Municipal Government Progress or Procrastination
Our Aging Village Hall
Over the past Council term our old Village Hall has been the subject of many Council meetings. But after three years where did we end up and are we any further ahead?
At the beginning of the Council term Mayor Broughton struck a Recreation Hub Task Force to explore options for a new Community/recreation hub. If you have been reading the local news you would be aware that after community input and two consultants reports the conclusion was that the current site of our Village and Municipal hall is the preferred site as it is centred in the heart of our community. This dealt with the ongoing question of should a community centre be located elsewhere in the Village.
Various options for constructing a brand new Municipal hall and Village hall that incorporated the wishes of the community from underground parking, permanent stage, expanded library/ living room and improved office space were factored into the designs by CEI Architects. The options had price ranges of $2 million up to $10 million. currently available for this project in the Village budget, Council continued to explore more options.
Council members became acutely aware during the term the current buildings were failing. Originally built in the early 70’s as a fire hall with various additions added on, the building has not received a lot of preventative maintenance. Those that utilize the space know issues are ongoing and emergency repairs come as no surprise.
An assessment was done for the purpose of providing Council with an appropriate list of maintenance requirements and approximate costs for budgeting as well as recommendations for necessary replacement or repair.
The findings were presented in a report to Council in December 2009. The residents who volunteered to review this report concluded that very careful thought must be given to undertaking any major repairs. Once you get started on any one part of a renovation the Village must be prepared for potentially major expenses.
It is not difficult to imagine the kind of repairs needed to a 40 year old building in Lions Bay. Here are a few of excerpts from the report: “ Two oil furnaces, no insulation above chambers, no ventilation. Poor heat distribution – no insulation around hot air ducts and the air duct exit is short of the floor so heat is being distributed under the floor boards and not being pumped out of the vent at maximum potential. Return air grill is not joined, so “Tremendous heat loss and throwing money away”. Insulation missing in many places.” “Roof - sagging in the middle 1.5 inches. Not draining, likely original roof built 40 years ago – likely 5-6 years beyond lifespan. Gutters are completely clogged, likely not maintained for many years.”
But, the question always comes back to funding, Council budgeted up to $160,000 in 2010 to fund emergency repairs to the roof if required and other potential costs related to planning or heating repairs. The previous year we had to fund an emergency replacement and move of the septic field and roof repair. This year went by without reaching consensus on how to move forward given the absence of any grant funding for projects like this. Council realized it needed to be realistic in setting a vision for upgrading the hall given the many other infrastructure projects requiring attention in the village.
At the October 3rd, 2011 Council meeting the resolution was passed for staff to prepare a preliminary budget for 2012 to include an amount for basic repairs of the Community Centre including: a roof replacement, seismic testing and strengthening and HVAC and electrical updating.
On October 18th Premier Christie Clark announced the details of the new recreation grant her government was making available for the purpose of improving recreation opportunities. The deadline for this grant is December 28th. The funding would provide 80% of the costs but must meet the criteria for increasing recreation in the community, not just provide necessary repairs to an existing facility. Staff and new Council are now working with input from community members in the trade to meet the deadline for the grant.
Land sales were recognized as another opportunity to fund our building upgrades. The transfer of 8 lots from the ministry of highways to the Village is near completion and the lots have been surveyed. Prior to these lots generating cash for the Village there will be a series of public meetings to discuss zoning and how they fit into the context of Land Use planning. A timeline has not be determined.
The new Council now assumes the challenge of how to best move forward. Most people believe the building is well past its “best before date” and patch and repair is not a sustainable solution or the best investment for the villages finances.
Borrowing is a possibility as in the recent months the Village has freed up some available credit with the province, but borrowing comes with an increase in taxes. According to the Village Treasurer to borrow $500,000 would be approximately $88 per year per property.
Having lived through renovations, additions and new construction my belief is that it is best to build a new modest building that meets the new green building code so it is a safe and comfortable building that will last many years into the future. If the buildings are reasonable and there is a serious community fundraising effort to pay for some of the interior improvements, I would be happy to pay through my taxes. We have had many years of good use out of the existing buildings and it is time to invest for the future.
Like my own home is to my family, the Village Hall is an investment in a place that is the heart and soul of our community for our future generations. Borrowing is a possibility as in the recent months the Village has freed up some available credit with the province, but borrowing comes with an increase in taxes.
The information in this article is based on reports presented in public meetings and is the interpretation and views of former Council member Ruth Simons, term ending December 5, 2011.
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