TIER 1 TITANS—The Mount Pearl Intermediate Huskies came out as Tier 1 champions last weekend after an 11-day hockey tournament hosted annually by Frank Roberts Junior High in CBS. The Huskies defeated St. Paul’s Junior High of St. John’s to capture the title. The team includes, starting in the back row, from left: Sean Simmonds, Logan Power, Nathan Crane, Jack Mccarthy, JD Trainor, Zach Earle, Jacob Fleet, Brady Toole, and Rudy Norman; in the middle row, from left: Quinn Norman, Ben Macdonald, Jordy Flynn, Gavin Penney, Grayden Bath, AJ Simmonds, and Tyler Marsh; and in the front, from left: Katie Winsor and Riley Fahey. Nathan Edwards photo
Council hires engineering consultant to oversee street upgrades
By Mark Squibb \ May 5, 2023
Mount Pearl council this week approved $233,169 in spending engineering oversight services on upgrades to Farrell Drive and other streets this summer.
A request for proposals closed on March 30, and the City received two submissions.
“The scope of work of the successful proponent will include design review, periodic construction inspection services, quality control services, quality assurance services, emergency inspection services, contract administration, progress claim review, safety document review, and hosting construction progress meetings,” explained councillor Mark Rice.
The Planning, Engineering and Development Committee recommended council award the contract to WSP E&I Canada Limited for the sum of $233,169, HST included.
Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley noted the importance of the work, and asked about the City’s communication plan regarding possible traffic disruptions.
Director Gerry Antle said the City has notified residents of the work via social media and the City’s website, and that a hand out – “actual, real paper,” Antle joked— had been delivered to residents living on the streets that will be impacted.
“It is a disruption, there’s no doubt,” Antle allowed. “But it is for our betterment, it is for our asset management plan. But right now, the most important thing I would stress to bring to people’s attention, is these are work zones. These are no longer, technically, streets of the City. This is a work zone. We are permitting traffic and obviously residents who live there to access their property, but it is a work zone. Safety is our priority throughout these projects.”
He added residents can connect with the City if they have further questions.
The answer satisfied Kieley.
“We’re doing important work, work that is going to maintain our streets for the future — we’re upgrading,” said Kieley. “At the same time, we put communication and safety first and foremost for these projects.”
The motion passed unanimously.
Mount Pearl inks five-year deal on for landline services
By Mark Squibb \ May 5, 2023
In this day of cellular technology, some folks are making the decision to ditch their landlines, but the City of Mount Pearl this week committed $116,765 over five years to ensure its lines continue in good working order.
“In 2018 the City upgraded the internal phone system, selecting through the procurement process a BE4K phone system to service most of the locations in operation by the City,” explained councillor Jim Locke during Tuesday’s meeting. “These services will conclude on May 31, 2023, and a new contract will be required for the City’s land line phone system.”
Three suppliers bid on the contract, which is based on a 5-year term.
The Corporate Services and Public Works Committee recommended council award the contract for the land line phone system services to the lowest qualified bidder, Ignite Technology, in the amount of $21,746, including HST, annually, for a total of $116,765 for the five-year period 2023 to 2027.
“This should be a blast — Ignite Technology, what a great name I must say,” quipped Mayor Dave Aker. “It’s pretty standard work though.”
The motion passed unanimously.
Mayor proclaims May to be Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month
Members of the S'Myelin Warriors of Newfoundland and Labrador were in Mount Pearl council chambers this week as Mayor Dave Aker proclaimed May to be Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month. The S'Myelin Warriors is a group spearheaded by Zita Kavanagh-Taylor and others to help those in the province living with multiple sclerosis. “We saw that there was a need for local representation,” said Kavanagh-Taylor. “People needed to be able to call a 709 number and get a volunteer who can say ‘I can relate, I know what you’re going through.’ Me myself, I live with MS, as do a lot of our volunteers, and our volunteers who don’t live with MS have family members who live with MS.” The group is hosting a variety of events this month, beginning with the seventh annual Paws for MS Dog Walk this Sunday, May 7 beginning at Critters N’ Things in Mount Pearl. Check in time is 10:45 a.m. Pictured above are, starting in the back row, from left: Kerry Pope, councillor Chelsea Lane, councillor Jim Locke, Mayor Dave Aker, Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley, councillor Bill Antle, councillor Mark Rice, and Dave Taylor. In the middle row, from left, are: Alex Taylor, Zita Kavanagh-Taylor, Nancy Constantine, Jeanette Hanlon, and Rosie Stead. In front, from left, are Margie Stead and Ann Hannam. Mark Squibb photo
Aker promises to measure the progress of new 5-Year Plan
Mount Pearl Mayor Dave Aker got everyone in the groove for his annual outlook speech to the Mount Pearl – Paradise Chamber of Commerce last week by asking everyone in attendance to don sunglasses, pairs of which were thoughtfully left at each table. Aker’s message focused on the city’s bright future. Mark Squibb photo.
By Mark Squibb \ April 28, 2023
The future is so bright you’ve got to wear shades.
That’s according to Mount Pearl Mayor Dave Aker, who donned a pair of sunglasses — and asked Mount Pearl-Paradise Chamber of Commerce members attending last week’s luncheon to do likewise —before launching into a presentation of ‘Building Tomorrow,’ the City’s new five-year strategic plan.
“The future of Mount Pearl is what I’m here to talk about today on behalf of council,” said Aker. “Not the future of the next six months, but for multiple generations to come. The future of this city is something we must carefully consider, and strategically consider. It’s not something that will happen by chance.”
One major aspect of the plan is a ‘reimagine’ approach to transportation within the City.
“We are focused on attracting more people to live and work in the City of Mount Pearl, and to do that, they need to be able to get ‘to-and-from,” said Aker. “Something needs to be done about transportation, and we know that there are challenges.”
While Aker allowed the City could consider a public transit system, he said it needs to focus on other “active urban modes of transportation” such as “cycling, walking, and more.”
The plan also calls for a focus on developing and adopting a new traffic calming policy and more upgrades to the trail network.
Another focus of the plan is on development, particularly of land north of Topsail Road. To that end, the City intends to hire a third party to guide development in the area, complete a new infrastructure plan, and develop an Investment Attraction Plan.
Council also intends to continue to support the Find Your Centre Plan, a campaign launched in 2020 to redevelop the city core.
Council also hopes to attract more residents to Mount Pearl and will implement a new 5-year Economic Development Strategy within the strategic plan.
A final goal of the plan is to improve workplace culture and internal communications within the walls of City Hall.
“If this diverse, multi-faceted plan has a single unifying principal, it’s that every choice we make must take into account the City’s future, and that’s the way the City has been run the last 25 years,” said Aker.
The mayor added that folks can expect annual updates on the City’s progress.
“No plan is complete without built-in guidelines to track progress,” said Aker. “Annual update reports are imperative to our success, making certain that we are on the path to achieving our vision.”
The plan, said Aker, is a “living document” to be maintained by council and staff over the coming years.
During the presentation, Aker unveiled a new promotional video that will be released to the public in the coming weeks.
Funding for sports groups remain despite tightening across City Hall
By Mark Squibb \ April 28, 2023
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for sports groups in Mount Pearl — or at least one of the more wonderful times.
The City last week released the 2023 Community Grant Program allocation, a fund of $80,000, which will be distributed to each of the 13 sports organizations in Mount Pearl.
Councillor Bill Antle took a moment to discuss the funding amount, which was unaffected by this year’s municipal budget.
“We just had a tough budget here in 2023, and we looked at full operations from top-to-bottom, and that resulted in some budget cuts internally and externally,” said Antle. “Across the board, we had to look for opportunities to consolidate and find efficiencies. We had to look deeply at how we operate in response to a challenging economic climate and inflationary pressures. But ultimately, our collective goal was always to provide high quality opportunities to our athletes and to our community. That’s why we’re all here. And while we did change the structure of our partnership with the Mount Pearl Sports Alliance, I want to emphasise to all that there has been no change in the funding structure. They all will receive the exact same amount of money they had last year.” The 13 members comprising the alliance include Summit Synchro, Mount Pearl Minor Baseball, Mount Pearl Minor Basketball, Pearlgate Youth Bowling, Campia Gymnastics, Mount Pearl Minor Hockey Association, Dogs Rugby Club, Mount Pearl Skating, Mount Pearl Soccer Association, Mount Pearl Special Olympics, Mount Pearl Marlins, Mount Pearl Tennis Club, and Pearlgate Track and Field Club.
Mount Pearl — Paradise Starlites cheering on their club from the stands
Members of the Mount Pearl - Paradise Starlites Skating Club stood out in more ways than one when they participated in the 2023 Skate NL Provincial Synchronized Skating Championships last month hosted by the CBS Skating Club at the CBS Arena. Hundreds of young skaters representing clubs from across the province competed for provincial titles, wowing the crown with their impressive techniques and routines. Pictured are some Mount Pearl — Paradise Starlites cheering on their club from the stands. From left to right are Maria Power, Lauren Hutchings, Summer Roberts-Coombs, Rebecca Cooper, Hayler Aspell, Grace Quilty, Rachel Forward, Ariana White, Alexa Bishop, Lila Donovan, Lauren Parsons, and Sarah White. Mark Squibb photo.
Line painting contract will extend to 2025
By Mark Squibb\April 14, 2023
Council last week agreed to spend $1.2 million ensuring that line markings on city streets will be painted up until 2025.
The City received four qualified bids by the March 16 deadline, the lowest of which was the $1.2 million bid courtesy of Modern Paving Ltd. The amount is inclusive of HST.
In addition, the Planning, Engineering and Development Committee recommended pre-committing funds for the 2024 and 2025 portions of this contract, valued at $401,775 and $422,910 respectively.
Councillor Jim Locke clarified the contract includes two annual applications of paint per year— once in the spring, and again in the fall.
The motion passed unanimously and without further discussion.
The $1.2 million price tag along with the pre-commitment funds indicate the work costs just over $400,000 per year.
No mention of it was made in the meeting, but a quick search of previous agendas show that in 2020, prior to global inflation, the 2020 Street Markings contract was awarded for $387,000, HST included.
City still paying legal fees in battle with ousted councillors
By Mark Squibb\April 14, 2023
As of April 10, the City of Mount Pearl has spent $787,383 in legal fees relating to the dismissal of former CAO Steve Kent and former councillors Andrea Power and Andrew Ledwell.
Although the City of Mount Pearl officially concluded its costly investigation into the former chief administration officer workplace conduct this past February at a cost of some $330,000 including legal fees, the City is still paying invoices related to appeals filed by the two former councillors whose seats were vacated after they allegedly abrogated their responsibility to protect the City’s interests by communicating with Kent during the investigation into his conduct.
Council dismissed Andrea Power and Andrew Ledwell in June 2020 due after it was discovered Kent was communicating with them through facebook messenger. Both councillors vowed to fight the decision. And fight they did, appealing the dismissal in Supreme Court.
During a public meeting this past March, council approved payment of an invoice for McInnes Cooper for professional fees in the amount of $9,026. The invoice appeared on the payment register in last week’s agenda, and councilor Mark Rice called it into question.
Director of Corporate Services Cassie Pittman confirmed the fees were in relation to the appeal by the two former councillors.
The Pearl followed up with City communications staff following the meeting. As per staff, fees relating to the notice of appeal for both Ledwell and Power total $291,779; the investigation into the former CAO cost $330,763 and the dismissal of both the former CAO and former councillors cost some $164,840.
All told, the costs amount to some $787,383.
Council buys nearly a million dollars worth of new vehicles
By Mark Squibb\April 14, 2023
Mount Pearl City Council added some significant pieces to the City’s fleet inventory last week after approving the purchase of nearly a million dollars worth of new vehicles.
One contract was for the supply and delivery of eight half-ton regular cab 4 x 4 pick-up trucks, issued on February 8, 2023.
Sole bidder Cabot Ford Lincoln Sales Limited bid $524,690, HST included, a price which the Corporate Services and Public Works committee recommended that council accept.
Despite the committee’s recommendation, the absence of competing bidders seemed to cause some unease in council chambers.
“I do support the recommendation, but there’s only one bidder, I guess that’s a sign of the times,” reflected councillor Bill Antle. “Why did we only get one?”
Councillor Jim Locke said that, as per the committee meeting, the lack of bidders has to do with supply chain and inventory issues.
Director of Corporate Services Cassie Pittman agreed with that assessment.
“We can’t tell why there was only one tender received, but every indicator we have is that it’s due to supply-and-demand and the ability to actually supply the vehicles in a timely manner,” said Pittman, who added the tender documents dictate that vehicles must be supplied within a set period of time.
Following some brief discussion, council approved the motion unanimously.
Four of the trucks are expected to be delivered by the end of May, while the other four should arrive later in the summer.
Next up was a contract recommendation for a new front loader, equipped with power angle blade and wing. Unlike the previous tender, a lack of bids was not a concern, as five companies bid on the contract.
Corporate Services and Public Works recommended council award the contract to the lowest qualified bidder, Reefer Repair Services, for the amount of $465,150, HST included.
That motion was approved without further discussion.
In addition to the new vehicles (nine all told), council approved the purchase of $144,330 worth of new lawnmowing equipment. Equipment purchased includes two four-wheel drive mowers ($96,840) and one tri-deck finishing mower ($47,480) from NL Kubota Ltd., and Atlantic Trailer and Equipment respectively.
The City received only one bid for the two four-wheel drive mowers and two bids for the tri-deck finishing mower.
The motion passed unanimously and without discussion, other than Mayor Dave Aker’s comment that the City would be ready to “cut a bit of grass this summer.”