[0:00] Next up, reading of bylaws, civic center
relocation, presented by our chief
[0:05] administrative officer, Christine
Beverage. Take it away.
[0:12] » Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
>> Good evening, Mayor and Council.
[0:20] Tonight I have the opportunity to
present a recommendation uh regarding
[0:24] the future of the town's civic center
and long long-term sustainability of
[0:28] municipal service delivery in Edson.
[0:33] The current facility has served this
community for over nearly 70 years. It's
[0:38] been a central part of local government
and community life throughout that time.
[0:42] administration has identified an
opportunity that warrants council's
[0:45] consideration as a part of its
responsibility to manage municipal
[0:49] assets in con uh along with uh plan for
the community's needs.
[0:55] Significant capital investment is
required regard regardless of the path
[0:59] chosen. An opportunity exists to
relocate into an existing downtown
[1:03] building at a substantially lower cost
than renovation or new construction.
[1:08] Today's report outlines the rationale
for the proposed relocation, the funding
[1:14] strategy, the required borrowing bylaw
process, along with future
[1:18] considerations for the existing civic
center property. Tonight, administration
[1:23] seeks council's direction to proceed.
[1:29] An independent engineering assessment
completed in 2024 found that the
[1:34] building requires significant investment
to remain operational with nearly a
[1:38] million dollars in a maintenance needs
expected over the next 5 years and close
[1:42] to 1.68 million over the next 20 just to
maintain what exists. a facility
[1:48] condition rating index of poor on the
5-year outlook deteriorating to critical
[1:54] over the 20-year horizon if life if life
cycle work is deferred. No fire alarm,
[2:01] no sprinkler system anticipated as best
disabatement marginal architectural and
[2:07] mechanical conditions overall were
identified.
[2:10] The building is generally not
barrierfree compliant. This includes
[2:14] parking, entrances, interior circulation
and washrooms. And bringing it to a
[2:20] modern accessibility standard would
require a major expenditure in order to
[2:25] um elongate the use of this building
that um as per the uh report has roughly
[2:31] 16 years left in its lifespan.
[2:37] Key drivers for relocation
facility design, limited and in
[2:43] ineffected ineffective uh space for
employees, doubling up in offices, lack
[2:49] of privacy with with limited
soundproofing, lack of professional
[2:53] meeting space and limited space of
meeting rooms. Accessibility.
[2:58] Significant concerns with the concurrent
civic center is accessibility issues.
[3:04] Deficiencies have been identified.
Parking access, building entry, interior
[3:09] circulation, wayfinding, and washroom
facilities. While upgrades could be
[3:14] undertaken, they would require a
significant investment in bu in the in a
[3:19] building approaching the end of its
useful life.
[3:22] Relocation provides an opportunity to
ensure residents can can access
[3:26] municipal services independently,
safety, and with dignity. That also
[3:31] includes our employees as well.
public partic participation and council
[3:37] meetings. Council has experienced
firsthand the limitations within the
[3:41] council chambers. During high interest
matters, attendance has exceeded
[3:45] available capacity, resulting in
residents gathering in hallways, in the
[3:49] hallway, entryway, and even outside the
building. Public participation is a
[3:54] cornerstone of local government.
A relocated facility would provide
[3:59] appropriate seating capacity, improved
accessibility, better technology
[4:04] integration, enhanced opportunities for
community engagement. The proposed
[4:09] facility would better support the
expectations that residents have
[4:12] regarding access to their local
government,
[4:16] public engagement, and community growth.
This the proposed location is not only
[4:20] about municipal administration. An
updated facility would provide improved
[4:24] spaces for public meetings, community
engagement sessions, stakeholder
[4:29] meetings, and discussions with
provincial and federal funding partners.
[4:34] These spaces support economic
development, partnership opportunities,
[4:37] and the the plans for future growth.
And the last but not least, asset
[4:43] management. Continuing to invest in an
aging constrained asset is not fiscally
[4:49] responsible.
Relocation to a suitable building
[4:52] addresses all five deficiencies
simultaneously at a lower cost than
[4:56] renovation or new construction.
[5:01] A question administration expects is why
this opportunity is uh being discussed
[5:06] now. The condition of the existing civic
center is not new information. As
[5:11] mentioned an earlier as mentioned
earlier a comprehensive facility life
[5:15] cycle assessment was completed in 2024
and has been accessible since that time.
[5:21] The condition of the current building
has not been a secret. What maintain
[5:25] remained confidential was with regards
to the acquisition discussions. Public
[5:31] disclosure of the building under cons
consideration or negotiation uh
[5:36] parameters prior to a decision could
have affected the town's position.
[5:40] Factors
that make this the right moment to act
[5:44] act strategically rather than
reactively. Unavoidable capital costs.
[5:49] Near-term expenditures on the existing
building are unavoidable. Delay risk
[5:54] spending on a facility that remains
functional functionally deficient.
[5:58] Reserves. The town has been proactive
building reserves and creating a
[6:02] strategic window to act from a position
of fiscal strength.
[6:06] The opportunity and this is an important
one. A suitable building in the downtown
[6:11] core is available, addressing
accessibility, operations, and public
[6:15] engagement as a cost far below new
construction.
[6:23] The building selected for the proposed
civic center relocation is located at
[6:26] 4937 first staff. The building offers a
practical, cost-effective solution that
[6:33] can accommodate current and future
municipal needs while minimizing
[6:36] renovation requirements. Some key
highlights with regards to this
[6:40] building. It's 27,054
uh square ft commercial office space
[6:46] with ample space for municipal services.
It holds 46 individual offices and
[6:51] additional 24 workspaces. It holds two
sizable meeting rooms with opportunities
[6:56] for more.
It's located on one 1.35 acre site in a
[7:02] prominent downtown town location with
main street exposure. It has 93
[7:06] dedicated parking stalls with an
additional with additional nearby
[7:10] parking opportunities for residents,
visitors, and staff. Originally, this
[7:15] building was built in 1979.
Since then, there's been major
[7:19] renovations to this building completed
in 199 1995 as well as 2013, including
[7:25] updated HVAC systems.
Doing due to ongoing improvements, the
[7:30] building has an effective age of
approximately 12 years and an estimated
[7:34] remaining service life of 48 years.
Constructed with a steel frame and
[7:39] durable stucco, stone and metal exterior
finishes. As I mentioned, it features
[7:44] modern HVAC systems, fire suppression
sprinklers, accessible
[7:50] design elements. It includes a large
lobby and design and reception area
[7:57] suitable for public facing services.
It provides a space for council chambers
[8:02] and and and actually participants um
that want to come in part uh review view
[8:09] uh the democratic uh
um business that goes on in here.
[8:15] This also uh includes multiple
boardrooms and meeting rooms as
[8:18] mentioned. Over uh overall it offers a
combination of private offices and open
[8:24] workspaces um equipped with a loading
dock, shipping and receiving facilities
[8:29] as well. It's zone C1 retail commercial
allowing for a broad range of office and
[8:34] commercial uses.
Moderate re renovations are anticipated
[8:39] helping to reduce the uh overall project
costs and project timelines as well.
[8:45] Overall, this property provides a
well-maintained, centrallylo facility
[8:49] with space, infrastructure, and
longevity to support municipal
[8:52] operations and community services for
decad decades to come.
[9:00] To support a thorough and thoughtful
evaluation of this recommendation, I'd
[9:03] like to provide you with a rationale
behind it.
[9:07] Why renovation of the existing facility
and construction of a new new facility
[9:11] are not the recommended options. So
administration carefully considered
[9:16] renovation of the civic center. However,
the life cycle assessment uh recommends
[9:22] consideration of replacement due to
building age, physical condition,
[9:26] functional limitations and remaining
lifespan.
[9:30] Further investments would extend the
life of the building, but it would not
[9:34] resolve the underlying limitations. It's
important to note that this building
[9:38] also has went through multiple
renovations throughout history.
[9:42] Significant um renovations at this time
would create operational dis disruption
[9:47] and as well um temporary uh
accommodation arrangements.
[9:52] Administration does not consider
renovation to be a viable solution.
[9:56] Another evaluation completed was
building new. Past council and
[10:01] administration considered construction
of a new municipal office facility more
[10:05] than 15 years ago. At that time, the
estimated project cost was approximately
[10:10] 8.75 million. Since then, construction's
costs have increased substantially.
[10:16] Recent municipal projects across Alberta
demonstrate the co significant costs
[10:20] associated with new civic uh
construction.
[10:24] For example, town of Pinoa approved uh
an 11.2 million borrowing bot to acquire
[10:29] their civic center property in 2022.
White court, our neighbors to the north,
[10:35] uh construction contract uh was 54.3
million, noting there's additional
[10:41] amenities of course with that facility,
but more specifically just their
[10:45] administration building alone was 11.7
million.
[10:49] While while a purpose-built facility
could be designed specifically for
[10:53] municipal operations, it would require
considerably more capital investment and
[10:58] a much longer implementation time.
Administration believes that the
[11:02] opportunity to acquire and renovate an
an existing building provides a lower
[11:06] cost, lower risk, reasonable and
responsible solution.
[11:14] The funding plan, the total project cost
is estimated at 5 million
[11:20] administration is recommending a
balanced funding approach. 1.5 million
[11:24] from reserves, 1 million from provincial
grant funding, 2.5 million through a
[11:29] debenture. This approach ensures that
the project funded is funded through
[11:33] municipal s multiple sources rather than
debt alone. Council has intentionally
[11:39] built a reserve over time to address
major facility requirements such as
[11:42] this. Boring through debentures is a
common municipal financing tool that
[11:47] allows long-term assets to be paid for
over their useful life.
[11:56] With regards to the debenture bylaw
process, it's a legislative process
[12:00] required under the municipal government
act. the steps. First rating. Following
[12:04] first rating, a notice must be
advertised for two consecutive weeks.
[12:09] Electors would have 15-day uh petition
period that leads to August 18th. If no
[12:15] si sufficient petition is received,
council may proceed with the second and
[12:19] third with second and third readings,
which would put uh potentially to
[12:23] September 1st. The bylaw then moves to
the legislative waiting period before
[12:28] becoming valid. that uh the final um
opportunity there uh at the end would be
[12:33] October 1st if the no valid petition is
received.
[12:43] Administration is not seeking a decision
today regarding the future use of the
[12:47] civic center property. Administration
believes the discussion that discussion
[12:51] deserves its own consideration. If the
relocation proceeds, administration will
[12:56] return with options that may include
sale of the property, demolition and
[13:01] redevelopment opportunities, or other
alternatives identified through an
[13:04] additional review. This approach allows
council to cons consider the future of
[13:09] the separate of the site separately with
complete information in order to make a
[13:14] datadriven decision.
[13:20] It is recognized that this is a
significant decision and a significant
[13:25] um investment. However, administration
believes the town is at a point where
[13:29] continued investment in an exist in this
existing facility should be weighed
[13:33] against more practical long-term
solution. The proposed relocation
[13:37] addresses accessibility, public
participation, customer service,
[13:42] operational efficiency, and asset
management objectives in a way that this
[13:46] current facility cannot. The opportunity
represents the most fiscally responsible
[13:51] option available at this time and
recommends the council and I recommend
[13:55] that council proceed with relocate uh
relocation initiative direct
[14:00] administration to return with options
for the existing civic senator property
[14:04] and give first reading to the debenture
bylaw. Thank you for your attention and
[14:08] I'm happy to answer any questions.
>> Thank you co beverage for your
[14:13] presentation this evening. We will open
the floor to questions and comments
[14:17] before we take a motion from the floor.
Who would like to begin?
[14:24] Councelor Taylor.
>> Yeah. Through the mayor to CEO Beverage.
[14:28] Um thank you for the the detailed
presentation here. Um my first sort of
[14:34] comment then question uh is regards to
how the building is used. Now I
[14:39] participate in council chambers. This is
the space that I use, but I don't I
[14:44] don't work here. I can comment on the
challenges within this space uh that
[14:50] that we have. Um for for anybody
listening at home, the challenges within
[14:54] a council space that we have is um
certainly we start off with the makeup
[14:59] of this table. Typically a council table
is separated from an administration
[15:04] table in most council chambers. Uh, we
have a U-shape and I certainly sit
[15:10] across from councelor Pishni and all
great and everything. He's great to look
[15:14] at, I'm sure, but most councils are sort
of seated towards the gallery. Now, of
[15:21] course, building a whole purchasing a
new building just for that I can see is
[15:25] is is maybe not reasonable. Uh but CL
Beverage alluded to the fact and this is
[15:29] the biggest concern and that is when we
have uh contentious issues or or big
[15:34] public hearings um members of the public
want to come down and and participate in
[15:38] the process and we've had a number of
occasions like even just over the last
[15:43] few months of this term and certainly
last term we've had uh many people uh
[15:49] come down and and I think of the rural
renewal stream being perhaps one of the
[15:53] biggest ones. Um, we have only maybe a
dozen chairs in here. They were all
[15:58] filled up. And then after that, people
have to sit in the lobby. And part of
[16:03] coming down and watching council make
these decisions is that when we make
[16:07] these decisions, we have to look people
in the eye when we're making these
[16:11] decisions. And that's a pretty um uh,
you know, intense thing to do, right? uh
[16:18] that you have to look sometimes people
are angry or upset but we have to make
[16:22] those decisions and we should make those
decisions by looking people in the eye
[16:25] but if you come down here and you're
sitting out in the lobby you have to
[16:28] watch on a TV screen and you're like
well you might as well just stayed at
[16:32] home and watched from there not only
that you have to watch on about a
[16:35] 15-second delay when you're out in the
foyer and we've had scenarios I think in
[16:40] that rural renewal stream we had people
on co beverage mentioned this people
[16:44] waiting outside and at that point then
you might as well just a state at home.
[16:49] So, we want to encourage that
participation in terms of those big
[16:53] public hearings and contentious issues
that people could come down and fill our
[16:57] fill our council chambers so that we
kind of have to stare at you and look at
[17:02] you and make these difficult decisions.
So, I tell of that sort of personal
[17:06] story from a council perspective. So,
I'm going to turn to CL Beverage and
[17:09] talk about the staff that work here in
this building and talk about some of the
[17:14] personal stories and the challenges that
the staff face within this building. And
[17:18] you alluded to some general uh uh
challenges you have, but talk about some
[17:23] specific stories or challenges,
especially when it comes to meeting with
[17:26] residents and accessibility needs. So, I
open it up to to CL Beverage to talk
[17:30] about some of those specific stories of
challenges our staff faces.
[17:36] Uh thank you through the mayor to
councelor Taylor and all of council. Um
[17:40] so I think that some of the you know
some of the impactful stories of
[17:45] sensitive situations wherein we operate
a a cemetery and that's a great example
[17:50] of where in currently um you know when
residents are coming in to deal with
[17:56] buying a plot and dealing with um you
know fairly sensitive um you know time
[18:03] in their life. we don't actually have a
space for the individuals to actually
[18:06] meet with people um with our
administration. And so it's done in a
[18:10] really awkward space as as far as in the
front uh you know where other people are
[18:14] walking through and this happens on a
daily you know sometimes a daily basis
[18:18] where you're walking through to get down
the hallway and individuals are there um
[18:23] you know sitting in a chair. We try to
make it as as comfortable as possible.
[18:27] Our our my administration does a great
job of that. But it's that's those are
[18:32] those hard things where you feel really,
you know, comfortable as a staff member,
[18:36] but I can't imagine what it feels like
from a perspective of a resident. Um
[18:40] just, you know, another example as well
is that, you know, our um the ability
[18:47] for our economic development officer,
I'll I'll use that as one of our
[18:50] examples. we have that individual um in
the back corner um in an open space um
[18:56] that is potentially dealing with
hopefully some very exciting things for
[19:00] our community and we don't have a space
for that individual individual to have
[19:04] those conversations on the phone to be
talking to businesses without everyone
[19:08] hearing. Um that's a common uh issue in
this in this or uh building is that even
[19:14] our walls are paper thin it feels like
at times and we've done a lot to try to
[19:19] mitigate that but it's still not
conducive to um you know sensitive
[19:23] discussions that potentially are not to
be shared um with others. HR is a great
[19:28] example of that. We've done a lot there
but it's still not ideal. Um, I would
[19:34] say, you know, other examples are when
we're interviewing, um, you know, trying
[19:39] to recruit and get people to work with
us. Um, when we're doing our interviews,
[19:44] we're in a room that's about, um, you
know, it fits probably four or five
[19:49] people comfortably maybe. Um, but it's a
really incredibly awkward space or we
[19:54] have to travel across town to, um, have
uh, to the MP's office to do our
[19:58] interviews there. Um and that's just
things that we've done to help um you
[20:03] know through that opportunity to um you
know actually have a panel because
[20:07] that's often what we do is we have more
than you know two or three people um
[20:12] involved in that interview process.
Um those are you know some of those key
[20:18] pieces um that jump out at me as far as
those those you know qu you know stories
[20:23] that you're asking me. um you know as
far as impact you know I think you
[20:29] mentioned about chambers and it's
something I you know I don't want to be
[20:31] lost you may or may not recall we had
some drip you know water coming down
[20:35] from the ceiling recently with regards
to in our chambers and actually what
[20:40] they did was actually funnel that to
another area so it doesn't actually come
[20:44] through here but it's going somewhere
else just to be able to manage that
[20:48] um you know um our HVAC system is is uh
we we put off that project just based on
[20:56] this this potential coming forward. But
we're in a situation where, you know,
[21:01] it's a fairly substantial um project for
the town to undertake for this building,
[21:06] but it's so inconsistent um with and we
continuously have the contractors coming
[21:11] in to make this comfortable. It's either
we're we're boiling or we're freezing.
[21:17] There's no in between. I would say um
you know staff you know we can't some
[21:22] windows don't open like you know I'm
getting very granular but it's the
[21:26] reality of what our our teams our
employees are working in and um you know
[21:32] I think I could go on if you'd like to I
can but I think that's probably gives
[21:36] you a pretty good sense of you know kind
of those highly sensitive um areas in
[21:41] which that uh you know we see as a big
issue um and have seen as a quite a big
[21:47] issue over Councelor
Wilson Lair.
[21:52] » Uh thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh through the
mayor to CEO Beverage, um and the rest
[21:57] of council, I would like to make some
comments. Um
[22:02] I do want to acknowledge that our
current civic center has served Edson
[22:06] well for nearly 70 years. Um, supporting
a relocation does not diminish that
[22:12] history, but rightfully recognizes that
our community and municipal operations
[22:15] have simply outgrown what the building
can reasonably provide. Staff are
[22:19] working in cramped spaces, as your
presentation has um been very thorough
[22:24] and and um they're in constrained
spaces. Um and as Mayor Zahara had
[22:29] mentioned in his public uh statement
um
[22:34] that um people you know call uh closets
have been renovated and um I know when I
[22:42] toured the building or came into the
building um for this term um when they
[22:47] were speaking of an intern coming in I I
did ask the question well where are we
[22:51] where would we put that person? It's
very obvious. So, um, what stands out to
[22:56] me is that the question is not whether
investment is required. It is where that
[23:00] investment will provide the greatest
long-term value. Spending significant
[23:05] dollars to maintain the current facility
still does not address its underlying
[23:09] accessibility, space, and functional
limitations. This opportunity allows us
[23:14] to invest in an existing downtown
building that can better serve our res
[23:17] residents, staff, and community well
into the future at considerably less
[23:22] cost than building new and uh and taking
on that delayed risk of construction
[23:28] costs and things like that. Um,
I also wanted to I just wanted to
[23:33] mention uh before I ask my questions
that I appreciate that the future of our
[23:37] existing civic center will be considered
respectfully and separately at a later
[23:42] time. After nearly 70 years of service
to Edson, the building and its history
[23:46] deserves to be acknowledged while
allowing council to carefully consider
[23:50] all options and determine what
ultimately makes the most sense for our
[23:54] community. I believe this re relocation
is a responsible and forward-looking
[23:58] investment and I am fully supportive of
moving this process forward and allowing
[24:03] the public process to proceed with that.
I do have two questions um that are just
[24:09] uh out of due diligence. Um first
uh has a comprehensive building
[24:14] condition assessment been completed on
the building uh we are proposing to
[24:18] acquire and I know that's a pretty
standard thing in any conveyancing um uh
[24:23] deal. Um, but are there any significant
or immediate long-term capital
[24:27] requirements be beyond what is included
in the $5 million project budget? And I
[24:32] can add the second question if that's
okay. Um, and the funding plan, just
[24:36] from your presentation, I just wanted to
ask it includes $1 million in provincial
[24:41] grant funding. Is that funding
confirmed? And I I don't think from the
[24:46] presentation that it was uh noted as
confirmed, but if not, what would the
[24:50] funding strategy be if the town does not
receive the full amount of that grant?
[24:55] » Thank you very much.
>> Cio Beverage.
[24:57] » Uh thank you very much through councelor
sorry mayor Zahara through to councelor
[25:02] Wilson Leer. So your first question with
was with regards to the
[25:08] inspection. So that is a part of the due
diligence and which we will be that's
[25:13] what what happens next. Um if this is
approved and we move forward then um
[25:18] that report would be provided to us and
we'll we'll go through that and see um
[25:23] what uh you know what things we need to
address immediately. Um and the next
[25:29] question with regards to the the grant
that is what we intend to use is the
[25:34] local government fiscal framework. So,
it's it's a grant that we were received
[25:37] from the province. So, it's uh
confirmed.
[25:42] » Thank you, council chair.
>> Uh through the mayor to administration.
[25:47] Uh the first question probably to seal
beverage. The second question maybe to
[25:50] CFO McDonald's. Um first question is in
terms of I know we're perhaps getting
[25:56] ahead of us if we proceed to go ahead
and and purchase this building and
[26:00] proceed with the transition. Um uh uh
although the the frequently asked
[26:06] questions on the website does address
this question, addresses lots of
[26:09] questions. Um uh would there be an
interruption in service service levels
[26:14] during the move? Uh obviously we're
transport transferring over 40 employees
[26:19] to a new space and we do a lot of work
here. So just wondering about the
[26:23] service level
>> through the mayor to council Taylor. Uh
[26:28] at this point in time it is fairly
preliminary um where we're at in the
[26:31] process. However, I can assure you that
um you know just like with the um YC
[26:38] multiplex project um minimizing program
disruption is a is a key uh focus for us
[26:43] and I think we understand the importance
of ensuring that we serve the public in
[26:48] the most effective manner. So this you
know that would be a value that I would
[26:52] have applied to this project. um
essentially you know that's what we
[26:56] would intend to do is to um whether we
do it in stages etc that would be
[27:01] something that is to be determined
>> that's a great question thank you
[27:05] » and a second question uh to CFO McDonald
looking at the debenture amount I think
[27:10] it was 2.5
million 2.5 million for the debenture um
[27:16] what would the estimated cost of the
taxpayer be based on the assessed value
[27:19] of their property um house worth say
350,000 or 450,000
[27:24] Um, I know we're still sort of early in
the process and there's other things to
[27:28] consider, but just what would the sort
of the average taxpayer be looking at in
[27:32] terms of this debenture and what they
would cost the average taxpayer?
[27:36] » Go ahead, CF McDonald.
>> Thank you. Uh, through the mayor to
[27:40] councelor Taylor. Um it's difficult to
provide a definitive tax impact um um as
[27:48] the debenture payments will form part of
the overall 2027 budget process and will
[27:54] be considered alongside other revenue
requirements such as assessment growth
[27:58] grants and operating capital budget
adjustments. So if I was to take the
[28:04] debenture payment in isolation alone um
a assessment of um in order to do to
[28:12] calculate
uh 1% increase in the municipal mill
[28:17] rate a residential property at 350,000
would pay $2 per month and a residential
[28:25] uh property at 450,000 would pay $2.60
per month. Um, these figures are
[28:32] intended just to provide a general
indication though and and will be still
[28:35] part of the whole the whole budget
process for 2027.
[28:42] » You're welcome.
>> Thank you, CFO McDonald. Go ahead,
[28:45] Councelor ShraMM.
>> Yeah, to the chair board, to all of
[28:49] council, administration, and the general
public listening. Uh, not really a
[28:52] question more, just of a comment. Um,
this building, like I say, councelor
[28:56] Wilson Leard already said, has served
this community very well for a very long
[28:58] time. Um, but we've outgrown it. That's
the reality. Uh, as a community, we've
[29:03] outgrown this facility. Um, and I think
this is just a great opportunity and
[29:07] opportunities are our only opportunities
if you take advantage of opportunities.
[29:11] Um, for the community to really look at
another facility for a very reasonable
[29:18] cost. Um, we've seen the numbers already
for building new. We've seen the numbers
[29:22] for renovations of this facility. Um,
and that's why I kind of supporting this
[29:26] relocation to this building and
purchase. it just makes a lot of sense.
[29:29] Uh it's a building that will serve this
community for a very long time moving
[29:33] forward. Uh with some renovations,
there's no doubt. Um but that's already
[29:37] incorporated mostly into that $5 million
budget. Uh I think we would be remiss in
[29:43] not taking advantage of this
opportunity. Um, and that's why I really
[29:46] support this move and I think it thank
administration for the work done in
[29:49] looking at the building, making sure
it's going to meet our needs, which I
[29:52] think it will very much so, and allowing
our community to move forward in a
[29:57] positive way.
>> Thank you, Councelor ShraMM.
[30:01] Anybody else want to make any comments?
>> Councelor Pichnney.
[30:07] » Yeah, through the mayor to council. uh
we needed one 16 years ago, so I 100%
[30:11] support this decision and I can't see a
more economical way of doing it. Um and
[30:17] it costs like the cost savings are are
are
[30:20] it's a great it's a great plan. Um and
the savings alone are make it a lot more
[30:24] worth it if you can just consider that
16 years ago it was going to be 8.7
[30:28] million and that building today probably
be 15 or$20 million to build that same
[30:32] building. So um I definitely support
this project and and going forward with
[30:36] this.
Councelor Taylor,
[30:39] » uh through the mayor to to council
administration and and and everybody
[30:43] watching. Um when we look at a a a
relocation or or purchasing a new
[30:48] building for a civic building or or even
renovating or building new, it's always
[30:53] controversial because it becomes like
we're spending $5 million here. Well,
[30:57] why don't why don't you spend $5 million
on roads? Why don't you spend $5 million
[31:01] on more on the multiplex instead of this
space? Well, as a council, we're asked
[31:05] to make decisions on all elements of the
town, not just roads and sewers and
[31:11] things like that. And we must look at
this space, too. We heard tonight um uh
[31:16] the work that has to be put into this
building that must be put and that's
[31:20] without a renovation to it. That is just
to upkeep this this building and make
[31:25] sure that it's a safe facility for our
staff and our residents. Um, so anybody
[31:31] who says that do nothing to this space
and we can stay here, that's not an
[31:35] option. If we look at perhaps just
staying here, uh, we then have to put in
[31:40] a million dollars within the next few
years. We have to put in 1.68 within the
[31:44] next 20 years. And then we're probably
looking at a massive renovation to this
[31:47] space. And I like essentially you'd be
looking at probably just gutting the
[31:51] building and starting over again. Uh,
and I want to just be clear on this. We
[31:55] did that to a building here in town not
too long ago. We did it to the library
[31:58] and that was $3.7 million. That was only
just a few years ago. Now we're we're
[32:04] 100% going to be over well over $5
million if we want to look at staying
[32:08] within this space. Um if we were to
build new counci said it look just at
[32:15] white court uh 11 almost $12 million
just on that space if we want to build
[32:20] new. Not to mention we have to find a
space in town to do that. So, looking at
[32:25] this option here, we are probably
getting the best bang for our buck.
[32:28] We're getting a larger space. Yes, there
will be some renovations. Um, but
[32:33] there's added bonuses. And now, Cal
Beverage has sort of announced the space
[32:38] that we're looking at. Um, we're staying
in the downtown core. And this council's
[32:42] made a a commitment to to two things.
And that is one and that is
[32:46] beautifification and looking at
beautifification and development of our
[32:49] main street. and we're committed to
doing that by taking on a space in the
[32:54] sort of the bottom of Main Street and
building off from that. So, we're
[32:57] investing dollars into that building
into the surrounding space to to
[33:01] beautify that community. And the second
thing this council's committed to is
[33:05] economic development. You put public
dollars into something, private dollars
[33:09] are going to follow. You put 40 plus
employees down in a space down there,
[33:13] then there's businesses that will become
a part of that community, want to be
[33:17] down there, right? close to those 40
plus employees that are now within
[33:22] walking distance. So, I see those as as
as certainly being benefits to to going
[33:28] to this going in this direction. Um,
supportive of the motion that's that's
[33:32] proposed on our agenda and proceeding
with this project. And finally, I say if
[33:37] people do have questions, they can
always reach out to members of council
[33:40] and I encourage people to read the
frequently asked questions on the
[33:43] website. A lot of your questions may be
answered there and that will continue to
[33:47] be updated even after tonight. Uh and if
Mayor Zahara did a video last week, I
[33:52] encourage you to watch that video. He
releases some great information in there
[33:56] and some justification to to the route
that we're taking. So those are my
[34:00] comments.
>> Thank you, Councelor Taylor. I guess my
[34:04] turn to speak now. uh councelor position
and I had the opportunity to be involved
[34:09] in uh the project 16 years ago and it
was disappointing that that project did
[34:14] not move forward at that time. Uh and
there were various reasons for that. The
[34:18] needs have only increased. Uh since that
time progressive councils and
[34:23] administrations have struggled with
making decisions regarding this
[34:27] building.
We've had ideas on how to beautify this
[34:32] space, how to maybe do some modern
renovations, and it's always been, do we
[34:37] want to put money into a building we
know that does not suit our needs
[34:40] anymore? And we've kicked that can down
the road term after term after term. We
[34:47] have an incredible and councelor ShraMM
an incredible opportunity. Uh the
[34:52] building that is located on 1 Avenue uh
was vacated just over a year ago. Um,
[34:57] it's gone undergone massive renovations.
Uh, it is uh state-of-the-art, if I
[35:03] could say, compared to this building.
Um, with with the spaces, it's secure.
[35:09] Uh, there's safety concerns in this
building. And CO Beverage mentioned, we
[35:12] don't have sprinkler systems, no fire
alarms. Uh, we've had some security
[35:16] incidences in the past. Um, you know,
behind us here is a closed off area and
[35:22] we had to close it off due to uh people
just walking back there and you know uh
[35:27] we we had a situation here uh in this
building uh and staff are stuck. There's
[35:33] no way to get out the other side. Um
luckily uh that didn't turn into
[35:37] something more serious. Um we have uh
staff sharing offices. We have, you
[35:43] know, you talk about economic
development, you talk about uh trying to
[35:47] showcase your community and you're
talking to government ministers,
[35:50] presidents of companies. Uh we had
Midwest Pipelines in here and and the
[35:56] TMX and you're cramping into these
embarrassing meeting spaces. And there
[36:03] is something to be said about um what it
looks like when you're coming into a
[36:08] building that looks like it's ready to
see it's way past its best before date.
[36:13] Uh so and if if the municipality isn't
willing to invest, then why would a
[36:18] company invest in the community? Uh this
building is vacant, it'll be fantastic
[36:23] to have that building filled once again.
um to have our employees in the downtown
[36:29] uh to reinvest in the downtown and
opportunities for the existing space
[36:34] council to make that decision down the
road. You're not going to get a better
[36:37] value than what we have here today. So,
um I do appreciate the staff uh for
[36:42] taking the time to uh do a thorough
review of this. Um this was not really
[36:47] something that we were planning on
doing, but an opportunity presented
[36:50] itself and so uh I'm fully in support.
Um, I have to say I'm a little
[36:55] disappointed we don't have more members
of the public here tonight uh to to be a
[36:59] part of this. Uh, but I think uh, you
know, seeing some of the commentary, I
[37:03] think most residents do realize it's the
time has come that a decision needs to
[37:06] be made. So, um, I look forward to to
making this process move forward. Um, so
[37:13] with that, um, I will, um, just have one
question for administration. Um what
[37:19] type of timeline are we looking at in
terms of
[37:24] um say if everything goes according to
plan uh when would you expect um the
[37:29] minor renovations uh to that building
occur and anticipate uh starting to
[37:34] transition to the new location? Um do
you have any timelines in mind?
[37:40] » Uh thank you Mr. Mayor. That is the
question. Um, essentially at this stage,
[37:46] um, with the information that I have at
this moment, I'd be probably shooting
[37:50] for Q2 of 2027. That would be I ideal,
but that's with all the stars aligning
[37:56] in which, um, at this point in time, I
cannot commit to. So, I will reserve my
[38:02] um comments as far as giving you a
confirmation, but that information will
[38:06] be coming forward to council as things
progress through our due diligence
[38:10] uh, section of of what we're doing with
this acquisition. Um, but that's that's
[38:15] the ideal state what I would like to
see.
[38:18] » Excellent. Thank you very much, council.
I'll take a motion from the floor,
[38:21] please. And we do have a motion that is
slightly different than what's in your
[38:25] package, so you can read it off the
screen there.
[38:28] » Go ahead, councelor ShraMM.
>> I move that council direct
[38:31] administration to proceed with the
proposed civic center relocation project
[38:34] for $5 million excluding GST.
>> Thank you. Any questions, comments, or
[38:40] concerns?
Seeing none, all those in favor? That
[38:45] motion is carried unanimously. Can I get
the next motion, please? Go ahead,
[38:49] Councelor Taylor.
I move the council direct administration
[38:54] to return to council with a report
outlining options for the future of the
[38:58] existing civic center property,
including but not limited to the sale of
[39:01] the property in its current condition,
demolition, and redevelopment
[39:05] opportunities, and associated costs.
>> Thank you. Any questions, comments,
[39:11] concerns?
Seeing none, all those in favor? That
[39:14] motion is carried unanimously. And can I
get the third motion, please? Councelor
[39:18] Pitchney,
>> I move that council give first reading
[39:21] to by line number 2340.
>> Thank you. Any questions, comments, or
[39:27] concerns?
Seeing none, all those in favor? That
[39:31] motion is carried unanimously. Thank you
everyone.