Portage la Prairie City Council was split on the decision to award a three-year contract to provide by-law, parking meter, and animal control services.

It was between current contractors the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, and local firm Orion Security, with less than $1000.00 between them.

After hearing presentations from both, Council awarded the contract to the Commissionaires, by a 4-3 count. The four councillors cited Orion's failure to answer the questions on the request for proposal as the main reason.

A disappointed Allan Adams from Orion hoped he could swing the vote to support local business.

Allan Adams following Council's decision

"Obviously, I've been in the business, doing security in town for 27 years," he says, "I believe I've proven our capabilities, and the level of our service to the City. I did learn a little bit that I have to focus some more attention on presentation, look into proposal writing, and a lot more of the corporate stuff, I guess."

Mayor Irvine Ferris voted in favour of the Commissionaires, explaining Orion's bid didn't answer questions on the request for proposal.

"We have a process in place. Anybody bidding on a tender is aware of the process," he says, "There is a scoring process. Scoring is done according to information provided. The Corps of Commissionaires had a significantly higher score than the other firm that was bidding on the tender."

Councillor Ryan Espey supported Orion's bid.

"They were defeated in the scoring system for the RFP. But," he says, "In supporting local businesses, and some decent arguments made for reasons for doing that, after two weeks to ponder it, and think about it, I thought it was actually just the right decision to make, and the right thing to do for a local business in our community."

An amendment by Councillor Brent Budz to award Orion the contract was also defeated.

Besides Mayor Ferris, Councillors Draycott, Froese, and Wall supported the Commissionaires. You can read the administrative recommendation here.