Thanks to City solicitor, George Wilkki, it looks like Stantec Consulting will get the Heritage job after all. Just read his Report for Council's next meeting.
The whole issue respecting the hiring of a Heritage Consultant seemed strange.
The City's Heritage Planner heard from a number of possible contractors that the City's $50,000 limit on the contract was too low. It looks like none of them bid. [Interestingly, Sam Schwartz had an interest but ultimately did not bid since it was said that the firm did not normally do this type of work.] The bid from Stantec was at $77,400 which is over the limit although the 2006 work was under the limit at around $40,813. Nevertheless Stantec was recommended by Administration.
Stantec seemed very well qualified from the initial Report. I know that the Report talks about Stantec London but I thought I heard at the Council meeting reference to the Stantec Kitchener office. If that office is involved as well, then Stantec would have a big plus that should have been mentioned as another justification for the transaction. Schwartz's former assistant, Marko Paranosic, is employed in the Stantec Kitchener office now. If anyone should know about the Sandwich area, the background and the issues there from an engineering and other perspective, it would be Marko. His assistance would be invaluable.
So all ends well after all if Council goes along. It just took an extra bit of work to do so.
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