– Annual operating cost estimated at $500,000 –

(OSOYOOS TIMES — November 21, 2007) –

By Chad IngramrnOsoyoos Times

The estimated construction cost for an aquatic centre in Osoyoos is $6.3 million.
This is the figure consultant Bill Webster and architect Bruce Carscadden delivered to Council in a presentation Monday night.
The two have been working on the project for months, developing concepts and customizing them to meet the needs of Osoyoos.
Their final recommendation, one that has now been officially endorsed by Council, is an 8,900-sq.-ft facility that combines a 90-sq-metre leisure pool with four 25-metre lanes.
The facility also calls for a 15-person hot tub, change rooms, and administrative and mechanical spaces.
Because the leisure and lap pool would be merged as one body of water, this means the lap pool would be warmer than it might be otherwise.
It makes it much more pleasant for younger and older people, Webster said.
He said the operating costs would also be lower than having two separate pools.
As I'm sure you're aware, such facilities are relatively expensive to both build and operate, Webster said.
Displaying a chart with an economic breakdown, the consultant explained he thought a community the size of Osoyoos could get a $2-million grant.
That would leave $4.3 million for the Town to borrow.
Webster said the operating costs would be an estimated $500,000 a year.
He said this would result in a $252-dollar tax increase for the average homeowner (an average home is Osoyoos costs somewhere in the neighbourhood of $315,000).
Webster and Carscadden recommended that Council call a referendum immediately to let residents vote on the subject. Such referendums require an 80-day lead-in period.
However, Council was reluctant to move ahead quite that quickly.
Councillor Stu Wells wanted to know how long the estimated cost would be relevant for, pondering what would happen if the process leading up to actual construction took two years.
Would we be going back and find if there were new costs for construction? he asked Carscadden.
Budget's a joint responsibility, the architect responded, emphasizing the design team would be playing a part in monitoring the budget. He said the estimate accommodates two years of escalation based on a 12 per cent increase which has been the norm for the past few years.
If things are different, we'd make choices together, Carscadden added.
Councillor Dick Flintoft wanted to know what kinds of environmental initiatives would be incorporated into the design.
Carscadden said the building's windows would maximize use of the sun's natural light, and solar heat would provide much of the heating for the pool. He said other environmental incentives could be planned and incorporated into the building's machinery at a later time.
While Carscadden said that a green design could help reduce operating costs, Webster cautioned that the bulk of operating costs are staff-based. He said that while lifeguarding fees are reasonable, they will inevitably rise with wage increases.
The current draft plan calls for the aquatic centre to be built adjoined to the Sonora Centre, on land that currently belongs to the District 53 school board.
This was another yellow light for Wells, who said Council should be having an in-depth discussion with the board before moving to a referendum phase.
Other Council members agreed. Councillor Ted Cronmiller said the public needs a chance to get educated, and reiterated that information on the proposed aquatic centre will be available at the Sonora Centre for anyone who wants it.
It is likely that Council will call for a referendum in upcoming weeks.
Mayor John Slater said Osoyoosites could probably expect to be voting on the matter sometime in the early spring of 2008.