Manager Randy Patrick News Today

The City of North Battleford is concerned about a lack of assistance from the federal government in the 2023 b...

Anyone out there want some bricks from the old Saskatchewan Hospital? Now you can, as the North Battleford Waste Management Facility is selling bricks from the demolished hospital as a way to . . .

Con-Tech were the lowest of five bidders for that portion of the contract. Their original bid was higher, at $6,495,362. Sean Bayer of KGS Group noted to council that costs savings of $85,000 were found, which included the removal of items such as a ventilation system in the wet well, alternative concrete sealant, changes to the metal snow fence and modification of the snow fence. Bayer acknowledged in his presentation they had been targeting a higher cost savings of $100,000, but “those a...

That bad news was revealed Monday as councillors decided on awarding the tender for the sewage force main and sewer trunk lining portion of the project. Council awarded the tender to the lowest of three bidders, Hamm Construction Ltd. of Saskatoon, in an amount up to $8,928,500 including PST and not including GST. This was on the recommendation of project engineer, AECOM Canada Ltd. That tender bid actually fell below the initial price estimates by about $122,000. It was the costs for the r...

The hope is to also add a notice feature so that businesses are notified when the city puts out a tender. This move to list tenders at their own website also fits into the “economic vitality” strategic direction of council, Patrick said. “This is a way of making sure people know about it and creates a healthier economy,” Patrick said. © Copyright Battlefords News Optimist

A particular issue at the facility is its age. It is around 60 years old and for that reason alone a number of accessibility deficiencies were identified. Priorities identified include the need to upgrade the guardrails and handrails at the building; safety and signage upgrades addressing such items as fire alarms and fire exits; and elevator access to the second floor lounge which currently can only be accessed through the stairs. The latter item is considered a long-term item and would be ...

The facility has been closed to the public since March 2020 during the pandemic, with the space recently being used to host City Council meetings. The intention is to re-open the gallery to exhibitions again later this year. Money has been set aside in the budget for a re-opening in July, but there is still uncertainty about whether they can reopen then or have to wait a couple of months. Public health measures might still be in place that would prevent a move back to council chambers, where ...

The project is being funded in one-third amounts by the federal, provincial and municipal governments. But last month council learned that the city would likely be on the hook for an additional $1.5 million in overages, about half of which was attributed to PST on construction. The city has been looking to lobby the province to get the PST removed from the project. Those efforts seemed to be dealt a setback Monday when Premier Scott Moe said at a media scrum that the province would not be int...

“It has been a privilege to work for the city over the last 18 years,” said Wohlberg in her goodbye remarks at the meeting. “I can truly say I have enjoyed coming to work every day. I’m going to miss the staff at City Hall — well, actually, the whole entire city, because we have some terrific and dedicated people who work for the city here and I’m glad to have been a part of it. I wish the new council the best of luck over the next four years, you have a good team to guide you wit...

The reason for the decision is obvious: COVID-19 restrictions. City Manager Randy Patrick made the recommendation at council to cancel the formal tour. He explained that the province had just dropped the maximum outdoor gathering size to ten people.  This posed a major logistical challenge in setting up the event. Normally, the Twinkle Tour attracts upwards of 400 people. But Patrick noted there are issues when those taking part in the tour would get out to take pictures at some of the more...