Some of the results from the Ma-te-Way Expansion’s third-party review are already being put to use.
Council sat down with WCSC Consulting on Tuesday, when a long list of issues and concerns with the construction, including unrealistic and inaccurate initial budgets, saw the cost balloon to almost $35 million dollars.
While some of those issues stemmed from external factors that also affected similar projects in North Bay, Brockville, and Wassaga Beach, the report highlights a number of policy, governance, and personnel problems that created the inflated costs and a lengthy delay in opening.
The firm made 31 recommendations, with many of them already being undertaken by the town, such as recruiting a project manager, financial analyst, and purchasing assistant.
Chief Administrative Officer Rob Tremblay notes that “work is underway to update certain financial and procurement policies and procedures to ensure the town doesn’t run into a similar situation with future projects.”
Councillor Jason Legris, who chairs the Ma-te-Way Expansion working group formed in August, says the town is “committed to being transparent and accountable” to residents on the project, and council is taking the findings seriously.
Meanwhile, Reeve Peter Emon notes that council is “committed to ensuring this project is completed and will benefit many generations to come.”
Tuesday’s special meeting of Council can be seen in its entirety through the Town of Renfrew’s YouTube page.
(written by Kasey Egan)