Harbour Grace approves nearly $2M in upgrades for LeMarchant

By Alexandra Brothers, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter / September 1, 2023 Edition

Harbour Grace council is looking forward to several significant upgrades to town infrastructure. Council passed several motions last month regarding water and sewer upgrades and a new pumping station. The upgrades are some of the capital works committee’s top priorities, according to Mayor Don Coombs.

Councillor Lee Rogers, who chairs the business and economic development committee, put forward the latest motion regarding water and sewer upgrades on LeMarchant Street. The total project value is some $1,990,808. Council agreed to provide the Town’s share of $99,734 towards the work and authorized the mayor and town clerk to enter into a funding agreement with the Department of Transportation.

Rogers likewise moved that the Town take out a loan from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce to finance the project. The loan will not exceed $99,734 and will be amortized over a 10-year period. Both motions carried unanimously.

Additionally, councillor Gordon Stone moved to award the contract for the construction of a new pumping station that will service Riverhead and Southside to the lowest bidding contractor. Stone took over for public works committee chairman Keith Skinner, who declared a conflict of interest regarding the motion. Top Notch Electrical Limited offered the lowest bid on the tender at a cost of $342,596.

The construction cost of the project is $297,910, with the HST on the construction weighing in at $44,686. The cost of engineering is $42,613, plus HST. That makes the total funding requirement some $391,601, but the Town has already been approved for funding of $461,481, leaving a surplus of $69,879.

The motion to award the contract to Top Notch Electrical likewise carried unanimously.