Summary#
Montréal city council adopted a decision awarding Geninovation (9152-4629 Québec inc.) a professional-services contract for tracking excavated contaminated soil during construction of the Commission des services électriques de Montréal’s (CSEM) underground network. The goal, according to city staff, is to support compliance with soil-tracking rules.
- The contract is for a maximum of $785,624.18, taxes included, for 24 months from the award notice or until that maximum is used.
- Five firms submitted bids. Geninovation received the highest final score and also submitted the lowest-priced bid.
- The council approved a service agreement, authorized the CSEM president to sign it for the City, and required an evaluation of Geninovation’s performance.
What it means for you#
- CSEM and its project requesters: The contract provides professional monitoring services for contaminated soil excavated on CSEM infrastructure projects. City staff say the work includes tracking trucks carrying the soil and having a qualified environmental professional attest to the tracking.
- CSEM users: The City says the expense will be reimbursed through fees paid by CSEM users. The materials do not say how the fee affects any particular user.
- Residents and businesses: The decision awards a services contract; it does not itself change soil-tracking rules or directly create a new service for residents.
Money#
The contract authorizes spending of up to $785,624.18, taxes included.
- The City says the expense is funded through its capital program and reimbursed by CSEM user fees.
- The award is $125,412.02, or 13.77%, below the City’s estimate of $911,036.20.
What is unclear#
- The decision does not say how many projects or excavation sites the contract will cover.
- It does not explain how CSEM user fees will be calculated or which users will pay them.
- Services end after 24 months or when the contract’s maximum amount is used, whichever comes first; the materials do not say what happens if tracking work is still needed after that.
Case for#
- City staff say the CSEM lacks the staff and equipment to provide the additional tracking work itself, and that the rules require monitoring by a qualified environmental professional.
- Five firms bid, and Geninovation’s price was below the City’s estimate. This supports the view that the contract was competitively priced.
- Staff say that without the services, some construction work could be delayed or cancelled.
Case against#
- The contract allows spending up to $785,624.18, and the City says it will be reimbursed through fees paid by CSEM users.
- The materials do not show the likely effect on those fees or how many projects the contract will cover.