Summary#
Montréal city council unanimously set its position in favour of awarding Axia Services a contract to clean and maintain the buildings at the Jean-R.-Marcotte wastewater treatment plant. The agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting.
- The proposed contract covers 36 months, from September 2026 to September 2029, and all 14 plant buildings.
- It would pay Axia Services $1,123,506.96, taxes included, with a further $112,350.69, taxes included, set aside for changes in quantities. The total is $1,235,857.65, taxes included.
- The contract followed a public call for tenders. Five bids were submitted; all five were compliant, and Axia was the lowest compliant bidder.
- The resolution also calls for an evaluation of Axia’s performance and authorizes the water-treatment director to extend the contract by 24 months under the same terms.
What it means for you#
- People using the plant and its workers: Cleaning and janitorial services would continue across the 14 buildings. The work includes daytime, evening, and weekend shifts.
- Taxpayers in the agglomeration: The expense is to be paid entirely from the agglomeration’s operating budgets for wastewater treatment, not solely by Montréal’s city budget.
- The public: This is a facilities-services contract. It does not directly change household water or wastewater rules or fees.
Money#
The proposed 36-month contract and quantity-variation budget total $1,235,857.65, taxes included; the decision summary gives the total as $1,128,502.76 net of tax rebates.
- The base contract is $1,123,506.96, taxes included. The quantity-variation budget is $112,350.69, taxes included.
- The city’s internal estimate for the same contract and variation budget was $1,333,895.94, taxes included. Axia’s total was 7.93% below that estimate.
- City staff estimate the 24-month extension option at $2,045,690.19, taxes included.
What is unclear#
- The resolution says the director may extend the contract for 24 months “without additional expenditure,” while the decision summary estimates the extension at $2,045,690.19. The materials do not explain how these statements fit together.
- The materials do not give the final amount that would be spent if the extension is used, or say whether the $112,350.69 quantity-variation budget would be fully used.
- The agglomeration council’s final decision is not included in these materials.
Case for#
- City staff say regular cleaning is needed to maintain safe, sanitary and functional buildings at an essential wastewater-treatment plant.
- Axia was the lowest of five compliant bids, and its total was below the city’s estimate.
- The resolution requires an evaluation of Axia’s performance.
Case against#
- The contract commits public operating funds over three years, with an additional budget for quantity changes.
- The extension could add substantial cost, but the resolution’s “without additional expenditure” wording is not reconciled with the staff estimate.
- The materials do not provide details of how the performance evaluation will be conducted or what would follow from an unsatisfactory result.