The Ottawa Council chamber.
Wednesday’s council meeting will force members to decide if they want to dig deeper into city procurement policy in the wake of the Stage 2 Trillium Line contract controversy.
Coun. Shawn Menard, supported by Coun. Carol Anne Meehan, wants council to authorize an external investigation into the city’s procurement program as more information becomes public about the Trillium Line bid evaluation.
SNC-Lavalin won the Trillium Line expansion contract despite having a technical grade below an established scoring threshold. The company won on the strength of its financial proposal, even though evaluators came to a consensus that “the proposal should not be considered further in the evaluation process.” Council didn’t know that at the time of the March 2019 vote on the Stage 2 contracts.
It has left questions about the company’s capability to build and maintain the trusty north-south diesel-train line.
It has also opened the city up to scrutiny when it comes to its procurement practices.
The Menard motion also asks council to get staff writing a report explaining how SNC-Lavalin fixed the deficiencies in its technical bid to satisfy the city and how deficiencies in Stage 1 LRT have been ironed out for Stage 2. SNC-Lavalin is one of three partners of Rideau Transit Group, which built and is maintaining the Stage 1 Confederation Line.
It might be a steep hill to climb for Menard to get the necessary votes at council for a win.
The auditor general has cleared the city when it came to decisions made in the Trillium Line procurement. Hiring an external investigator would obviously cost tax money.
On the other hand, there’s still plenty of confusion at city hall about how a company could fail to meet a technical threshold and be recommended for a $1.6-billion transit contract.
Chiarelli investigation update
Robert Marleau, city hall’s independent integrity commissioner, has sent an interim report to council on his investigation into complaints made against Coun. Rick Chiarelli. Marleau will be available for questions at the council meeting.
Councillors don’t have to ask Marleau anything.
Marleau is still waiting to interview Chiarelli about the allegations. Chiarelli has been recovering from heart surgery.
Women have publicly accused the longtime councillor of inappropriate behaviour on the job and in job interviews. Chiarelli, who represents College ward, has denied all allegations and has threatened to challenge the jurisdiction of the integrity process in court.
The integrity commissioner hired a private investigative firm headed by former RCMP commissioner Robert Paulson around the same time the Chiarelli investigation started last fall.
Councillor promotion fracas
A recommendation to make Coun. Tim Tierney the next transportation committee chair has made waves at city hall.
Coun. Stephen Blais, who’s running for the Liberals in the provincial byelection in Orléans, has stepped down from the council leadership position and a joint nominating committee of council has voted to put Tierney in the role.
Urban councillors don’t like that transportation committee vice-chair Jeff Leiper, who was interested in the chair job, hasn’t been recommended for the gig.
The controversy is largely rooted in the membership of the finance and economic development committee, which includes chairs of all the other committees, plus the three deputy mayors. None of the five councillors who represent inner-urban wards have a seat on the powerful finance committee. Leiper represents the central-west Kitchissippi ward. Tierney represents the eastern Beacon-Hill Cyrville ward.
Council will be asked to confirm Tierney’s appointment, but possibly not before another councillor puts Leiper’s name forward for the job.
Sweetheart land deal
A majority vote at council would hand over the Dalhousie Community Centre in Chinatown to the local community health agency at virtually no cost.
The city-owned building at 755 Somerset St. has been assessed at having a sale potential of $3.38 million, but the city is proposing to give it to the Somerset West Community Health Centre for $1.
The city figures it would save money from having to maintain the 114-year-old building.
The community health centre, which already owns and operates two other buildings in the district, is planning to expand its children’s programs.
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