The latest price tag of $46 million attached to a new aquatics centre in Lac La Biche County is too high, says Mayor Paul Reutov. So, the design features and costs are once again going back for revisions, likely delaying the construction start date of the project, originally set for this October.
Up, up and up again …
The new price is more than triple the initial $15 million budget from 2018 when the project was first approved, and almost double the updated $27 million budget that council approved a year ago. Last year's funding plan also secured $15 million in provincial and federal dollars, leaving just $12 million for the municipality to pay. But then, this past April, council met with hired project designers and agreed to boost that budget by $12 million to $39 million.
Then, this past Monday, in the first of two updates from project managers Alex Godfrey and Geoff Watson from Turnbull Construction, councillors agreed that a $43 million plan should be explored.
But — just a day later — at the regular council meeting on August 22, that number went up … again. During that meeting, Godfrey and Watson presented council with a new cost of $46,297,000 to build the project to the previous design specs.
“What will the cost be the next time we meet? Will it be $50 million? As much as I want this pool, we really need to look at these numbers.”
Lac La Biche County councillor John Mondal on budget hikes for pool project.
Waving goodbye to some features
During the discussions with council, Watson presented a budget break-down, offering a list of features that could be eliminated to get the project back to the lower limit of $43 million. Those cutbacks include reducing the overall square footage, removing the proposed sauna and fire pit, switching to telescopic bleachers on the deck seating areas, as well as reducing features in the upper viewing area, including the removal of washrooms and elevator access. As for the stone facade along much of the interior of the building? That would be out of the budget as well. The project planners also spoke candidly about the feasibility of a wave pool for the facility, an add-on that wasn’t included in the 2021 project scope, but desired, nonetheless.
“A wave pool could very well delay the start of construction of this project and is very tricky to operate,” said Godfrey, adding that operational costs for such a luxury will mean the County will need to pony up an additional $4 million per year. “Also, a wave pool requires more lifeguards, which cuts into the budget.”
While Reutov and the rest of council settled on the $43 million limit, the mayor expressed his disappointment with the new numbers from the project managers, saying the entire point of choosing a $39 million budget back in April was to retain all the features council wanted such as a stone facade in the interior of the building.
“This project started at $27 million. How exactly did we get here? If the price keeps going up, this may not happen. How do we get back?” Reutov asked. “We wanted to do better than neighbouring municipalities. And now, in order to get back to the $43 limit, it seems unfair that we need to sacrifice so many features to get this done.”
Other councillors waded into the discussions, expressing waves of concern over the rising prices, construction timeline and changes to the original design features.
Councillor Kevin Pare said while the initial $27 million for the project wasn’t going to be feasible due to inflation, $46 million is far too expensive.
“When factoring in inflation, I was prepared for the pool to cost $35 million, which is my hard-line,” he said.
Councillor John Mondal also spoke of the need to bring costs under control.
“What will the cost be the next time we meet? Will it be $50 million? As much as I want this pool, we really need to look at these numbers,” Mondal stated.
Councillor Darlene Beniuk added her own concerns about the spending.
“Are these even real numbers? They must think Lac La Biche County is awash in money,” she said.
Higher taxes, reduced services could follow
Municipal administrators say if the higher funding is approved, the result could mean higher taxes for residents and businesses, reduced services and fewer new capital spends down the road.
The mayor wondered aloud if the pool project was worth it.
Deputy Mayor Sterling Johnson supports the aquatic centre — but not at all costs. He said he he wasn’t prepared to sacrifice essential infrastructure work – especially paving – for the project to proceed.
“What good is such a facility if people can’t even drive to it? Right now, some roads in the County are in such bad condition it’s hard to get through them as they are so full of potholes,” he said. “It is crucial to study the big picture here. What’s the good in spending $46 million for a pool and later find out there’s no money for roads. I want a facility that we can be proud of, but there must be strict fiscal accountability.
Councillor Lorin Tkachuk took a different tact. He said in the long term, the final price for this new pool will be more than worth it. He municipality is in strong financial shape and can afford a first-class aquatics facility as well as money for infrastructure work.
“This same conversation took place 15 years ago when the Bold Center was being built, but you don’t hear many people complaining now. In fact, the community loves this facility,” Tkachuk said. “The taxpayers of Lac La Biche County deserve a great service and this pool will be here for decades to come, so let’s get it right the first time.”
Back to the drawing board
With councillors, administration and designers continuing to debate the project, its costs, and how to pay for them, it was agreed that another round of designs, budgets and discussions need to happen.
Elected officials have told representatives from Turnbull to come back within three weeks with some cost-saving design options that will hopefully pull the budget back and maintain the original intent of the project.
According to public-facing documents on the municipal website, construction on the new aquatic centre is still slated to begin in October, with the project expected to be completed by the fall of 2025. In at least one scenario outlined by municipal administrators in the finance department, the increased funding will mean increased time-frames to allow for bylaws to be approved and public hearings to be held.
* with files from Rob McKinley
