The city terminated its two-year contract with street line painters better known for their wobbly renditions of road lines than keeping straight on the streets.
After negotiations with the public works department, R&N Maintenance Western also reduced its bill by 15 per cent, which means Prince George should see about a $15,000 kickback, city council heard at its Monday night meeting.
"When I looked at some of the line paint this year I was embarrassed and I thought how could that happen?" said Coun. Brian Skakun after a presentation from public works.
"I'm just glad we're not giving them the full amount because in my opinion they don't deserve it."
The city previously said it had no plans to touch up the crooked markings but ordered an update for council after a number of complaints from the public.
The contract with R&N Maintenance Western (the Alberta arm of a pavement marking company headquartered in Guelph, Ont.) should have wrapped up in April 2017, with the option to extend it for one year, according to the March invitation to tender.
"I'm actually hoping they're not back," said Mayor Lyn Hall before hearing the contract had been cancelled that very day.
Adding a second round of painting in the fall is estimated to cost an extra $30,000 to the existing $231,300 that was budgeted for the work in 2015, the report to council said.
This year's paint program included $105,422 for linear line painting, $99,878 for handwork line painting and $26,000 for city workers to do the preliminary layout.
The city must take the lowest bid, which prompted some discussion among councillors whether it is best to move painting responsibilities back in house.
The work has been completed by an outside contractor for decades save for the early 2000s, when the city took on that responsibility. In 2007, the city purchased a Linetech painting truck that was used for two years before it was decided that there wasn't enough work within the city for an operator to become proficient enough at the task. The city sold the truck in 2009 and the work was again contracted out, though city crews still do the preliminary layout for the contractor to follow.
Changes to Environment Canada regulations in 2009 mean the paint is now water-based, which affect the longevity of the lines.
Prince George also has a fairly tight window to put paint to pavement: the temperature must be at least 10 degrees all day and it can't rain 48 hours before or after the work.
--with files from Charelle Evelyn
