Whitecourt town council made a couple of financial decisions during its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Sept. 8.
Council has approved the purchase of a new Dial-A-Bus from Crestline Coach Ltd. at a cost of $288,989.77 plus GST.
The town was scheduled to replace its Dial-A-Bus in 2026 based on a 10-year lifecycle. The procurement process for these buses can be lengthy, so considering this, along with additional grant funding that became available, administration initiated the purchase process earlier.
Two bids were received from Crestline for two different models:
- 2026 Arboc Spirit of Freedom on a Chevrolet G4500 chassis for $264,453.15 plus GST
- 2026 Star Trans Senator II on a Chevrolet G4500 chassis for $199,361.21 plus GST.
Administration recommended the 2026 Arboc Spirit of Freedom model as it features a low-floor design with an integrated ramp, improving accessibility and reliability. The town is already familiar with the rear lift mechanism in the 2026 Star Trans Senator II and anticipates it would result in more maintenance and mechanical issues based on previous experience.
In August, Fleet and Transit department staff saw a demonstration of the 2026 Arboc Spirit of Freedom, wherein the model was fitted on a Ford E450 chassis. Town officials say this chassis accommodated a floor plan with more seating, as well as safer and easier loading for wheelchair-using passengers. The revised total for the Arboc, $288,989.77, covers the revised Ford chassis configuration.
Funding for the bus will come from the Rural Transit Solutions Fund and the Equipment Replacement Reserves allocated in the 2025 and 2026 Capital Budgets.
Council also awarded a three-year term contract for audit services to Metrix Group LLP for $128,500 plus GST.
The current auditing contract is near expiring, and according to the Municipal Government Act, council must appoint an auditor for the town.
A request for proposals was advertised on the Alberta Purchasing Connection Platform from July 18 to Aug. 15, as well as on the town website. The request included audit services, additional services to complete the tri-annual Local Authority Pension Plan compliance report, as well as the annual review engagement to provide a financial report to the Family and Community Support Services Grant Program.
Three proposals were received and evaluated based on considerations like price, technical expertise, and experience. The proposal from Metrix Group LLP ranked the highest.
Its bid was the lowest and, as the current auditor for the town, the audit process should require less staff assistance and no transition period to becoming familiar with the town’s internal controls and prior year’s documents.
