City of Revelstoke administrators are considering a new wave of renovations on the second storey of Revelstoke City Hall. They are now considering relocating Revelstoke Council Chambers back into the building.
The meetings were once held in city hall.
The news emerged at city council's Dec. 10 regular meeting. Council chambers are currently located in a rented space across Second Street from city hall, in the building next to Benoit's Wine Bar.
City of Revelstoke Chief Administrative Officer Tim Palmer told council the plans are preliminary: "We haven't done any detailed design on that," he said, adding the idea is making "more and more sense."
He hoped relocating into city hall would create "operational cost savings."
The move would require renovations; the former council chambers have been taken over by office space since they were removed. At council meetings, presenters often use a computerized presentation system, and the current location is wired with telecommunications equipment.
City hosts renovations open house
City administrators are hosting a tour of Revelstoke City Hall on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 12 starting at 8:30 a.m.
The tour was announced in a Dec. 10 media release.
“The tour of the city hall renovations is intended to clarify to the public what is currently underway at city hall and to answer questions regarding future restructuring plans," said Tim Palmer in the media release.
The $800,000 renovation project began in the summer of 2013, but stalled recently due to budget issues. The project has been re-budgeted for 2014.
The Times Review requested budget information on the project when details of the renovations were announced in July of 2013. City officials said they'd have an estimate by the end of summer, but none has been forthcoming yet.
In late November, the Times Review filed a series of questions that asked for budget details on the ongoing Revelstoke City Hall renovations when it was learned the project had stalled because of budget issues.
In a Nov. 29 email, new City of Revelstoke communications director Lyle Huntley said they would be available in a report to council at their Dec. 10 meeting.
However, no budget details were contained in the two-page report. It was a one-page invitation to the open house, and graph showing staff number changes at city hall since 2011.
At the Dec. 10 meeting, Palmer said budget information would be available at the Dec. 12 tour of city hall.
UPDATE 2:10 p.m.: City staff have forwarded budget information on the city renos. We'll post information soon.
On Dec. 11, city officials provided the following one-page document in response to requests for budget information on the ongoing renovations. The Times Review will provide more on the project after the Dec. 12 tour of the renovations.