Late yesterday afternoon, council voted to accept another change of direction for the arena foundation system. All members present voted in favour. Councillor Luc Morrissette was not in attendance at the special council meeting called for 4:30 p.m.
The "$1,594,000 plus applicable taxes" decision changed the plan for foundation remediation, from an outrigger system to a micro pile system.
Outriggers and micro piles
The earlier proposed outriggers are an external support structure that would have been visible on the outside of the arena, attached part way up on the building columns at one end and at the other end, to new footings placed a short distance from the existing structure.
At yesterday’s meeting, Special Projects Manager, Bill Goulding, explained the newly recommended solution: micro piles.
Describing the method as similar to using an ice auger - or to a helical pile solution, Goulding said the auger makes a hole and measures the soil resistance as it is drilling. The resistance informs how solid the soil is.
When the hole is drilled to a depth with adequate soil support, “they slide down a form to contain concrete, and they replace the auger soil with concrete … to help support the foundations that are in place there,” he explained.
Outriggers were proposed instead of screw piles and footing replacement
About three months ago, the outriggers were proposed to resolve the foundation issues that were discovered earlier during the summer. The plan up to August 7, was to use screw piles and repair the existing footings.
“We were anticipating we would correct deficiencies with the footings through screw pilings and restoration work and replacement of the existing footings,” Interim CAO Rob deBortoli told the council, August 7.
Also at that meeting, he provided comment that could explain why the item was added late to the agenda and without a written staff report. “Tonight's meeting certainly provided a segue into this venture that transpired today on my drive home from Toronto.”
His verbal report cited high cost and the lack of availability of workers as reasons for the alternative recommendation: outriggers.
However, while there wasn’t a written staff report, Dr. Tingley of Wood Research and Design was on hand by Zoom with an extensive presentation explaining the outrigger approach. That story here.
Council expresses regret that Dr. Tingley was not made available last night
Last night, members of council repeatedly expressed disappointment that Dr. Tingley was not available for their questions about the new micro pile recommendation.
ElliotLakeToday reached out to deBortoli and inquired why Tingley was not available or why the meeting was not scheduled to accommodate his attendance. We did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Communication frustration
Members of council expressed their frustration about how some communication has been conducted.
Councillor Merill Seidel said, "If we had a report back in the middle of the summer saying that the soil was not good, I don't understand why we went for the outrigger system - saying that the soil was good."
"[The soil] wasn't miraculously going to get any better over two months or three months, so that's why I sort of wish that Dr. Tingley was here on the call, but I'll leave it at that," Seidel said.
Councillor Charles Flintoff also expressed frustration that the micro pile solution was only coming to council now. "Was this [micro pile solution] always in the back of somebody's mind to do it this way and the outriggers was just a Hail Mary pass?"
Mayor Andrew Wannan commented, "Looking back, we've been led by Dr. Tingley based on all the information that we have. It's difficult for me to say that, why does the information change over and over again about the same issues? We've asked many questions about the foundation and received answers - this is what it's going to be; this is what it's going to be, and yet [now] we're presented with another sort of estimate or possible solution."
"At some point you have to question what the process is and what the plan is and where it's going wrong," Wannan said, later adding, "I guess I'm looking for a little more commitment and a little more, well, I wish Dr. Tingley could have been answering some of these [questions]."
Wannan also noted that a letter from Dr. Tingley referred to by staff at yesterday's meeting, was not supplied to council. Wannan: "You mean the other six or five solutions that Dr. Tingley presented in the letter that we don't have?"
Project timeline
Councillor Norman Mann asked what the change will mean to the project timeline. "Based on the original micro pile concept and outrigger, [is it a] similar amount of time?"
Goulding replied, "Yes, similar amount of time. That was the mandate for all of the solutions presented by WRD to staff. They're still looking to have these installed on the same timeline that the outrigger system would have been installed in."
Cost
While the council authorized a $1.6 million expenditure last night, it replaces another previously planned solution.
Goulding told the council, "this is roughly a half a million dollars more expensive than the outrigger system."
"We're looking at a 1.6 million dollar implementation instead of somewhere around 1 million dollar implementation," he said.
The staff recommendation also included an additional contingency expense of $160,000 delegated to the discretion of the Interim CAO.
"Concerning the contingency, I don't think that should be included," Mayor Andrew Wannan commented, "if we can call a special meeting like this for an extra $500,000, I believe we can call a special meeting for contingencies as well."
"That way we can also keep track, and that way we get reports and information," he said as he proposed and moved his amendment. It was supported unanimously by all members present.
The estimate of $1.6 million assumes two piles per column footing and Wannan questioned the final cost if more micro piles are required than are included in the estimate.
Wannan: "So, I guess I'm looking for a little more commitment and a little more, well, I wish Dr. Tingley could have been answering some of these, but is there a possibility that it could take four micro piles or five micro piles per column and get way out of hand?"
Goulding responded, "The honest answer is, yes. So, that's why you have the kind of quotation that you have in front of you." He also added, "I don't think that's likely."
Accountability and transparency regarding the costs to date
Councillor Helen Lefebvre asked, "I don't know what the process is for doing this, but could we please have a report showing financials to date for the next council meeting?"
“Yes,” deBortoli replied.
The council debate is video archived on the City website here.