City council has awarded Kobayshi & Zedda Architects a $1.47-million contract plus the GST to design a major addition to city hall and oversee construction of the project.

Council voted on the award Monday evening after taking an unusual step of going in camera, or behind closed doors, to discuss the matter.

Council returned to the public meeting a half-hour later and voted to award the contract.

Earlier this month, some concern was raised by members of council regarding the disqualification of the firm that submitted a price $400,000 lower than the bid by Kobayshi & Zedda.

It was noted the firm’s bid did pass the technical evaluation but was disqualified in phase two after the pricing envelope was opened.

Council voted earlier this month to defer the contract award in order to have more time to understand the evaluation process.

The award was approved Monday by a vote of six to one, with Coun. Samson Hartland registering the only opposing vote.

The administrative report provided to council Monday said the evaluation process was reviewed and it was determined the process was in conformity with city policy.

A legal review was conducted and it was determined there was no evidence suggesting any of the bids received were treated unfairly, council was told.

The city hall project is budgeted at $20.8 million, with $16 million coming from the Yukon and federal governments.

Administration reminded council Monday evening it was important to award the design work this spring in order to be ready to issue a construction tender by the spring of 2021. The funding from the two senior governments requires that the project be complete by March 2023.

Hartland told his colleagues he would prefer to cancel the existing request for proposals and instead issue a new RFP.

But the majority of council indicated Monday they were satisfied with the review of the evaluation process and did not want to see the project delayed.

“Administration has determined that there is no evidence that this procurement was conducted other than in conformance with city policy,” says the administrative report.

The fire hall next to city hall is scheduled to be torn down once the new fire hall under construction on Black Street is ready for occupancy.

The lot will be used to accommodate the addition to city hall and will include a new indoor transit transfer station complete with public washrooms.

The project also involves a major retrofit to city hall to improve energy efficiency.

Many of the city employees working at the Municipal Services Building on Fourth Avenue who are not moving up to the new Operations Building off Range Road will be moving into the new city hall.