Meaford council is increasing its draft 2023 budget by $17,000 to get work started on rehabilitating a local bridge.
During a meeting on Feb. 13, a report was brought forward by Treasurer and Director of Financial Services Valerie Manning. It recommended increasing the budget from $461,000 to $478,210 for the bridge rehabilitation just northeast of the Owen Sound Leaf and Yard Waste Composting site.
It was also recommended decreasing the amount of funding which would be transferred to reserves for future bridge capital projects.
The report says, identified in the Ontario Structural inspection Manual (OSIM), there are a number of bridge rehabilitations needed over the next couple of years.
In order to complete this project for 2023, the report says the engineering phase and tendering must start as soon as possible, and to award a contract, the project must be approved as part of the 2023 capital budget.
The scope of the work to be completed within a one to two-year time frame includes repairs to steel plates, erosion repairs and improvement to embankments, and hazard signage installation.
Coun. Steven Bartley questioned why they would need to tender this project as they have staff on site.
Manning in response says the project will require welding expertise, and they do not have staff in house who are able to perform that type of work.
“This isn’t included in our operating timeline, so we don’t have the staff time to complete this work. This is part of our bridge capital projects that we budget for annually,” says Manning.
The report adds the work will prolong the life of the bridge and prevent further deterioration of key components.
“My understanding is we are able to do it without touching any of the earth around it, so it would all be interior work. The traffic over the bridge won’t be negatively impacted during the construction,” says Manning.
The budget increase can be funded in the draft budget by reducing the proposed transfer to reserves for future bridge capital projects. This would alter the reserve transfer from $217,210 to $200,000.
