Emergency repairs for the docks at the Skaha Lake marina have been put on hold to allow a pair of objectors to place bids to compete with Penticton City Hall’s original choice.
The repairs, budgeted for $80,000, were initially intended to be directly awarded to Kelowna-based Okanagan Dock and Dive, with a notice of intent to contract put out by the city on June 29. That notice gave potential objectors until 2 p.m. Monday to submit “a detailed written objection” to the city. Two objectors — one local and one Victoria-based — ultimately spoke up.
“We’ve reviewed both of their submissions, and we found them both to be valid,” said Bregje Kozak, recreation and culture director.
“We evaluate, and if the objections were not valid — if these individuals were not able to perform the work, or they didn’t have proper insurance or what have you — then we wouldn’t be following through with an RFQ (request for quotes), but because these companies are valid companies that can get on the work, it’s now going through regular RFQ process.”
The bidding process, Kozak said, will likely run a week to offer the two objectors time to put together their competing bids.
The repairs on the dock have been needed for some time, but Kozak said a wind storm a few weeks ago made took a toll on the structure. The repairs will “be replacing like for like,” meaning no upgrades to the structure will be undertaken.
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“The docks aren’t in great shape. I’m sure anybody that’s been down there in the last couple of years knows that they’re ageing and deteriorating. And then a couple of areas have just gotten to the point where they’re no longer safe so they have to be upgraded,” Kozak said.
“The storm from a couple of weeks ago, we had a bad wind storm and those areas that were identified to be replace didn’t stand up very well, so it’s time that we go in and get those done.”
Kozak said any areas that are a public safety concern would be cordoned off, adding there were no further areas other than those already identified brought to a point of needing emergency repairs in the storm.
Repairs to the docks were originally the responsibility of Trio Marine Group, which operates the Skaha Lake marina, but after that deal was torn up by the city last summer, the responsibility fell to the city.
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The former deal with Trio, a 29-year-contract to run the marina among other things, was intended to replace the docks entirely and revitalize the marina. With that deal over and the city looking at new options, Kozak said the city was “not in any place” to do a full replacement of the docks.
“It was originally put into the budget for 2018 to do a full marina replacement, but that got denied by council through the budget talks. And essentially it’s because we have to go out to the community to figure out what the community wants to see there. If we’re going to be spending a bunch of money, like over $1 million, on a new arena, we better make sure we’re doing the right thing for the community,” Kozak said.
Instead, council earmarked $100,000 in the budget for vital repairs of the docks, $80,000 of which is being put to a public tender for proposals. Kozak said six fingers off the main docks have been identified as needing immediate repairs, with four needing repairs in the near future.
The public tender would seek bids from companies, who would offer pricing per unit, so the number of fingers that get replaced would depend on the quotes offered to the city, Kozak said.
The remainder of the repairs or replacement to the docks would be some time down the line, she said, with a number of steps expected to come first. That includes the creation of a Skaha Lake master plan, devised by the parks and recreation advisory committee.
“We just want to keep it operational, and these repairs will do that,” Kozak said.