Chatham-Kent Councillor Leon Leclair is proposing a motion to find more cost-effective infrastructure solutions.
Leclair says Chatham-Kent has the highest number of bridges per capita in Canada and the rebuilding of so many them is taking a toll on municipality budgets.
"I'm just not happy with the cost of doing business. Our drains, our roads, our bridges, consulting-- it's so big of a budget that I just think we need more eyes on it," says Leclair.
He thinks the municipality should consider rehabilitating more bridges rather than completely rebuilding them to save money.
Leclair hopes to organize a task force of council members, agricultural organizations, and other municipality staff to review cost-saving infrastructure solutions.
"I'd like to see us have more hands on designing our projects. We have the knowledge on the third-floor. Sometimes we don't have enough staff but I'd like us to be driving our own bus," he explains.
His main goal of the motion is to explore more options and methods of rebuilding and rehabilitating bridges, instead of going to straight to the construction companies.
"When I'm giving a bridge to be designed and built, safety is paramount. When it's an outside consultant I believe they make more money when the structure is worth more too. Whereas if we did it in house and we had somebody we paid by the hour maybe we could look at Ontario designs that are more cost-efficient," explains Leclair.
The motion is set to be reviewed and sent back to Chatham-Kent Council by July 17.
