Town office renos approved

Times Reporter  

 

A special meeting was called for Strathmore town council on Aug. 18 to discuss renovations to the town office. The renovations would include the lobby and washrooms and are expected to cost approximately $65,000-$70,000 plus GST.

For that cost the two bathrooms would be turned into four, and the lobby, hallway floor and the janitor’s room will all see changes. The scope of work did not include the handicap doors and ramps that will be needed. 

One of the complaints about the current doors is that it can be tough for some of the older citizens to open the main doors.  

“We need to set a bit of a precedent in town, we should be having ourselves accessible, we should have proper washrooms for our staff and we should have decent looking lobby and entrance,” said Councillor Brad Walls.  

He continued on to say that a lot of people visit the town office from out of town, including other councils and Strathmore should set that bar of having a top-notch facility. 

Administration was told it could take a month, or just a bit more, to complete the project because it will have to be worked on during the weekend or after hours. 

Councillor John Rempel was not happy with the proposal stating that circumstances have changed since last fall when the budget was approved. One of those circumstances is the discussion around a new town office building.

“We’ve had these washrooms in here for 32, 33 years, they work fine. If we’re going to move out of here into another location, I find this irresponsible to use taxpayers’ money to build washrooms that we may not use for more than two years,” said Rempel. 

He would rather direct the funds towards providing more space for the town staff being hired than spending it on additional washrooms. 

Councillor Bob Sobol found it somewhat sad that there was a prolonged discussion about whether or not clean, odor-free bathrooms are needed in a building that houses numerous employees and sees many members of the general public come in and use the facilities. He said he likes to think of the town as welcoming and inviting, something not seen by the town washroom facilities. 

He also stated that recent studies suggest a higher quality of life in the workplace leads to a higher employee retention and satisfaction and, according to a study from Northwestern University, employee satisfaction is directly linked to customer satisfaction. 

“Now I’m not suggesting that renovating our bathrooms is a magic pill that’s going to transform this building into an oasis, this is simply an issue of quality of life, which is our town motto, surely clean, secure washrooms should not be seen as an extravagance or a waste of taxpayers’ money,” said Sobol. 

Talks about the town moving into a new building have been happening the entire seven years Sobol has been on council, and he said moving will not make the renovations futile. If and when they move, the building will hopefully be taken over by a town-supported group who would likely be happy to have the updated facilities.  

“I do believe that having appropriate bathrooms will make this building more attractive to people who will either in the future purchase it, or lease it, or rent it. I think there both considerations around safety and health regarding staff and our obligation to make sure they have what they deserve and what they need,” said Councillor Denise Peterson. 

The motion was approved with Rempel voting opposed.