By Ruby Pratka
Local Journalism Initiative
The Autorité des marchés publics (AMP), the province’s public-sector financial regulator, has issued recommendations to the Canton of Potton after an investigation found that the municipality did not follow standard procedure related to the acquisition of a fire engine.
“The analysis showed that the quote linked to the municipality’s public call for tenders included technical requirements targeting particular products through the use of trademarks and model numbers,” the AMP said in a statement. “This way of doing things goes against the Municipal Code of Quebec, which stipulates that municipalities must describe their needs in terms of performance or functional requirements rather than in terms of descriptive characteristics.”
When AMP officials conducted checks, they were told the call for tenders “was inspired by quotes prepared by neighbouring municipalities” and that “describing its needs in terms of performance or functional requirements would have caused confusion among potential bidders,” according to the statement. The AMP concluded that the explanations provided by the municipality did not allow it to invoke an exception to the rules authorizing it to describe specific brands or models in its call for tenders.
The AMP also concluded that the call for tenders featured a “major irregularity” related to the guarantee of the fire engine, and the municipality should have declared the call for tenders noncompliant.
The agency recommended that the town council develop “efficient procedures” to ensure that future calls for tenders describe the products required “in terms of functional requirements” and that future decisions to refer to specific brand names and model numbers in calls for tenders are justified. It also recommended that employees undergo training on the conformity of calls for tenders and required the municipality to report back within 45 days, explaining what measures have been taken and the timeline for their implementation.
Potton Mayor Bruno Côté referred the BCN to an external public relations firm, Arsenal. An Arsenal representative declined an interview request on his behalf, but provided the BCN with a written statement which did not directly address the concerns raised by the AMP.
“The municipality has as a priority to ensure the safety of its citizens and takes the necessary means. Pending the delivery of the new vehicle scheduled for 2025 (acquired in 2023), the municipality has acquired a second-hand fire truck which until recently belonged to the Town of Sutton. This decision-making was accelerated following a visual and auditory safety inspection of the accessible elements of the vehicle on Feb. 16, carried out by an inspector from the Société d’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ): the fire truck which was then in circulation no longer meets safety standards. Major defects have been reported, forcing it to be scrapped at very short notice. This responsible and temporary solution ensures that we maintain our capacity for action and intervention while limiting costs,” the statement said.