Holyrood selects Buckle’s as emergency contractor of choice

By Craig Westcott

Holyrood council has awarded a tender to extend the softball field and make other improvements there to Buckle’s Contracting.

Councillor Sadie King, who made the motion to award the contract, noted Buckle’s was the lowest compliant bidder among the six companies that offered to do the work.

“This motion is to extend and fence the field, but does not include the lighting,” said King. “Hopefully by the end of this year, we’ll have a motion on the table that will have the lighting.”

This round of work includes the replacement of some sods, installation of a 10-foot warning track and improvements to drainage.

Buckle’s Contracting will be paid $37,250 for the job. The Town is applying to the Province’s Gas Tax Authority for permission to use federal gas tax money to pay for it.

Buckle’s Contracting, meanwhile, also picked up the contract to serve as the Town of Holyrood’s go-to outside contractor for emergency work this year.

“That’s something we rely on, unfortunately, from time to time when there’s a failure of a water pipe or a leak, or something like that, and we need the job to be done quickly and of a quality and of course a good price,” said councillor Steve Windsor, who chairs the infrastructure and public works committee. 

Windsor said the committee’s recommendation to award the contract to Buckle’s was based on the lowest price among compliant bidders and “positive feedback” on past availability and performance.

“There’s no point in awarding something to the lowest bidder if they’re not going to take the calls,” Windsor said. “So, we do have an ongoing log of when people show up, how timely they are and how well they perform the work.”