Stevensville council rescinds approval, tables Trojan service contract for wastewater plant UV system

The Stevensville Town Council on a 4-0 vote rescinded an earlier approval of a service contract with Trojan Technologies Group ULC and then voted 4-0 to table the item until staff can gather more information on scope, pricing and warranty terms.

The motions followed more than an hour of technical discussion about the town—s ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system at the wastewater plant, which council members and staff said has been operating on a single bank of lamps for roughly 14 months. Public Works Director Steven Lasser told the council the system has two banks with about 24 bulbs per bank and that the second bank will not bring itself to full intensity when switched on.

"It needs a professional to look at it," Lasser said, warning that if the system fails the town could face regulatory letters or fines. He described prior in-house maintenance (valve replacements, sensor cleaning) and said the system has never had a professional service visit since installation.

Council discussion focused on the immediate repair cost and the option to buy an ongoing maintenance agreement. Staff reported a one-time diagnostic/repair quote in the meeting record of roughly $3,600; a multi-year maintenance option was represented in the contract as "$16.50" per visit for an annual visit over five years (meeting transcript phrasing), with overtime charged at $315 per hour and an additional on-site day quoted at $1,250 per day. The contract text reviewed in the meeting also included a governing-law clause specifying Ontario and federal laws of Canada.

Council members pressed staff on whether the town—s engineering firm, HDR, had been contacted and whether prior notes or service requests exist. Lasser said staff had not previously requested a professional site visit but had since been collecting quotes. Council members asked staff to confirm which parts of the repair would be covered under routine maintenance in the proposed contract and whether travel and airfare were included in the multi-year price.

Council member Barker moved to approve a service contract between Trojan Technologies Group ULC and the Town of Stevensville with exclusions noted; council member Smith seconded that motion. Later, Council member Parker moved to rescind the approval; Councilmember Anderson seconded the rescission. The council voted to rescind (recorded 4-0) and then, on a separate motion by Council member Nelson seconded by another councilor, voted 4-0 to table the contract until staff returns with clarified pricing, a written description of "routine maintenance" in the contract, and confirmation whether HDR has prior notes or recommendations.

The council directed staff to get clearer answers on: whether the current malfunction is covered by routine maintenance, which repairs or parts would incur additional charges, how emergency calls would be priced, whether training for town staff would be included when Trojan personnel are on site, and whether airfare and travel are included in the multi-year price. Lasser said Trojan has remote monitoring capability but that some diagnostics and programming work require an on-site technician.

Council members and staff said they prefer a professional diagnosis before committing to a multi-year contract, and asked staff to confirm details and return to a future council meeting with written clarifications and any relevant engineering notes from HDR.

The item was tabled.