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Poll
Town to hire consultant prior to fixing roof
Tuesday, 17 January 2012 - 1:44pm
Most of council voted in favour of this, except Coun. Ken Perry, who said he doesn’t feel a consultant is needed.
Rather, he feels the town should look at hiring a contractor with experience repairing roofs to fix it, get a warranty, and get it done.
But Hallam said it’s not that simple.
“We’re looking now at not replacing what we’ve got on the roof,” he noted.
“We’re looking now to increase the amount of energy-efficiency, which involves a lot more things than clearing off the old roof and putting on a new one.”
Hallam added the town has hired consultants prior to tendering for roof repairs before, with the most recent being the water treatment plant.
The roof repair currently is budgeted for about $200,000.
The project is one of the many items included in the town’s $9.3-million draft capital budget, which also includes the second phase of the reconstruction of Third Street East from Portage Avenue to Victoria.
But as in past years, the capital budget is expected to go through cuts at future budget meetings after administration will priorize budget items relevant to their departments and come back to
council with “wish lists.”
Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown noted the capital budget currently includes projects deferred from 2011, and he’s already aware that as much as Public Works could use a sand/salt storage building, it probably won’t be included in the 2012 budget.
Meanwhile, the draft operating budget currently has a deficit of $299,352. But this does not yet include “uncontrollable” costs, such as the District Social Services Administration Board levy.
If the combined capital and operating budgets were passed as is, it would mean a five percent tax increase for residential taxpayers.
But Mayor Roy Avis said that by the time council is done with the budget, he’s sure the tax increase will be closer to a “cost of living” hike.
By Duane Hicks , Staff writer
Given the replacement of the roof over the local OPP detachment and fire hall is one of the more urgent capital projects in 2012, town council agreed yesterday to draft a bylaw to hire a consultant before putting the job out to tender.
Council approved a report from Chief Building Official Rick Hallam recommending that Myron-Edwards Consulting Services be engaged to complete the engineering design, specification, and tendering process for the re-roofing project of the OPP and fire hall sections of the Civic Centre at a proposed cost of $8,500.
Rather, he feels the town should look at hiring a contractor with experience repairing roofs to fix it, get a warranty, and get it done.
But Hallam said it’s not that simple.
“We’re looking now at not replacing what we’ve got on the roof,” he noted.
“We’re looking now to increase the amount of energy-efficiency, which involves a lot more things than clearing off the old roof and putting on a new one.”
Hallam added the town has hired consultants prior to tendering for roof repairs before, with the most recent being the water treatment plant.
The roof repair currently is budgeted for about $200,000.
The project is one of the many items included in the town’s $9.3-million draft capital budget, which also includes the second phase of the reconstruction of Third Street East from Portage Avenue to Victoria.
But as in past years, the capital budget is expected to go through cuts at future budget meetings after administration will priorize budget items relevant to their departments and come back to
council with “wish lists.”
Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown noted the capital budget currently includes projects deferred from 2011, and he’s already aware that as much as Public Works could use a sand/salt storage building, it probably won’t be included in the 2012 budget.
Meanwhile, the draft operating budget currently has a deficit of $299,352. But this does not yet include “uncontrollable” costs, such as the District Social Services Administration Board levy.
If the combined capital and operating budgets were passed as is, it would mean a five percent tax increase for residential taxpayers.
But Mayor Roy Avis said that by the time council is done with the budget, he’s sure the tax increase will be closer to a “cost of living” hike.
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