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Staff pick Alpine Paving for asphalt work once again

Residents keep windows and doors closed depending on the way the wind blows

Dave Sakolinsky had to close all of his windows this morning and keep his one-year-old daughter inside because of the asphalt fumes.

He is one of the hundreds of residents at the new Cheakamus Crossing neighbourhood frustrated and angry about the nearby asphalt plant, which is continuing to operate despite being ordered to stop operations last month.

Sakolinsky said he was sad to learn that the municipality is once again proposing to do business with Alpine Paving. He said it's time to cut ties with the company.

For the third time this year staff is recommending council choose Alpine Paving for its 2011 road works program - business worth about half a million dollars, and potentially more if council approves paving Lot 5 in the Day Skier Lots.

"He hasn't been operating in good faith with the community," said Sakolinsky, of the operator.

"The time has come that he not be recognized as an integral part of the business community."

On two previous occasions, municipal staff has recommended doing business with Alpine Paving and council has sent them back to the drawing board.

Last month council made clear it was uncomfortable doing business with a company that is

continuing to operate in the face of a municipal cease and desist order.

That order was issued in May after pressure from new residents at Cheakamus Crossing who had long been protesting the asphalt plant was operating without proper zoning and had been doing so since the mid 1990s.

Legal proceedings are now underway. A petition to declare the plant in contravention of the zoning bylaw cannot be heard in the B.C. Supreme Court until September.

Since May 25, there have been 31 complaints to bylaw services by 11 different people about the plant operating.

At its last meeting council asked staff to look at the legalities of awarding the asphalt contract to the next lowest bidder, effectively cutting Alpine Paving from the work.

The staff report, which will be presented to council Tuesday night states:

"We are now in receipt of this legal advice, and we are requesting direction from Council in order to move forward in meeting our needs for the supply of asphalt for 2011.

"In consultation with legal counsel, staff recommends that Council award the tender for the Asphalt Unit Prices - Whistler 2011 Road Reconstruction Program to Alpine Paving (1978) Limited, adopting the pricing changes for asphalt produced by Alpine at their Squamish plant."

Council will debate the recommendation at Tuesday's evening meeting.