With the construction and road maintenance season starting council discussed tenders for two upcoming projects: one for road paint, and the second for sidewalk construction.  

The first was the report from Roads and Drainage regarding a tender for Alkyd (oil) based paint for traffic lines, parking lots, and handicap stalls. 

There were three options for the paint tender:  

  1. Clover Paint Inc. $48771.00  
  2. Sherwin-Willams $41,667.85 (Pro-mar line) 
  3. Sherwin-Willams $49,947.05 (Set Fast Line) 

The recommendation was to continue using the Sherwin-Williams Pro-Mar Line. Hailey DeConick, Estevan's Roads & Drainage Manager, said that was the brand they had used over the last couple of years, and they were happy with the results and longevity of the paint. 

Councillor Shelly Veroba brought up concerns that have been voiced to her concerning the durability of the paint.  

“A lot of people have had concerns in the past that the paint doesn’t stay on long as it used to. So just to clarify, we do have it meet all environmental standards,” said Veroba.  “So yes, the paint doesn’t last as long as it did maybe 25 to 30 years ago, but we definitely get inspected and we have to make sure we follow these guidelines.”  

This brought up a discussion on whether this would include the repainting of the Truth and Reconciliation Crosswalk.  

Councilor Rebecca Foord brought up whether there should also be a future discussion around the location of the Truth and Reconciliation location.  

“I know we had some comments from the community around Remembrance Day last year about painting poppies on the crosswalk,” said Foord.  

City Manager Jeff Ward said they would be able to discuss that at a later date. However, he also noted that there have been past discussions about whether or not it's proper to drive over a poppy.  

There were no further questions on the matter. The motion was carried, and they agreed to go with Sherwin Williams Pro-Mar Line.  

The second report came from city engineering for a concrete and sidewalk tender.  

The proposed project consists of the construction of a sidewalk along Perkins Street from Second Ave to Fourth Ave.  

There were two bids from NorthStar Concrete Inc. The first is for a sidewalk that is 1200 mm or four feet wide and would cost $177,391. The second is for one that is 1500mm or five feet wide for $189,711.  

It was recommended that they go with the 1500 mm wide sidewalk option for pedestrian safety purposes.  

Councillor Travis Frank said that he agreed with the recommendation.  

“It would cost a little bit more money, but the price difference is pretty minor to go to a wider sidewalk. I think that’s a busy road. So I would make a motion to go ahead with the wider sidewalk,” said Frank.  

Veroba asked if it was common to only have one tender for a project like this one.  

Mayor Roy Ludwig said that they have had success with this company in the past. He added often they get two to three bids for these types of projects. The project listed for the correct amount of time.  

“In some cases, the construction season is already coming, and they may be busy on other projects so you may not get as many tenders,” said Ludwig.  

The project is expected to begin on May 15, 2024, and is set to be completed on June 10, 2024.  

The motion was brought forward to go with the larger sidewalk size. The motion was carried.