BEYOND THE HEADLINES: Making up the difference

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: February 01, 2012 1:00 AM 
Even the experts have bad days, but when they do, taxpayers are left holding the bag. Coldstream council has been forced to find an additional $180,000 after it was discovered that the $1.3 million approved by voters in November may not be sufficient to construct a badly needed mechanics shop. The reason for the extra cash is  the proposed new structure is undersized and may not  fit all of the equipment that needs to be inside. Who designed the building and did they speak to anyone who works inside the current mechanics shop day-to-day and is familiar with the size of the equipment? Where was municipal administration and the council members who encouraged the borrowing of funds when this was going on? Such an immediate cost overrun may leave residents wondering what’s next once construction actually begins. The good news is the district has the $180,000 but the bad news is it’s coming out of the pavement management plan. That means fewer resources for the moonscapes known as roads. Coldstream, though, isn’t the only jurisdiction faced with challenges.

By now, everyone is familiar with the saga of the Vernon Recreation Complex pool. Just 19 years after a multi-million-dollar upgrade and expansion, $1.4 million in repairs are needed because the walls were not adequately constructed. “This, in combination with a lack of a dehumidification system, has resulted in damage to the structure of the swimming pool walls and roof system,” states a report from the Regional District of North Okanagan. A number of questions arise: Was the inadequate construction the result of a flawed design process? Who was overseeing construction? Who signed off on the final inspection? The other factor at play is the dehumidifier.  Apparently the gadget was undersized when it was first installed in 1993 and because of costly operational issues to keep it running, a decision was made in 1998 to shut it down. The pool gets extremely humid and while staff has done an admirable job letting outside air in to cool things down, the lack  of a dehumidifier contributed to structural challenges created by the original construction deficiencies. It would be good to know the thought process that went into the decision to pull the plug on the dehumidifier. It was likely financial given that a replacement compressor costs $10,000. But were there actions that could have been taken to rectify the situation long-term instead of waiting for a giant repair bill to surface?

Now this isn’t about wagging fingers at those involved.  But precious tax dollars are being doled out to handle the unexpected realities surrounding the Coldstream mechanics shop and the swimming pool. Both Coldstream and RDNO need to sit down and look at what actions led to more cash being forked out. Are there changes in the planning and oversight processes that could be initiated? Obviously there should  be better communication between staff and elected officials when decisions — such as shutting down a dehumidifier — could have far-reaching implications.  Once again, this isn’t about going on a witch hunt. There are a lot of well-trained and well-intention people within the public service.  But if we don’t reflect on how we got here, we could be destined to repeating the mistakes of the past.