Budget Committee Report – April 28, 2021

The following report was approved in principle by Members of Council at today’s Budget Committee meeting and will be on the next Council meeting agenda.

Fire Station Renovation Program

Council approved in principle a Fire Station Renovation Program for 17 fire stations to be incorporated into the Fire and Emergency Services 10-Year capital plan and be funded from the Public Fire Safety Program Reserve. The program commits to repair aging infrastructure, align with industry best practices, provide appropriate accommodations for current and future staff and respond to future growth and demographic changes.

Seventeen stations require interior renovations and structural additions for operations, health and safety and accessibility requirements. Assessment reports confirm there is no immediate risk to the building occupants. In 2019, a Building Condition Audit (BCA) was completed that included overall building condition assessment, a building code compliance report, asbestos report, schematic design drawings, engineering design briefs and cost estimates for each station.

The cost of the Fire Station Renovation Program is estimated at $66 million and will be submitted as part of the Fire and Emergency Services 10-year capital plan. It is recommended that Council approve the use of the Public Fire Safety Program Reserve to fund the lifecycle renovation of 17 fire stations. This reserve was established through By-law 0014-2019 to provide a stable funding source for new fire stations and staffing identified in the Fire and Emergency Service Master Plan that Council endorsed in 2019.

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• Budget and Taxes