Councillors try to wrap their heads around contract for mini splits

By Mark Squibb/March 17, 2023

Bay Roberts council delayed a vote late last month to install mini splits in Town buildings until the quotes could be better clarified.

Council was in receipt of three bids for installation of mini splits at the fire hall and visitor pavilion, but delayed accepting a quote based on the wording of the recommendation from the department which examined the bids.

The recommendation from the Department of Protective Services, after a comparison of all three bids, was to award the contract to AMS Heat Pumps to install five units in the two buildings.

Councillor Perry Bowering asked how the five units would be divided amongst the two buildings, and Town CAO Nigel Black said that, as far as he understood, the Town was only purchasing one unit for each building, and that the “five” was a reference to the number of heads connected to the units. One mini-split can have two or three heads. He said that, as far as he knew, the mini split for the fire department would have three heads and the mini split for the visitor pavilion would have two.

Deputy Mayor Geoff Seymour pointed out the invoice accounted for the purchase of five mini split units, which Black said could either be an error or a reference to the five heads.

“We’re putting in two systems, at $6,900 a piece,” said Black. “Which, when you add all the taxes onto it, ends up being about $15,000.”

Councillor Dean Franey noted that, according to the documents, the total cost of the five units as provided by AMS was $34,000.

Black then suggested that council delay the motion until the numbers could be clarified.

Franey said the quote appeared to be for five mini split units, three for one building, and two for the other, and Black again suggested council defer the motion for now.

“I really wasn’t joking when you said you should scrap it,” said Black. “I think you should table it because I know, for example, the visitor pavilion was budgeted for $10,000, and now in fact it looks like it could cost $15,000, so now it’s a different situation. And I’m not sure, I don’t remember off the top of my head what we budgeted for the fire department, but in either case, its not urgent enough that we need to do this tonight. I think we better get the numbers straight and make a proper decision.”

Franey said he had reviewed the original tender documents and his understanding was that the Town had budgeted $18,000 for the units – $10,000 for the visitor’s pavilion and $8,000 for the fire department.

“The bids listed here, I would take that to be double (the budget),” said Franey.

Seymour noted the invoices per bid were separated, but once put together, they were significantly over budget.

“I don’t think the prices are the concern,” said Black. “I think it’s, ‘How many are we putting where?’ and ‘How many did we budget for?’”

After some more discussion, council rescinded the motion and tabled it for another day.