Funds directed towards library

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star  Published: December 11, 2010 12:00 PM

Greater Vernon’s new library is going to cost more, but the money won’t come directly out of local taxpayers’ pockets.  The North Okanagan Regional District’s five electoral area directors have agreed to provide up to $400,000 in Community Works funds on drilling holes for geothermal heating and cooling at the library, which will be constructed on 30th Avenue.  “It’s an opportunity to say this is a regionally significant building,” said Mike Macnabb, BX-Silver Star director, adding that geothermal will reduce heating and cooling costs long-term.  All of the electoral areas have access to Community Works funds which are provided by senior government from gas tax revenue.  The first step will be an exploratory well, and if that indicates geothermal heating and cooling will be successful, other wells will be drilled before foundation work begins.  The cost for building the library itself is $12.65 million, and original plans for geothermal heating and cooling were scrapped because the City of Vernon was concerned about drilling into an aquifer below the property. However, those concerns no longer exist and sources of funding were sought for drilling.  It’s expected the electoral area directors may also be asked to pay for installation of the heating system as well.  “I’m not sure what mechanical costs are but $200,000 is not out of order,” said Macnabb.  The entire regional district board had to approve the expenditure of $400,000 and opposition came from Mike Gavinchuk, BX-Swan Lake director, and Patrick Nicol, Vernon director.  “The cost of furnishing the new branch is massive,” said Nicol. “I’m hard pressed to vote for this, not knowing what the other costs (for the branch) will be.”  Macnabb agrees that construction of the 30,000-square-foot facility is costly. “Shelving is brutally expensive and Vernon and Coldstream are contributing to that, so this (geothermal) is one way the electoral areas can help,” he said.