ROTHSAY – County councillors are back to square one as they try to figure out how to fund the transfer stations proposed in Elora and Rothsay without spending exorbitant amounts of money.
Unanimously opposing staff recommendations to award the tender for the Elora Transfer Station improvements using the Rothsay Transfer Station budget "to help offset the budget impacts," most county councillors said they'd prefer to see staff come back with a plan to accommodate both stations at a county council meeting Thursday morning.
"(If we follow staff recommendations) by the time we get back to the Rothsay Transfer Station... there are no funds left," said county Coun. Earl Campbell, during the meeting. "That's going to force the hand as to what the recommendation can be...personally, I think it's appropriate that this be deferred."
According to a report on the project, the lowest bid for both projects is approximately $5 million and would exceed the budgeted cost of work for both sites.
Bids for the Elora Transfer Station ranged from $3.4 to $4.2 million while the Rothsay Transfer Station landed closer to the $1.7 million and $2.4 million range.
Staff will return with a report with project options at a future Solid Waste Services committee meeting.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
