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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO 05-08 , Calf 4 REPORT TO COUNCIL Report Number: CAO 05-08 Date: July 14, 2008 ,...~ (") ,,-. ,'~ 0 U From: Cynthia Mearns Chief Executive Officer, Pickering Public Library Thomas J. Quinn Chief Administrative Officer Subject: Repairs to Greenwood Branch Library - File: 0-8200-018 Recommendation: 1. That Report CAO 05-08 regarding the repairs to Greenwood Library be received; 2. That Council approve the expenditure of approximately $50,000 from the Library Capital Budget contingency for repairs to the Greenwood Branch Library in accordance with Resolution #78/08; and 3. That the appropriate officials of the City of Pickering be given authority to give effect thereto. Executive Summary: Use of the Greenwood branch has been in continuous decline since the mid-90's despite numerous attempts to increase use. In 2007, the branch experienced a record drop in circulation followed in early 2008 by an unexpected need for expensive repairs which required the temporary closing of the branch. The Pickering Public Library Board (Board) held a community meeting on April 16, 2008 to discuss the future of the branch. The meeting was well attended by the community and the opinions expressed were repeated at the April 21st Council budget meeting. With the provision that a capital budget is available for various building repairs, the Board is committed to making and reviewing service improvements. Once the Greenwood building has been repaired and a date for re-opening is determined, library services can then be resumed. Service changes will centre on the. community's requests for evening or Saturday hours and various new programs. The revised services will be evaluated at six month intervals and the results reviewed with the Board and the Community and then a Report for Council information. Report CAD 05-08 Repairs to Greenwood Library Branch ') D 1 L ;) July 14, 2008 Page 2 Financial Implications: Council has approved a provIsion in the 2008 Capital Budget for building repairs up to $50,000 in addition to the $8,000 already budgeted for furnace replacement. These funds are financed by Capital from current funding as per Council Budget approval. City staff, including the Chief Administrative Officer and the Chief Building Official has been involved in assessing the various items that need to be addressed and their solutions. At this time we feel that the water seeping' into the basement and replacement of damaged wood and drywall can be addressed for approximately $7,000. Front access, side landing and stairs can be made safe and accessible for approximately $10,000. The roof may be able to be repaired however, in the event this is not cost effective a complete reshingling may be necessary which is anticipated t6 cost less than $10,000 including down pipes pt the rear of the building. The replacement of the washroom will be the single' most expensive change to make it fully accessible and building code compliant which is estimated to cost between $15,000 to $25,000. . Further details may be found in the attached memo from the Chief Building Official. It is anticipated that all service changes will be accommodated within the existing operating budget. Sustainability Implications: The proposed repairs will contribute to the social sustainability as the repaired facility will re-open providing library service and a social gathering place for residents. The accessibility improvements will also contribute to the City's social responsibility. The replacement of this oil furnace with a much more efficient natural gas furnace should reduce emissions and be much less costly to operate. Background: The Pickering Public Library has operated a branch service point from the current location since June 1980. The building is the refurbished SS # 10 Greenwood school house which was no longer required as a school once the Valley View School opened. The building is owned by the City, while the Library Board provides service. The building has some historical significance as the Right Honourable John Diefenbaker attended the school for a short period while his father was the school teacher. Over the years the building has required significant maintenance. When the building was purchased in 1980, the interior was refurbished. Air conditioning was subsequently added and some improvements to the septic system were made. In Report CAO 05-08 Repairs to Greenwood Library Branch July 14, 2008 Page 3 ~) 'J ) l.. 1996 the west foundation wall was repaired for approximately $25,000. A new well was drilled in 2001 at a cost of $15,000. The library branch was intended to provide library service to the Greenwood community and replaced the old Brougham location. In the years before the Central Library opened, the Greenwood branch enjoyed solid use. However, in recent years use has continued to decline while use in other branches increases. In the decade since 1997, collection use has declined by 62%. More recently, system wide circulation has gone from 801,681 in 2000 to 1,142,354 in 2007, an increase of 40%. This is not the case in Greenwood where use has gone from 6,997 in 2000 to 3,362 in 2007, a decrease of almost 50%. This decrease has occurred in spite of efforts to add collections (DVDs, best sellers, etc.) and other programs (Le. a summer reading club and have offered various story times). The decrease in personal visits could also be due in part to Pickering Public Library's improvements to online service. Using the web page, library clients can place holds on popular materials, view the entire catalogue, access electronic resources for research or pleasure and view their own account. Many clients visit the physical library only to pick up or return material. It should be noted that the hours of service at Greenwood are in harmony with the hours at all our northern branches. The schedule was constructed to ensure that a service point would be accessible each day and most evenings. The branches are all open a similar number of hours each week (Claremont 16.5 hours, Greenwood 12 hours and Whitevale 11 hours). Over the past year, staff,has collected statistics indicating that during the school year, much of the use is generated from the school. Many students like to visit the library to use the computers, or often to have a break from the school. However, the Valley View School upgraded its own library in 2004 which has led to another drop in even this group of users. Outside of school hours, it is not unusual to have no one enter the library for an hour at a time. . As you know, library staff prepares annual reports for the Library Board outlining the various costs for each library service point in the City of Pickering. With use increasing in most branches and declining at Greenwood, the cost in 2007 for each. checkout transaction at Greenwood has climbed to $17.26 compared to $3.20 at Petticoat Creek and $3.89 at the Central Library. The cost at Claremont is a more reasonable $8.84 while Whitevale is $12.98 per transaction. In January of this year a number of new and pressing maintenance issues emerged. The most urgent of these being a leak in the basement wall and a malfunctioning furnace. There are also ongoing concerns regarding the lack of accessibility to the building (there are steep steps at the front entrance, at the emergency exit and the washroom is not sized or fitted to accessible standards). The Pickering Public Library Board discussed and adopted the following motion at the May 22, 2008 meeting: Report CAO 05-08 Repairs to Greenwood Library Branch July 14, 2008 ~: 83 Page 4 THAT the CEO work with City staff to facilitate building repairs at the Greenwood Branch; and that staff prepare a plan, for fall 2008 implementation, to re-open the Greenwood branch with modified and improved services in response to community concerns; that this plan be implemented within the existing operating budget and after consultation with the residents of Greenwood; and that the CEO review and report on the Branch's performance at 6 months and 12 months from reopening. City staff have prepared estimates for the necessary work (please see attachment #1). As outlined in the Board motion, Library staff is developing a service plan for Greenwood which will address the concerns raised at both the community meeting and the Council meeting. The new plan will be reviewed with Greenwood residents over the coming months. Use of the Greenwood branch will be reviewed at regular intervals and the results will be discussed by the Library Board and the community. Attachments: 1. Memo from Tim Moore, Chief Building Official Approved/Endorsed By: Approved/Endorsed By: !-A {/kUl/LAt-j// Cynthia Mearns CEO, Pickering Public Library ~ ..........-.-.. CMIT JQ:lr Copy: Director, Corporate Services & Treasurer Director, Operations & Emergency Services Chief Building Official . Recommended for the consideration of Pickering 9i;~y Council ,\ -~:.... ,.j" ...,~'".: . .-J------./~~...~~,.. . -/.~,,- ;. ./ "". Ciiq o~ I ATTACHMENT I I TO REPORT ,c;1{6~ I ,) ~ k1 L_ '..1 , MEMO To: Thomas J. Quinn Chief Administrative Officer May 7, 2008 Everett Buntsma Director, Operations & Emergency Services From: Tim Moore Chief Building Official Copy: Cynthia Mearns, Chief Executive Officer Len Hunter, Supervisor, Facilities Operations Subject: Greenwood Library Maintenance and Repair Further to your request, this itemizes the more immediate maintenance, repair and other works necessary at the Greenwood library building on Westney Road. Essential Maintenance and Repairs 1. The exterior landing and steps to the secondary entrance along the south side of the building are dilapidated and unsafe, and must be replaced. Replacement wood steps, landing and guard is relatively uncomplicated and could be expected to cost $1,000.00 or less. 2. There was some water leakage into the east basement wall during the spring thaw, in the area of the incoming water supply pipe. On a recent inspection, there was no apparent continuing leakage. The basement is partial and consists of perimeter stone walls and partial concrete bench footings. There is no drainage provided for this space. The basement is designed as unfinished mechanical and utility space and is not suitable for other uses. A complete foundation waterproofing effort from the exterior may be a costly or uncertain undertaking owing to the characteristics and condition of this type of foundation, and is probably unnecessary. A sump pit, sump pump and some interior perimeter drainage is essential in any basement of this type. and would mitigate any future basement leaks. A quotation for this work has been obtained in the amount of $4,500.00. 3. Gypsum board finishes on basement walls have been damaged and have developed mould in some locations due to moisture. The gypsum board and any associated damaged wood framing should be removed. This could be expected to cost less than $1,000.00. 4. The basement should be provided with some natural ventilation. The blocked existing window on the north wall could be opened, and a window screen and security cage installed. This could be expected to cost less than $1,000.00. ' 5. A local roofer was contracted to repair a roof leak in April 2008. A visual inspection of the repair indicated that the work appeared shoddy and incomplete. The repair contractor should be requested to complete this work properly. Further roof leaks in this area may be expected if this is not addressed. () n 5 . L 0 ", In the event a proper limited repair isn't practical, reshingling may be necessary, although most of the existing roofing appears to have a remaining life expectancy. The roof was reshingled in August 1999 at a cost of $4,947.00. A cursory visual inspection of the roof framing and attic disclosed the timber frame and sheathing to be in good condition. There were no apparent bats in residence, however there was some evidence of recent habitation. There are a number of entry points which should be sealed or protected with 1,4" hardware cloth screening, or something equivalent. Attic ventilation must be maintained. 6. The roof drainage pipes at the rear are not properly terminated to drain away from the building and should be repaired. The lower 10 feet of aluminum downpipe should be replaced with ASS drainage pipe to prevent future damage, and discharged away from the building onto concrete splash pads. The down pipe on the northwest corner could be relocated inside the existing fence to reduce damage opportunities. This could be expected to cost less than $1,000.00. 7. The oil fired furnace is antiquat.ed and should be replaced. This presents the opportunity to convert to a natural gas system to increase space heating efficiency and reduce future utility costs. Enbridge have confirmed that gas service is available, and two quotations for a replacement gas furnace have been obtained. The work, including removal of the existing oil apparatus, is expected to cost $6,000.00 in total. 8. The building interior needs a complete cleaning, airing, and removal of any musty material. Accessibilitv The building entrance and washroom are not accessible to persons in a wheelchair. The work necessary to provide an accessible entrance and washroom is significant. Given that the existing plumbing facilities are poor, however, and the City has identified the accessibility shortcoming as a barrier, this work could be considered at this time. 1. Replacement of the existing concrete porch with a functional accessible ramp, landing and stair could be expected to cost $5,000.00 to $10,000.00, depending on the final design specifications. A historically sensitive installation might incur additional costs, if specific design details or materials are necessary. 2. The preferred installation of a barrier free washroom will require reconfiguring the basement entry and staff work area in order to minimize the effect on the existing functional interior space. The staff work area and basement entrance is poorly laid out and would benefit from this alteration. The alterations to provide a fully accessible, modern code compliant washroom and necessary collateral alterations could be expected to cost $15,000.00 to $25,000.00, depending on the scope of the final design. Proper design drawings and a building permit is necessary for the accessibility work. A decision on the barrier free washroom should be made prior to undertaking the furnace replacement, since it will affect some details of supply and return air ducting. TM:kb May 8, 2008 Greenwood Library Maintenance and Repair Page 2