City backs three plumbing contracts

Summary#

Montréal city council unanimously adopted a position supporting three plumbing-service contracts for 9413-2925 Québec inc. (Plomberie HKLI). The contracts cover preventive maintenance and on-demand plumbing work at city buildings, for 36 months starting October 1, 2026, with two optional 12-month extensions. This is an orientation item: the agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting.

  • The three lots cover buildings in eastern Montréal, western Montréal, and buildings used by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM).
  • The contractor would provide preventive and corrective maintenance and replacement parts. City staff say the service must be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
  • The resolution calls for a later evaluation of the contractor’s performance.
  • For each lot, the company was the lowest of two compliant bids. Three bids were submitted per lot; one was ruled non-compliant.

What it means for you#

  • City building users and the public: The contracts cover 282 buildings with varied uses. The decision does not create a new public plumbing service for residents.
  • The City and taxpayers: If the agglomeration council approves the contracts, the City would have plumbing services on demand for those buildings, with up to two possible extensions.
  • Plomberie HKLI: The company would receive the contracts if the agglomeration council approves them. The resolution also calls for a performance evaluation.

Money#

The official title gives a total of $3,050,275.25, taxes included; the detailed amounts in the resolution add up to one cent more.

  • The resolution lists base amounts of $760,645.86, $1,253,664.41 and $527,585.78, taxes included and excluding contingencies.
  • It authorizes $508,379.21, taxes included, for contingencies (funds for unexpected work). The decision summary describes this as 20% of the bid amounts.
  • The decision summary says the lowest compliant bids were 21.01% to 21.74% below the City’s estimates for the three lots.

What is unclear#

  • The materials do not explain how or when the City would use the extension options.
  • The detailed lot totals, including contingencies, add to $3,050,275.26, while the official title says $3,050,275.25.
  • The materials do not specify how much of the contingency budget will be used.

Case for#

  • A possible argument for the contracts is that they provide preventive and corrective plumbing work across 282 city buildings, including SPVM buildings.
  • The bidding process produced two compliant bids for each lot, and Plomberie HKLI submitted the lower bid in each case.
  • The decision summary says the bids were below the City’s estimates.

Case against#

  • One concern is that only two bids per lot were compliant, limiting the number of eligible bids to compare.
  • The contracts include a substantial contingency budget for unexpected work, but the materials do not say how much will actually be needed.
  • The one-cent difference between the title’s total and the itemized amounts is unexplained.