Georgian Bluffs Special Council — Thursday, October 22, 2026
Architect fee increase approved for Shallow Lake washroom project. Council authorized an increase to the purchase order for architectural services on the Shallow Lake Community Centre Washroom Renovation Project, setting an upset limit of $27,000 to cover a revised change order of $17,300 plus any remaining work through project completion. The motion, brought under Staff Report 2026-06, was moved by Councillor Colburn, seconded by Councillor Day, and carried — all in favour.
Why the cost climbed. The architect’s fees are roughly double the original contract amount due to scope expansion across a construction timeline that stretched from approximately 8 weeks to 16 weeks. Two primary causes were identified: a township-initiated change order for a drop ceiling and block wall requiring additional design work, and a series of contractor-driven product substitutions that each required the architect to review material swaps for building code compliance. The contractor also made early-stage modifications that deviated from the architect’s drawings, triggering further compliance review.
Project remains within its approved budget. Council originally approved $404,000 for the project, with 50% of eligible costs funded through the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (CSRIF) grant. Total estimated project expenditures now sit at approximately $165,000, leaving roughly $230,000 within the approved envelope. Staff confirmed the project remains on track to meet a March deadline required to stay within CSRIF grant eligibility. Savings from the washroom project have partially offset a higher-than-anticipated cost in the grant’s parks component.
Council flags procurement concerns. Councillor McComb questioned the level of detail provided to the architect and contractor that contributed to a near-doubling of fees, given both bidders came in significantly below the next-lowest compliant bids. Councillor Colburn asked whether the procurement process adequately vets applicants beyond lowest cost. Staff acknowledged council was largely bound to accept the lowest price and noted a formal performance appraisal at project end would be appropriate. Deputy Mayor advocated for prioritizing local Grey County contractors in future procurement and flagged federal and provincial “Buy Canadian” directives as a factor in material sourcing costs.
Lessons-learned review committed. The CAO committed to bringing a comprehensive lessons-learned report to council at project close, covering procurement process improvements, project division between design and construction phases, and staff resource burden.
Confirming by-law passed. By-law 2026-055, confirming the proceedings of the October 22 meeting, was read three times and passed — all in favour.