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Pair of Vernon childcare centres require additional funds

The Lakers and Recreation Complex facilities need more than $47,000 to meet project shortfalls
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Jeremy Welder, CEO of BGC Okanagan, Marlon Chow, Vernon-Monashee MLA Harwinder Sandhu, Emerson Beerstra, and Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony for one of Vernon’s new child care facilities on Sept. 7, 2022. Vernon council will be asked Monday, Feb. 13, to approve more than $47,000 in additional funding for two facilities due to construction and insurance shortfalls.(Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)

Vernon council will address a request for additional funding for a pair of childcare facility projects.

Council will receive a report at its regular meeting Monday, Feb. 13, requesting more cash for the Lakers Childcare Facility in Okanagan Landing, and Recreational Complex Childcare Facility at the Vernon Recreation Centre due to project budget and operating expense shortfalls.

The request comes prior to the city’s 2022 year-end budget closure.

“Additional funding is required to offset construction budget shortfall and to account for facility insurance and operating cost (water, hydro and gas) that were incurred, but were not included in the 2022 budget,” said community recreation manager Shayne Wright in a report to council.

Council is being asked to approve an additional $27,234 for construction shortfall, and $20,671 for total operating and insurance shortfall.

Wright said the construction shortfall is contributed to required “Change Orders” for expediting material deliveries throughout the projects.

“The shortfall was not predicted and was recognized once all invoices had been posted to the child care projects,” he said.

The operating and insurance shortfall are a result of not knowing what the actual operating and insurance expenses for the new child care facilities would be.

All future operating expenses, said Wright, will be the responsibility of the indicated facility operator, the Okanagan Boys and Girls Club.

“The annual insurance cost for both childcare facilities will reside with the City of Vernon as facility owner and have been allocated in the 2023 budget and beyond,” said Wright.

Council is being recommended to approve the additional funding.

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roger@vernonmorningstar.com

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Roger Knox

About the Author: Roger Knox

I am a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. I started my career in radio and have spent the last 21 years working with Black Press Media.
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