Price will not be only consideration selecting contractors to build, design new pool, city says

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The City of Fort St. John has finalized plans for bringing in bids for its new pool project. 

According to a staff report presented during the March 9th council meeting of the City of Fort St. John, the municipality intends to use an “integrated project delivery procurement model” to process and select bids for detail design, costing and construction of the new pool facility. 

During a previous council meeting, the city’s aquatic facility working group provided an update to the city council regarding public engagement and residents’ preferences for features at the new facility to replace the North Peace Leisure Pool.

This is the latest from the city’s aquatic facility working group, which has been working on replacing the North Peace Leisure Pool in Fort St. John since the Peace River Regional District announced its departure from the project, which has been in the pipeline since 2017.

“The integrated project delivery procurement model is more of a relational-based contract and construction management model designed to achieve better project outcomes. There is a greater alignment between the interests and expertise of the city, design consultants and contractors,” the report explained. 

In 2021, the city introduced the “best value procurement model” for complex projects that require consideration of “additional criteria other than price.”

Previously, the municipality typically went with the lowest bid that met the project’s required standards. 

The method selected for the new pool blends low cost with the city’s project limitations and standards. 

Until a bid is selected, the project will be monitored weekly by the city’s director of community services and the capital projects manager.

The council approved the procurement model during the March 9th meeting, meaning the city will now issue an advance notice of the ‘request for proposal’ while finalizing the drafting of procurement documents. 

The project will be available on the city’s project platform, with the intention of awarding it to a bid by the end of spring 2026. Work with the winning bidder will then commence in late spring, early summer, following the October referendum.