Works yard, ofÀces over the top, say city councillors

A proposed $5-million city works yard and administration building in West Kelowna is too grandiose, Coun. Carol Zanon says.

The project risks resembling the ill-fated city hall plan that was rejected by voters in a referendum last year, Zanon says.

“I thought we were building a simple structure, (but) now all of a sudden we’re putting the whole damn world in there,” Zanon said at Tuesday’s council meeting.

“I feel this is sneaking in a city hall through the back door, and I don’t want to see that,” Zanon said. “For god’s sake, let’s keep it simple.”

Council voted to spend $65,000 to hire a consultant to prepare a concept plan for the public works yard and administration building on Bartley Road. Coun. Rosalind Neis objected to the cost, saying it seemed excessive for the work as deÀned by staff.

“I want to be a consultant for the City of West Kelowna if we’re going to pay someone $65,000 to take a bunch of little blocks, put them on a map and say, well, you know, this building is going to be this size,” Neis said.

Staff told council the concept plan preparation was more involved than Neis was suggesting.

As well, the proposed budget was an upper limit, city manager Jim ZafÀno said.

“It’s a worst-case scenario,” ZafÀno said, adding a consultant was necessary because West Kelowna didn’t have the staff to prepare the concept plan.

With council’s direction, staff will prepare a request for proposals from consultants for the concept plan. A tender for the building, with a current budget of $5 million, could be called next February.

“Let’s get focused on a works facility that we can build and get Ànished within the limited budget we can actually afford,” Coun. Duane Ophus said.

As currently envisioned, the project would accommodate the storage of city vehicles, and provide workstations and cubicles for staff from departments such as engineering, IT and bylaw, although some of those employees would eventually be relocated again whenever a city hall is built.

The building would also have showers, workshops, a lunch room, meeting rooms, ofÀces, a first-aid room, laundry, washrooms, storage rooms, locker rooms and mechanical rooms.