This week's lead news item
Lakeside Green receives councils' septic contract
By Scott Carmichael
News Staff
The councils of North and South Glengarry opted for Alexandria-based Lakeside Green Environmental Consulting Ltd. as their septic system inspection contractor during a special joint meeting of both municipal bodies Monday night in Lancaster.
Their choice – resulting from a unanimous vote by each council – came following a very brief discussion on the matter that consisted of little more than a reiteration of the backgrounds and qualifications of each of the two groups being considered for the tender – Lakeside Green and a combined Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA)/South Nation Conservation Authority (SNC) team – by CAOs Derik Brandt (South Glengarry) and Daniel Gagnon (North Glengarry), and questions from each of the township’s deputy-mayors.
South Glengarry Deputy-Mayor Bill McKenzie wondered about the length of the contract to which the townships would be committed, regardless of which service provider they chose.
Mr. Brandt replied that staff is initially considering a one-year agreement (likely from February 2012 to February 2013), but with an “open-ended” option that would allow for an “add-on” towards the end of the (trial-basis) agreement if both municipalities are satisfied with the level of service they’re receiving at that point.
“If things are going really well…and the contractor were to say, ‘I’ll do it for another 12 months with no cost increase,’ there is a provision in the RFP (request for proposal for the contract) to do that,” he added.
Deputy-Mayor McKenzie’s counterpart from the north, Jamie MacDonald, wanted to know about the fee schedule and the overall financial impact on the residents of each municipality.
“We’re looking at a scenario where all of our costs will be recovered,” said Mr. Gagnon.
“The bottom line is that we’re seeing it being revenue neutral…strictly user-based…and with no cost to the taxpayer.”
According to a staff report prepared jointly by South Glengarry Chief Building Official Dwane Crawford and North Glengarry CBO/Planning Manager Gerry Murphy, Lakeside Green was the preferred option to provide septic system inspection services not only due to its lower cost submission – the final figures for which were not disclosed – but the firm’s track record in the field as well.
“During the review of both proposals it became evident that both proponents were aware of what services were required and provided a good description of their methodology of how they would be providing the service,” stated one section of the report.
However, the report also stated that RRCA staff, who would be the lead agency in the joint RRCA/SNC submission, do not currently possess the “required accreditation from the Ministry of Housing to be registered as Section 8 (the sewage system section of the Ontario Building Code) inspectors,” and that it would take six months for those staff members to receive that accreditation.
Conversely, Lakeside’s “excellent description of their combined experience in the field of septic system design and review, along with their field experience,” seemed to be the deciding factor.
Their choice – resulting from a unanimous vote by each council – came following a very brief discussion on the matter that consisted of little more than a reiteration of the backgrounds and qualifications of each of the two groups being considered for the tender – Lakeside Green and a combined Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA)/South Nation Conservation Authority (SNC) team – by CAOs Derik Brandt (South Glengarry) and Daniel Gagnon (North Glengarry), and questions from each of the township’s deputy-mayors.
South Glengarry Deputy-Mayor Bill McKenzie wondered about the length of the contract to which the townships would be committed, regardless of which service provider they chose.
Mr. Brandt replied that staff is initially considering a one-year agreement (likely from February 2012 to February 2013), but with an “open-ended” option that would allow for an “add-on” towards the end of the (trial-basis) agreement if both municipalities are satisfied with the level of service they’re receiving at that point.
“If things are going really well…and the contractor were to say, ‘I’ll do it for another 12 months with no cost increase,’ there is a provision in the RFP (request for proposal for the contract) to do that,” he added.
Deputy-Mayor McKenzie’s counterpart from the north, Jamie MacDonald, wanted to know about the fee schedule and the overall financial impact on the residents of each municipality.
“We’re looking at a scenario where all of our costs will be recovered,” said Mr. Gagnon.
“The bottom line is that we’re seeing it being revenue neutral…strictly user-based…and with no cost to the taxpayer.”
According to a staff report prepared jointly by South Glengarry Chief Building Official Dwane Crawford and North Glengarry CBO/Planning Manager Gerry Murphy, Lakeside Green was the preferred option to provide septic system inspection services not only due to its lower cost submission – the final figures for which were not disclosed – but the firm’s track record in the field as well.
“During the review of both proposals it became evident that both proponents were aware of what services were required and provided a good description of their methodology of how they would be providing the service,” stated one section of the report.
However, the report also stated that RRCA staff, who would be the lead agency in the joint RRCA/SNC submission, do not currently possess the “required accreditation from the Ministry of Housing to be registered as Section 8 (the sewage system section of the Ontario Building Code) inspectors,” and that it would take six months for those staff members to receive that accreditation.
Conversely, Lakeside’s “excellent description of their combined experience in the field of septic system design and review, along with their field experience,” seemed to be the deciding factor.
Michael Madden, who along with his partner Jacki Hansford, operates Lakeside Green, was in attendance at Monday night’s meeting.
He thanked both councils for choosing his business, saying that he was looking forward to working with both municipalities as well as their residents.
Mr. Madden, a graduate of the environmental technology program at Loyalist College in Belleville and possessor of a BES (Bachelor of Economic Science) from Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC, has worked in the environmental field for the past decade; five of those years as a consultant.
Ms. Hansford, also a graduate of Loyalist College’s environmental technology program, has over eight years of experience as an environmental consultant.
She has also conducted more than 100 Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), and is currently an instructor with Loyalist’s environmental technician/technologist program.
The need for both North and South Glengarry, as well as their neighbouring municipalities within SD&G and the surrounding region, to contract out (or assume) private septic system inspections stems from an announcement by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) this past August to the five Eastern Counties that it would no longer, as of December 31, 2011, be administering Section 8 after overseeing and inspecting the installation of septic systems in its jurisdiction since 1998.
Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, EOHU Medical Officer of Health and CEO, told The News in November that the health unit was washing its hands of its septic system inspection responsibilities in order to free up staff to perform other duties such as health hazard evaluations.
As for the administrative aspect of the overall septic system inspection process, both local municipalities have chosen to take care of maintaining and controlling relevant documentation and paperwork – as well as assessing and collecting inspection fees from residents – in-house at their respective township offices.
He thanked both councils for choosing his business, saying that he was looking forward to working with both municipalities as well as their residents.
Mr. Madden, a graduate of the environmental technology program at Loyalist College in Belleville and possessor of a BES (Bachelor of Economic Science) from Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC, has worked in the environmental field for the past decade; five of those years as a consultant.
Ms. Hansford, also a graduate of Loyalist College’s environmental technology program, has over eight years of experience as an environmental consultant.
She has also conducted more than 100 Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), and is currently an instructor with Loyalist’s environmental technician/technologist program.
The need for both North and South Glengarry, as well as their neighbouring municipalities within SD&G and the surrounding region, to contract out (or assume) private septic system inspections stems from an announcement by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) this past August to the five Eastern Counties that it would no longer, as of December 31, 2011, be administering Section 8 after overseeing and inspecting the installation of septic systems in its jurisdiction since 1998.
Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, EOHU Medical Officer of Health and CEO, told The News in November that the health unit was washing its hands of its septic system inspection responsibilities in order to free up staff to perform other duties such as health hazard evaluations.
As for the administrative aspect of the overall septic system inspection process, both local municipalities have chosen to take care of maintaining and controlling relevant documentation and paperwork – as well as assessing and collecting inspection fees from residents – in-house at their respective township offices.
