Your coverage of the bids for the construction of the proposed pipe bridge for Trail (Bridge bids come in above estimated cost, Trail Times Aug. 11) was truly alarming, estimate of $4 million to a construction bids of $14 million.
Rumor is the city has paid over $1 million to the bridge consultants for work on this project to date.
Council is also committed to a backup water line from 2nd Ave in East Trail to Riverside in West Trail for which they have no cost estimate for the construction. (I have a hard copy to back this statement).
Trail’s city manager is an accountant with a salary over $200,000. How is it possible for this project to get so far out of control financially?
Congratulations must go Trail’s new mayor Mike Martin for trying to find where this project went so badly off the rails, my hope is that the process is open and transparent.
Let’s not have a provincial auditor report similar to the City of Sechelt that was chastised or meeting with potential contractor behind closed doors before accepting bids and Dawson Creek for poor budget management.
Council should inform taxpayer of:
Yearly maintenance and operating cost of this structure when completed and how it be paying for it.
Capital cost of the bridge structure only.
The total cost of regional sewer line relocation that Trail pays 63 per cent of the costs..and how Trail will pay its share.
The cost of the duplicate water line from 2nd Ave to Riverside Ave.
The cost of the internet conduit that Trail will pay 100 per cent of.
The total cost of engineering service for design and project management for the purposed bridge structure.
For years Trail has been receiving the federal grant that will be used to pay the debt created by the pipe bridge. How many years is there left in the agreement between the federal government and the city that allows council to say it will be a free bridge?
Norm Gabana
Trail