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Council stalls on library decision

Board chair has ‘no faith in this council’ Indecision at the council table has derailed the future of Whistler’s public library, according to Anne Fenwick, chair of the library board.

Board chair has ‘no faith in this council’

Indecision at the council table has derailed the future of Whistler’s public library, according to Anne Fenwick, chair of the library board.

"I have no faith in this council, none whatsoever," said Fenwick, who sat through a marathon debate on the library at Monday’s meeting, where council deferred a decision to move forward with the library plans for at least another two weeks.

"I don’t believe they can make a decision. They don’t have the courage to.

"I thought (the plans were) going to go through. I totally couldn’t believe it. The whole process has been derailed."

She wasn’t the only one who was surprised and frustrated by Monday’s decision to send the plans back to staff.

Mayor Hugh O’Reilly was not expecting council to balk at the staff report, which would have taken the library plans to the next level. Earlier discussions with council before the formal meeting did not reveal that a majority of council still had doubts about the proposed $7 million building, which has been on the table for more than a month.

"(It) never crossed my mind what was going to happen on (Monday night)," said O’Reilly, after the meeting.

One month ago council voted 5-2 to move forward with the $7 million library plans. Councillors Marianne Wade and Kristi Wells cast the opposing votes at that time.

On Monday council was asked to approve a $815,000 contract to re-engage Hughes Condon Marler Architects for the new library building. The proposal before council also included eight resident-restricted units for seniors housing, which would add another $2 million to the cost of the building, although the seniors housing would not be funded by the municipality.

Hughes Condon Marler Architects drew up the original library plans two years ago when the library was imagined to be a $10 million facility shared with the museum.

At the beginning of the council meeting however a number of members of Whistler’s building industry, among them David McColm, Tim Regan and Rod Nadeau, expressed concerns that the library should be a community project, which could draw on the expertise of local designers, architects, and builders.

Rather than use the Vancouver-based architectural firm, McColm urged council to engage in a competitive bid process that could capitalize on the local talent.

"The idea of going out for competitive bids will open up other avenues as well," said McColm, adding that using local talent falls in line with Whistler’s sustainability initiatives.

A few members of council reiterated these comments during the library debate.

"We have the capacity within the community to do this I believe," said Councillor Gordon McKeever, who suggested having another Request For Proposal to include the local builders.

"I challenge the local building community... to look at (the library) as a nest, rather than a nest egg."

Councillors Marianne Wade and Kristi Wells also supported this idea.

"I believe a competitive process would be really advantageous," said Wade.

Deputy Administrator Bill Barratt explained to council that the original selection of the architect was a competitive process and the local building industry could have taken part in it two years ago. The municipality advertised the process locally, provincially and nationally.

Of the 33 submissions they received, none were from local companies. After a rigorous process, Hughes Condon Marler Architects were chosen. This is the same company that designed the Spring Creek Fire Hall.

After the meeting RMOW Parks Planner Martin Pardoe said he had been directed by council at an early time to make best use of the money that has been spent during the four year planning process to date.

Staff proposed using Hughes because re-engaging the same design and project development team who were involved in the plans for the joint project would save $167,000.

But delaying a decision to engage the architectural firm wasn’t the only concern expressed at the council table that night.

Former alderman Craig Mackenzie, who spoke during the question and answer period at the beginning of the meeting, asked council if there was a place where he could review the cost of Whistler’s library building versus the costs of other similar buildings elsewhere.

He added that he would like to see a community meeting where council could detail how they arrived at the decision to build a $7 million library.

This point was reiterated during the council debate.

Councillor Wells, who opposed the plans at the last meeting, is still concerned about the budget, calling the $337/square foot building costs "very excessive."

"I can’t accept the number," she said.

She said she was not asking for a smaller library or a different scope, just a tighter budget.

Councillor Wade said the municipality could save costs by employing a "design-build" model, rather than the traditional client/consultant team model. A design-build model is all the more crucial she said in uncertain economic times. It allows builders to understand the cost implications as they move ahead with construction and as such, they adjust their work accordingly.

Councillor Nick Davies also raised concerns about the cost of consultants. The traditional municipal model of staff producing a report and council approving it has potential problems he said, as demonstrated in the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan process, which is more than $400,000 over-budget to date. The overrun on that budget was based on consultant costs, he added.

"I can’t help but think we’re in the same position here," he said.

Davies said council doesn’t have the expertise to determine what are reasonable consultant costs for a project like this.

"I don’t know when someone is going to be shining smoke and mirrors in my face."

A Decision Tree during a council workshop in August directed staff to pursue plans for a library building using a traditional client/consultant team.

Municipal Administrator Jim Godfrey pointed out at the meeting that all decisions leading up to Monday’s report had came from council and staff had been simply following council’s orders.

Councillor Caroline Lamont said she was looking for more detailed information before she felt comfortable moving the project forward.

Wade explained this week that council should be looking to hold the cap on the library facility at $5 million, now that the project is to be fully funded by the public purse.

Pardoe stands by the figures that have been produced. The library building itself will cost $5.06 million, with an additional $800,000 for library related retail space and another $1.1 million for underground parking.

"It’s not like we drew (the numbers) out of a hat," said Pardoe after the meeting, pointing out that construction costs have increased by 9 per cent in the past year as the project got delayed.

"We’re not within the ballpark, we’re within the infield in costing."

The plans have been on the table for two years now and there have been hours and hours of research poured into the project, not only by municipal staff but also B.C. Building Corporation, members of the library board and, previously, members of the museum board.

Several councilllors expressed concerns about the viability of a million dollar underground parking lot as well as the direction to put resident housing for senior’s above the proposed building.

Councillor Ken Melamed was the only member of council who still supported the library as proposed.

"Council has taken us down a path and now I’m hearing council sabotage this thing," he said.

"They’re cutting the project off at its knees every time it steps forward."

For Fenwick, who sees first hand the desperate state of the current library in its cramped and leaking trailers, Monday’s decision was a definite blow.

She has no faith that a new library building will be serving residents and tourists alike in the near future.

"I’m angry at council’s behaviour," she said, after the meeting.

"They’re showing no respect for staff, expertise and due diligence in doing their job properly.

"Council also, to me, don’t seem to understand what their role is. Council should be a governance board, setting policy. This council doesn’t seem to understand that. They are micro-managing the process."

Staff is looking at different procurement processes over the next two weeks to present to council as soon as possible.

The ultimate goal still remains to break ground for the library in spring 2005.