Innisfail Town Council agreed to offer a three-year auditing services contract to a Red Deer company during the Sept. 12 council meeting.
BDO Canada LLP’s bid beat out submissions from three other Red Deer firms: MNP LLP, Collins Barrow Chartered Accountants, and Heywood Holmes & Partners.
Director of corporate services Darryl Joyce said 50 per cent of the ranking was based on price; 40 per cent was based on the firm’s technical quality, expertise and the company’s approach to working with the municipality on the audit; and 10 per cent was based on whether the business was independent and qualified, as well as whether the firm adhered to the request for proposals.
“Obviously in a service like this price can’t be the end all and be all,” he said. “It’s desirable to engage a firm with experience and a strong municipal clientele.”
BDO scored 89 points on Joyce’s review criteria, narrowly beating out Collins Barrow, which scored 86 points.
Joyce said BDO had a strong clientele list of municipalities that were comparable size-wise to Innisfail, and were assigning seasoned employees to the audit. Collins Barrow had intended to use an articling student or someone who would be writing their CA shortly, Joyce added.
“At the end of the day, I think BDO was offering us the better proposal, especially when it came to the quality of the individuals they were going to be assigning to the audit.”
BDO’s contract will cost $30,300 in the first year, $31,500 in the second, and $32,700 in the third and final year of the contract.
Council voted unanimously to enter into a three-year contract with BDO and then appoint the company as the town’s auditors.
Quarterly financial report accepted by council
The town’s quarterly financial report was accepted by Innisfail Town Council on Sept. 12.
According to the report, the town has brought in $13,280,408.62 in operating revenue. With one more quarter left, revenue is $2.5 million less than what was budgeted.
Innisfail Mayor Jim Romane raised concerns with the sale of land, noting that only $241,362.38 in revenue has come in versus a budget expectation of $690,000.
Finance manager Heather Whymark said slow sales of the Hazelwood Estates lots were to blame, while CAO Helen Dietz added some industrial lots on Hwy. 54 have sold but were not included in the current quarterly statement.
With three months left in the year operating expenses are currently at $7,349,716.19, or less than half the $15,645,200 budgeted for the entire year.
61st Avenue road improvements contract awarded
A contract for storm sewer installation and road reconstruction along 61 Avenue was unanimously awarded to M. Pidherney’s Trucking during the Sept. 12 council meeting.
The work will include installing storm sewer mains along 61 Avenue from 42 Street to the south end of 61 Avenue as well as improving the road to heavy truck standards.
M. Pidherney’s Trucking’s bid came in at $743,406.51 – slightly less than predicted. TAGISH Engineering, who had been hired by the town t put the project out to tender, had estimated the project would cost $750,000.
The only other bid, by AIC Construction, came in at $1,053,994.09.
The town had $900,000 from a cancelled construction project to use for the improvements.
Construction is scheduled to begin on May 15, 2012.
Dog disc trials coming to Innisfail
An Alberta dog disc group will be hosting a fall fun trial in Innisfail next month after their request to use a town ballpark for the event was unanimously approved by town council.
Alberta Red Nick Furry Fliers Club (ARFF)’s event will be held on Saturday, October 1. It will feature two rounds: a toss and fetch round as well as a speed disc competition. ARFF organizers estimated competing dogs will be off leash for approximately 60 seconds during their round and will be leashed or crated at all other times.
To host the event, ARFF requested the use of one of the arena ball diamonds. An area measuring 150 by 60 feet will be marked out for the event, which organizers hope will draw about 50 people and 100 dogs.
