Rink issue up for debate again Monday

The $5.5-million double-rink project will be opened up again Monday after the construction company hired for the job couldn’t come up with the performance bond by yesterday’s deadline.
In a 40-minute in-camera meeting with the Committee of the Whole last night, town councillors reviewed the options they will be voting on at their regular meeting next Monday.
Those options include going to the next lowest tender, re-tendering the project, or altering the plans that exist now.
Mayor Glenn Witherspoon noted Windfield Construction rep Bob Thomas outlined which route the company wanted to go.
“And that option was the project management option,” Mayor Witherspoon noted this morning, although he had stressed earlier this week that option would not get his support.
“Every councillor has got all the information they need, and we’ll discuss it further Monday,” he added.
But whether this means the entire arena project will be revamped won’t be known until Monday, nor how much time–if any–this glitch will delay the opening.
“That I don’t know,” Mayor Witherspoon said.
The town didn’t find out Windfield wasn’t bondable for the project until after the tender had been awarded, the mayor explained last week–even though he said it was part of the tendering process the company had signed.
So far, the town hasn’t written any cheques for the project, and the mayor didn’t think the town would be required to if it opted to go with another company.
“I would think the construction company is out of pocket with the architect,” he said, noting the town was having its lawyer check into the matter.
“[But] that’s up to the lawyers to decide,” he added.
Mayor Witherspoon added Community Services manager George Bell was meeting with the “Ice For Kids” reps on the arena committee (they were not allowed to attend last night’s meeting) to fill them in on what’s happening.