A written report on a project that ballooned in cost by around $30-million dollars will stay that way, written without any further questions.

Ward 5 councillor Rick Dubeau lobbied to no avail to get Deloitte LLP to come back to Timmins council to give a verbal overview of their findings with the construction process, and planning behind the $80 million+ Mattagami Wastewater Plant.

This is a report that was filed in full to council about a year ago.

The original resolution on the table was read as follows: “BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council does hereby direct the CAO to provide a final report regarding the Deloitte wastewater plant.”

City CAO Joe Torlone noted that the city’s already implemented some of the recommendations from the report.

He also recommended to council that if they have an issue with it, they take it up with Deloitte.

Dubeau contends council never had the chance to ask questions on the report, a report he says leaves him with more questions than answers.

CLICK HERE to see the full report.

Councillor Joe Campbell added to Dubeau’s argument, saying Deloitte owes council the chance to have them in-person at a future meeting.

Councillor Noella Rinaldo was on the other side of the fence on the issue.  She says the report filed was “straight forward,” and is happy with what council has in hand.

She, however, didn’t take too kindly to Dubeau reading out the report to her at the council table.

It turned into what’s become a common occurrence at city council meetings: tension and raised voices.

Rinaldo says she doesn’t need Dubeau reading her a document she already has, adding they’ve already “dealt with this.”

“The questions were answered, they sat here, they answered,” Rinaldo recalls, “A comprehensive report was given to us, recommendations were given to us.  What they said is if you want a manual, you will have to pay.”

She says they already have so much on their plate that going back to a report given a year ago isn’t worth going back to.

“The public’s getting tired of it, and I am too,” she added.

Dubeau argues he was reading it for the public and media’s sake, saying they have a right to know about it.

As he read, Deloitte made four key findings in their investigation:

  • Development of project contingency did not follow industry practices for large capital projects
  • Communications and reporting with council were lacking throughout the project
  • Change order management and controls were lacking throughout the project
  • Project-related accountabilities and responsibilities were not defined or fully understood

Mayor Steve Black says this could turn into a legal issue.

He says if two parties—in this case, city council and Deloitte, who believe they’ve fulfilled their contractual obligations—are in disagreement, litigation would possibly be needed to get Deloitte to the council presenters chair.

In the end, council voted down the request 7-2.

Dubeau and Campbell voted in favour, while everyone else voted against the request.

CLICK HERE for the full discussion from council, under Item 5D.

Filed under: Local News