Council vote to leave building
Taupo District Council’s 125 staff will move to five temporary offices around Taupo township from July because of concerns over asbestos in its own building.
The council’s main customer service office will migrate to the former Pumpkin Patch store next to NZ Post at 46 Horomatangi St. It is currently a Kathmandu pop-up shop.
The remaining council staff will move to offices at 12 Taniwha St (above Rebel Sports), 86 Ruapehu St (above Bed Bath and Beyond), 14 Ruapehu St (above Bayleys) and 111 Heuheu St (next to TRG Imaging).
Council chief executive Gareth Green told councillors on Tuesday at an extraordinary meeting that he could not allow staff to work in the Lake Terrace building because of exposed asbestos in the building’s cladding.
Even though the council is consulting with the public on what to do with the building, the health of his staff was the priority, Green said.
‘‘Regardless of your ultimate decision of what you do with this building, staff have to leave this building,’’ he said.
Green presented an open letter from the Public Service Association’s national secretary Glenn Barclay which urged the council to take ‘‘all possible measures to remove this serious risk to [PSA] members and other staff at the council’’.
‘‘Failure to do so could put our members’ lives at risk and also expose the council to prosecution,’’ Barclay wrote in the letter, dated Tuesday May 16.
Facilities manager Garreth Robinson told councillors that to remove the asbestos, a ‘‘negative pressure’’ zone needed to be created around the building.
‘‘In layman’s terms, imagine a big bubble around the front of the building,’’ he said.
Councillors then voted to approve the signing of two-year lease agreements with five offices and to approve of the council spending $800,000 on fitout costs and lease costs over two years
Barry Hickling, Anna Park, Christine Rankin, Kirsty Trueman, Tangonui Kingi, John Williamson, John Boddy, Rosanne Jollands and mayor David Trewavas – voted to approve the relocation plan.
Councillors Rosie Harvey and Zane Cozens were absent from the meeting.
* Public consultation on the new building at taupodc.govt.nz until May 26.