Global Empire call centre cubicles. Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens will spend $1.9 million to fix the ailing cooling system at the Liverpool Business Development Centre.

Better known locally as the call centre building, the municipally owned property on Harley Umphrey Drive is home to Global Empire call centre and Belliveau Veinotte Inc accountants.

Mayor Darlene Norman says as the landlord, the Region needs to provide a safe environment for the 100 plus people who go to work in the building every day.

“It’s a lot of money. It’s what happens when you’re a landlord. You know, what’s our other choice? Shut the building down, break our leases, hold our breath and hope that the thing doesn’t break again and then when it breaks again and then when it does, we have no solution for air conditioning?” said Norman. “It’s a lot of money to spend on a building. The building is not even worth that much money. However, it’s a business, it’s a building, it’s employing people, they’re good people in there working.”

A staff report indicates in its 20-year lifespan the HVAC unit has required numerous repairs, over and above what is considered normal maintenance.

The unit is approaching the end of its serviceable life and parts are becoming almost impossible to find.

DUMAC Energy Limited was hired in February to conduct a study of the Centre’s HVAC system which produced two recommendations: install a new single facility system estimated at $1.2 million or a four-quadrant system estimated at $1.5 million before structural upgrades and design work is considered.

Half the cost will come from a special operating reserve while the Region will need to borrow money to cover the other half.

Norman says that borrowing could mean a small increase to resident’s property tax bill in the coming years.

“I believe it could roughly be two to three cents, which is what we dropped the rate down by this year. But, interest rates, who knows what they’ll be at the point in time.”

Norman says staff will begin working to resolve the HVAC issues right away but because of worldwide supply-chain issues she doesn’t expect the new equipment will be in place this summer.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

Region of Queens administration building. Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens council approved spending a million dollars on equipment and adopted the land use bylaw at their last meeting.

The big news out of the May 24 council meeting was the adoption of the Land Use Bylaw and Municipal Planning Strategy.

Several other items were adopted including setting a policy for council to hold meetings in communities throughout Queens instead of being tied to council chambers.

Council also waived a policy to permit the sale and consumption of alcohol on region property.

The waiver will be in place from June until the end of the year to allow Liverpool Farmers Market vendors in Centennial Park to sell alcohol and provide samples to customers.

Some equipment will be upgraded as the region will be spending $688,000 to rebuild a compactor at the regional waste facility.

Public Works will also be receiving a Komatsu excavator worth $356,500.

The purchase was already in the budget and will be paid out of the equipment reserve.

The tidy sum being spent on landfill is worth it says Mayor Darlene Norman.

“It’s what happens when you own a landfill. People have to understand that landfills make us revenue and if it were not for the landfill we would be looking at a higher tax rate.”

Council closed their meeting with a discussion generated from a staff report outlining ways to pay for approximately $2 million in needed heating and ventilation repairs at the Liverpool Business Development Centre.

“That went back to the drawing board to come back again at our next meeting,” said Norman. “The numbers are large and it was suggested that there could be other options available. So council was interested in hearing of these other options.”

Council regularly meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month and the next session is scheduled for June 14.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.