Board adds $1.65 million to library budget

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: September 16, 2010 6:00 PM

The cost of Vernon’s new library is climbing, but not by as much as expected. On Wednesday, Okanagan Regional Library directors increased the construction budget for the 30th Avenue facility from $11 million to $12.65 million. “There was a lot of debate. It wasn’t just a rubber-stamp,” said director Shawn Lee. The extra money will come from reserves. It was originally proposed that $2 million be used to cover expenses like the architect, the project manager and legal fees. Lee says there was a reason the board opted for $1.65 million instead of $2 million. “We would have been left with no building reserves and the group wasn’t comfortable with that,” he said.

The project manager had stated that the original budget wasn’t likely enough to cover the work, but Lee isn’t concerned that increasing costs will become a common practice for the new branch. “The management company has a reputation of not coming back and asking for more money,” he said. “There may be some hungry contractors out there and the cost could be less than $12.65 million.” It’s anticipated that construction of the 30,000-square-foot building could begin in November after a planning process that involves stakeholders. Also on Wednesday, the board approved the creation of a strategic plan for the library system. The goal of the plan will be to address future growth, and a public survey and focus groups will be used to determine what kind of services and programs are needed most by residents of the valley.