A new draft of the city's 2015 capital plan has bumped the Prince George Public Library's entrance makeover from next year's list of projects.
Council had approved shifting the estimated $2.5 million project to rejuvenate the downtown branch to this year's funding list during a Dec. 4, 2013 budget meeting.
"Because the project could not be completed before the 2015 Canada Winter Games and because capital expenditure reserve funds are required for high-priority 2015 projects, the library entrance project has been shifted in the [capital expenditure plan] to a 2017 unfunded project," said a staff report from corporate services director Kathleen Soltis.
City manager Beth James told council's finance and audit committee Monday the decision was borne out of a process that included "tough discussions" amongst department heads.
"As a result of that discussion we had a number of health and safety-related capital projects that could not be funded because of the commitment on the library," said James, adding that with the budget originally approved the scope of the entrance project may have been smaller than what the library wanted. "Point two is the library actually has some serious capital needs just to run their business, so we were also looking at how we could fund those."
The draft plan also includes $15,000 to replace the 20-year-old public information desk in the children's department and $20,00 to replace servers that are "well beyond their recommended useful life."
"It wasn't our preference to come back and recommend delaying the library, but it was our only option given other commitments," said James.
As presented to the committee, the draft capital plan was prepared to fit a 3.5 per cent tax levy increase scenario. If a 2.5 per cent increase model is used, more project would be recommended to be cut from the list including refurbishing the CN Centre's walk-in freezer, drainage improvements, constructing a downtown transit exchange at the Wood Innovation and Design Centre and replacing the track at Masich Place Stadium. If a 1.5 per cent tax levy increase scenario is used, a $480,000 project to reinforce the Foothills Bridge would be chopped as well.
Taking the bridge off the to-do list becomes a liability issue, said public works director Bill Gaal, in response to a question about the project from Coun. Lyn Hall.
Coun. Murry Krause and Mayor Shari Green both expressed a desire to see Masich Place kept on the list.
"Every time I drive by there it's got lots of people on it, out there exercising, walking and it's being used for large special events, so I think it's really high profile," said Krause.
Council will discuss and approve the 2015 budget at a series of meetings beginning Oct. 22.
