Two more potential library sites undergo evaluation

Editor's Note: This is a longer version of the story that appeared in the Powell River Peak newspaper, August 6, 2014.

After fractious debate, City of Powell River councillors will spend $60,000 to determine if the former Super-Valu and Brick buildings are suitable for a library.

During a special council meeting, Wednesday, July 30, Shehzad Somji, the city’s chief financial officer, highlighted a recommendation arising from discussion at the Thursday, July 3, council meeting, identifying the two buildings in question as potential library sites.

Somji brought forward a recommendation that up to $60,000 of Community Works funding be reallocated from the bike lanes capital project budget to fund the evaluation of the former Super-Valu building on Joyce Avenue and the former Brick premises at Crossroads Village Shopping Centre. He said in discussion with the engineering department, it is believed there was money in the $250,000 bike lanes fund. The fund will not be used in its entirety in 2014. Taking the money would not halt this year’s work on the municipal cycling plan, scheduled for completion in September 2014.

“Reallocating the money won’t negatively impact any cycling lane construction for 2014,” Somji said. The money would be paid back when there are new budget considerations.

Councillor Myrna Leishman asked if both locations to be studied were for sale and Somji confirmed they are.

However, Councillor Russell Brewer introduced a motion that city staff be directed to prepare a referendum question for the purpose of borrowing $3.5 million to build a new library at the Willingdon South location and seek elector assent during the city elections on November 15, 2014. Councillor Maggie Hathaway seconded the motion.

Hathaway then said that several years ago the library board came to city council indicating they wanted a new library as the existing premises were no longer adequate for their requirements. She said council asked the library board to bring them a report on an appropriate library site and how they proposed to pay for a new library.

“They came to us with a proposal for a new library at Willingdon Beach,” Hathaway said. “If I recall correctly, they began with 18 different locations and ultimately boiled it down to one. We approved that site.”

The library board’s funding proposal asked council to pay $3.5 million toward the project. The remaining funds would be attained through a variety of methods, such as donations and fundraising.

“They’ve done exactly what we asked them to do,” Hathaway said. “As with any expenditure of public funds, we have some dissenters. Being swayed by a group of individuals, we have spent approximately $30,000 for finding a second location at the recreation complex. We are now being asked to spend another $30,000 per site to look at two more locations that were not available when the library did its initial study. Soon we’ll be back up to the original 18 sites and starting all over.”

Hathaway said council had chosen Willingdon Beach and had committed to the funding request.

“Let’s just stop now and put it to the public by way of referendum,” she said. “Just ask the question: do you concur with spending $3.5 million for a library at Willingdon Beach; yes or no?”

Councillor Jim Palm said Brewer’s motion caught him by surprise. He said earlier in the month, council decided to take a good look at a couple of other possibilities in terms of serving the taxpayers of this community to the fullest extent. This allows council to have all of the facts and dollar figures lined up to put something in November at election time that will be reflective of the options available in Powell River, the costs associated, he added. At that time the electorate can decide its wishes.

“My biggest fear bringing this motion forward at this time is that seeing two failed referendums previously on the library front, I’m afraid going down this road would see a third,” Palm said. “I want a new library, but I want the citizens of Powell River and the taxpayers of the community to have all of the information required to make a fully informed decision.”

Leishman said she believed the proposal being introduced in Brewer’s motion would result in this particular project failing.

Brewer said city council is not precluded from looking at other options if the referendum fails. “We’ll just carry on with another site selection process,” he said.

Councillor Chris McNaughton said it is incumbent upon council to find the most cost-effective solution. “If we can save a few million dollars, we should be looking,” he said. “If we need to spend $60,000 to save $5 or $6 million, it would be money well spent in my mind.”

Councillor Debbie Dee also believed the $60,000 expenditure would be a good investment to potentially save a few million dollars.

Leishman asked if the results from the two building assessments would be complete in time for a library question on the November ballot.

Marie Claxton, acting chief administrative officer, said she believed that city staff would report to council at the September meeting. She added that it would not be too late to hold a library referendum question with the consideration of these two latest options.

Hathaway then spoke about the referendum question and suggested Palm was recommending putting a list of options on the referendum ballot, which she believed would not work. Palm started speaking simultaneously about his suggestion for the referendum and Mayor Dave Formosa had to step in and request they both stop speaking.

Formosa then said he likes the Willingdon South location, which he termed as a jewel. The biggest concern about that location is the cost and the second concern is there are a lot of people against that location, he added.

He said he has no appetite for an $8- to $10-million building. The feedback he’s received regarding the two new sites has been overwhelming, although he knows there are also proponents for the Willingdon South site.

“If I wasn’t so concerned about finances for this community, that’s where I’d be,” he said. “However, I’m not doing my job unless we deliver those options and I believe we’re close to doing that.

Formosa said that if Brewer’s motion passed, the referendum would likely fail.

“Why can’t we wait, do our homework, have some options and let the public pick?”

Formosa called for the vote on the motion and Brewer and Hathaway, the mover and seconder, voted in favour. The rest of the councillors voted against so the motion was defeated.

Leishman introduced Somji’s recommendation for researching the two new sites as a motion. McNaughton moved an amendment that the $60,000 comes out of general reserves. Somji said there is not a pot of money with $60,000 so he would have to take the money from a number of different projects. McNaughton supported the motion and the rest of council was opposed, so that motion was defeated.

Council finally agreed to pull up to $60,000 from the Community Works reserve fund and the motion passed, with Hathaway and Brewer opposed.