say an adequate inventory of critical spare parts could help avoid long interruptions if equipment fails during start-up.
  • Ammco had the highest final score under the stated selection criteria, and its bid was below the other compliant bid.
  • The contract would identify and prioritize parts before the plant’s start-up; it does not itself authorize buying them.

Case against#

  • The bid was 4.90% above the city’s estimate, and the proposed contingencies add $34,377.53 to the total.
  • The decision funds identification work, but does not specify the cost or timing of purchasing the parts that the study may recommend.