Back in 2018, the Town of Innisfil awarded a contract for the replacement of the rubberized flooring in the ice arena halls and changerooms at the Innisfil Recreation Complex, flooring that had reached the end of its lifespan.
But the contract for replacement was terminated, after complaints soared and the new flooring developed issues of moisture and mold. The “performance issues” not only resulted in termination of the contract, but litigation.
Earlier this year, the town issued a new contract tender for the work. When the tender closed on June 11, only one compliant bid had been received.
After review, town staff recommended the award of the contract to replace the flooring, in the amount of $138,260.29.
The original amount budgeted was $200,000. Of that, $104,016 has already been spent in the area of the ice arenas, and $24,750 on YMCA flooring, leaving only $71,234 still unspent.
In the Wednesday night special meeting of council, town councillors approved adding another $70,526 from the Capital Reserve Fund, to cover the cost of the contract, and inspection – but not before Coun. Ken Fowler demanded if the municipality would be “recouping the $71,000 already spent” from the original contract-holder.
He was reminded that matters involving litigation were discussed in a closed-door session, and should not be brought to open session of council.
The work, which includes a proper sealant to resolve the moisture issue, will be carried out while the Town facility is still closed due to COVID-19, avoiding disruption of service for users.