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Holy Cross Church could be temporary site Library project back on track
Friday September 19 2008
CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer
 
Council turned several pages on the library expansion project saga at its Monday night meeting.
Funding, including a 0.8 per cent Library Operating Levy on tax bills over the next three years, was solidified, direction was given to pursue a LEED Silver certification, the okay was given to start negotiations to use Holy Cross Church on Maple Ave. as an 18-month temporary library site, and $25,000 was approved to begin a feasibility study for a fundraising campaign.
The decisions give the expansion and renovation project pre-2009 budget approval— that means the money is automatically built into the 2009 budget.
The Library Operating Levy will be dedicated to increased operating costs for staffing, maintenance and utilities, and include $325,000 for additional staff (including Monday opening staff) and $275,000 for utility and maintenance costs.
The actual construction will be financed through $6.8 million in development charges, of which $5.6 million will be funded in the interim by a portion of the Special Infrastructure Levy— it will be paid back to the Levy account once more development charges are collected. Another $5.1 million will come from the Major Capital Project Reserve Fund. The Town has already spent $600,000 on architect fees, land purchases and furniture).
Total cost is $12.5 million— $10.6 million for the Georgetown branch of the Halton Hills Public Library and the $1.9 million for the Cultural Centre (John Elliott Theatre and Gallery).
Plus, the pursuit of a Silver level LEED certification by using environmentally sustainable building materials and practices is another $423,200, cost of a temporary site is between $380,000 to $430,000, $114,000 in moving expenses, $120,000 in possible improvements to Holy Cross for use as a temporary theatre and finally, $25,000 for a campaign feasibility study.
The bottom line: between $13.4 million to $13.6 million and the numbers could still change as a result of future council decisions, such as consideration of geothermal heating and cooling system, market conditions and extra project costs by the time it is tendered. For instance, the cost estimates jumped by another five per cent after council put the project hold last year at this time.
It was these escalating, ever-changing numbers that had four councillors hoping to call a halt to the Monday night decisions. Ward 4 Councillor John Duncan asked for a deferral of the LEED decision until all the costs were on the table.
“I hoping if we’re going to err, we’re going to err on the side of caution,” said Duncan, who stated he supported the project and the LEED certification. “But I am concerned about the numbers and are we starting to lose control of them?
He suggested that a complete report be prepared with all these costs pulled together in one place and presented at a council workshop.
 “I’d certainly know then what dollars we’re walking into then get a big surprise six months from now,” he said.
But he was supported by only three other councillors: Dave Kentner, Bryan Lewis and Mike O’Leary. Lewis was concerned that $560,000 of the $614,000 annual Special Infrastructure Levy over the next several years would be tied up with the library and not other capital projects such as roads, bridges and repair of town buildings.
Councillor Moya Johnson, one of council’s representatives on the Halton Hills Library Board, cited the importance of this project moving forward and getting pre-budget approval now.
Her council colleague on the board, Bob Inglis, referred to the LEED certification as a good thing that is attempting to work towards sustainability... which is not going to go away and this is the tool to move us towards that. ...We cannot do some of these things retroactively, so it needs to be decided at the beginning of a project.”
Johnson referred to the possibility of using the Holy Cross Church on Maple Ave. for a temporary site, once that congregation moves to its new location on Mountainview Rd. as “pennies from heaven.”
Construction on the project is now slated to begin in the spring of 2010 with completion by the fall of 2011. The Georgetown branch library will be expanded to approximately 31,000 sq. ft., plus there will be new entrance and Gallery and John Elliott Theatre improvements.