Ball diamond gets expensive upgrade

The Township of Cramahe budgetted to spend $11,900 in 2009 to repair the playing surface at Memorial Park on Victoria Street in Colborne. Unfortunately that wasn't nearly enough.

Quotes were sought in order to get the work done before baseball season starts.

Two written quotes which Community Services Director Dan O'Brien got ranged from $29,910 to $36,708.

With an $18,000 shortfall, Mr. O'Brien proposed the money be pulled from other budgets.

He suggested that $9,000 budgetted for a fence to separate Division Street properties from Rotary Centennial Park was not an "effective or practical solution to citizens' concerns". Neighbours had felt that the people creating the problems would simply go around a fence.

He picked up another two grand which had been set aside for a building sign for the Keeler Centre. It is not enough and the signage problem is being resolved in another way.

There was another $5,000 in the 2009 budget for wheelchair access to the side door of the Keeler Centre. The township has applied for grant funding to pave the parking lot. The access issues could be addressed in that work if the money is granted and the parking lot project goes ahead.

Fence and backstop repairs were estimated to cost $20,000 but will cost only $18,000 - another $2,000 found.

All other budgetted work will continue.

Mr. O'Brien faced one more obstacle.

According to township regulations any work worth over $20,000 must go out to tender. Mr. O'Brien asked that council waive the rule for this situation and accept the two written quotes he had gotten.

The Community Services Director assured council he was confident the two quotes he received were reasonable after talking to people in Brighton. Later in public question period he explained that he "went to the marketplace" to get the names of companies which had done this kind of work. He had received two written quotes.

He had taken the low quote but was not sure of the name of the company when asked at the meeting on May 19.

Council voted to go ahead with the work and to waive the necessity for tenders.

Township Chief Administrative Officer Christie Alexander promised to get the name when asked on May 26.