Council should figure out how to rock the bloat
Most people take part in a bit of selfreflection if they pull out their summer clothes after a long winter and suddenly realize they can’t squeeze into them. Their first thought wouldn’t be to buy shorts in a larger size.
But not Calgary’s city council. It moved out of Old City Hall in 2016 to allow for $34 million in renovations, including rehabilitation of the building ’s sandstone exterior.
The project is expected to be finished in 2020, but now some councillors would rather buy a figurative form of a bigger pair of pants rather than live within limits that used to suffice.
They’re musing about remaining in what was supposed to be temporary accommodation on the fourth floor of the city’s administration building, where the office space is more generously sized, rather than going back to their expensively renovated digs.
“We have to direct administration to come up with scenarios of which is the best (route) to go — whether we stay where we’re at, or whether we move back,” says Coun. Ray Jones, who chairs the committee that deals with such weighty matters.
“And if we don’t move back, then what do we do with (old) city hall?”
Jones raises a fair question, but surely it would have made more sense to contemplate different options before the work began.
Can you imagine a private developer spending $34 million without a clear vision of what the space would be used for?
Of course not.
But that’s essentially what the city has done.
“We’re looking at a scenario where we have extra staff now that we didn’t have when we were in (old) city hall,” adds Jones, “so there’s the possibility that we might like to take over the first floor as well as three and four, so that we have more room.”
Obviously, when many businesses were being forced to cut staffing levels because of lean economic times, the city was spared such angst.
If council does decide to retreat to its renovated space, there’ll be the need to provide an ever-expanding number of city employees with working areas.
What is important is that Old City Hall isn’t allowed to languish. It opened in 1911 and was part of so-called Sandstone City — fire-resistant buildings that replaced wooden structures after an enormous blaze in 1886. Its designation as a municipal and provincial historic resource, as well as a national historic site, are proof of its enduring value.
“It’s the historic seat of government and I think it’s very important for council to be located there,” says Coun. Jyoti Gondek, who cast the sole dissenting vote Tuesday on the motion asking administration to come up with different options for council’s operating area.
Gondek is right. Calgarians expect that a freshly renovated Old City Hall won’t be a white elephant when it’s ready to be occupied. They also hope that city politicians will learn a lesson from the fact they’re having trouble squeezing into their former office space because they’ve gained some extra weight.
If we’re really fortunate, city council will use this experience as the catalyst to examine the bloat that exists throughout much of the city’s operations.
If we’re really fortunate, city council will use this experience as the catalyst to examine the bloat that exists throughout much of the city’s operations.