UPDATE: Fernie council has taken the first steps towards approving a new public works building with a budget of nearly $7 million.
At today’s special meeting of Committee of the Whole, councillors voted to advance the public works building to 100 per cent detailed design.
They did not make any changes to the 75 per cent design submission presented by Eagle Builders LP to council on Monday night.
Council also agreed to direct staff to bring forward a project budget amendment to $6,950,905 for the project.
Phil Iddon was the only councillor to oppose each of the three motions approved by COTW today.
City staff will now prepare a report for council on the project budget adjustment for a final decision at an upcoming regular meeting.
Earlier, The Free Press reported:
Fernie council will today decide whether to proceed with a complete replacement of the public works yard, which has blown out to $7 million.
At 1 p.m., there will be a special meeting of the Committee of the Whole (COTW) at City Hall, where councillors will determine if any design changes are needed and confirm if they wish to advance the public works building to a 100 per cent detailed design.
They will also be asked to direct City staff whether or not to amend the project’s budget to $6,950,905.
This amount is nearly $5 million more than approved in the 2018 Budget and $2 million more than the initial estimate provided by staff when Eagle Builders LP was awarded the contract last month.
LOOK BACK: Fernie public works yard set for complete overhaul
According to City documents, the additional cost is due to added features including access control ($23,555), an alarm system ($20,020), a camera system ($20,240) and other smaller items.
This brought the project up to $6,105,630. Considerations for outfitting the building have been calculated at $213,375 with City staff recommending adding a 10 per cent contingency to the project.
“This would bring the total budget for the Public Works building to $6,950,905,” said staff in their report to COTW.
If COTW is able to reach a resolution today, the matter will be referred to a future council meeting for final approval.
Located on Railway Ave, the public works yard provides a home base for the City’s Operations team and includes equipment and material storage, office space, change/locker rooms, mechanic and carpenter shops, and vehicle and equipment fuelling facilities.
Many of the buildings are past their serviceable life. The oldest is the carpenter’s shop, which dates back to the 1940s, while the largest – the Quonset – has been declared unsafe for occupancy.
In 2013, consultants hired by the City found it would cost roughly $1 million to maintain the current buildings until 2023 or just under $5 million to replace them.
City staff believe a complete overhaul is the best way forward to save on future design and construction soft costs, and limit disruptions to operations.
Additional operating cost savings are anticipated based on the increased building efficiencies that will be achieved with new build construction and the resultant energy and heat savings.
At Monday’s regular meeting, council heard from a representative from Eagle Builders, who presented the 75 per cent detailed design for the project.
He highlighted the product warranties and low maintenance design, which will reduce future maintenance costs for the City.
The proposed design consolidates all public works facilities into one building and increases security, energy efficiency and functionality.
Accessibility is a priority for the City and the main floor of the office building has been made barrier free for both customers and staff.
Councillor Phil Iddon questioned the size of the building and asked Eagle Builders if there was any duplication of space.
He was also very concerned about the increasing cost of the project.
“This is a huge step for us and this has implications, not just this year, it has implications for everything we do for the next four or five years,” he said, addressing the Eagle Builders representative.
“This is a huge dollar figure… I guess I haven’t been privy to enough things to understand how we make these million dollar leaps and what this is going to cost us, and what we’re going to have to sacrifice… because we have spent this money.”
The Eagle Builders representative assured Iddon that there was little, if any, duplication of space.
“I reckon we are within a couple of hundred square feet (of the old and new building),” he said.
He added that while the new building is “functional and fantastic”, City staff have also been conscientious in their financial decisions.
Mayor Ange Qualizza reiterated that the purpose of the meeting was for councillors to fully understand the design and ask questions before Tuesday’s budget decision.
She said while the cost of the project may be difficult for councillors to swallow “not doing anything is going to cost a heck of a lot more”.
To view the full breakdown of costs, see today’s agenda.
More to come.
