INNISFAIL – Council has approved the expenditure of more than $77,000 for a new weatherproof storage structure at the town yard.
The expenditure of $77,397, plus GST, was approved at council's regular meeting on Aug. 28.
Frank Colosimo, the town's director of operational services, reminded council that a new structure for the town yard was budgeted in 2016, a pole shed for cold storage of equipment, but the plan morphed into a fabric structure for sand/salt storage.
“When we started looking into the operational needs of our public works and utilities departments' needs, a larger soft-sided fabric structure seemed to be more appropriate,” said Colosimo, adding administration went back to council last April and requested more funds to go from a pole shed to a soft-sided fabric structure.
“Right now we store our sand salts outside. When it rains it melts and it begins to degrade, clump and we have salt that begins to bleach out of the pile,” he added. “By us being able to cover it and keep it dry, it is of better use for us to apply in the winter months when we do need it to manage ice control.”
He said the new fabric structure will cover 4,200 square feet and be 25 feet high. One side of the structure will be for cold equipment storage while the other side will be for sand and salt storage.
Council was told 11 proposals were received with costs ranging from $77,397 to $154,788, plus GST. The $77,397 quote from Coverco Buildings was preferred by administration, which also received a positive reference from the Town of Sylvan Lake.
Frank Colosimo, the town's director of operational services
"Right now we store our sand salts outside. By us being able to cover it and keep it dry, it is of better use for us to apply in the winter months when we do need it to manage ice control."
