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OC Transpo's 'very expensive outhouse'
Councillors shocked by cost of new rest stop
for bus drivers
Ken Gray
The Ottawa Citizen
Saturday, December 01, 2001
Its cost is
outlined in four brief lines at the back of a 102-page agenda for a
corporate-services committee meeting at City
Hall.
The agenda for next Tuesday's meeting lists items that cost more than
$25,000 that city staff can purchase without having to seek council's
approval.
One item -- a
$360,000 washroom facility for OC Transpo drivers at the Fallowfield Transpo
station -- cost as much as two medium-sized homes in nearby Barrhaven.
The building that houses men's and women's washrooms, also has has three
storage rooms, a lounge and a kitchen for bus drivers.
The public servants had set aside
$404,481, but the building was built for less.
Not all councillors were flush with anger when they found out, but neither
were they impressed: "Oh my God."
"Holy smokes."
"I'm speechless."
Rainer Bloess, who represents Innes Ward, captured the general sentiment of
his colleagues:
"Thank God it came in under budget. It sounds like a very expensive
outhouse."
Gloucester-Southgate Councillor Diane Deans suggested charging "a dime a
flush."
Ms. Deans said the washroom house cost "a lot of money" and
such an expense "gets the public
wondering."
Bell-South Nepean Councillor Jan Harder said the city also spent $230,000 on
landscaping and will drop $100,000 more on the site next year for trees and
shrubs -- this to conform with National Capital Commission specifications
for the Greenbelt, where the station is located.
"The cost seems high to me," said Ms. Harder, who represents the ward where
the station is located. "The washroom is more expensive than a community
building."
The former city of Nepean built the Southpointe Community Building in south
Nepean for about $250,000, Ms. Harder said.
"The drivers need to have a place to take care of some of their needs," Ms.
Harder said. "But did it have to be as grandiose as it is?"
Pamela Sweet, the former regional infrastructure planning director, said she
believed
much of the
cost of the building would be for water and sewer connections on unserviced
land. Also, the land purchased from
the NCC for the site was quite expensive, she added.
The former regional government, which was responsible for the Transitway,
killed the plan for the washroom because it was too expensive, Ms. Sweet
said.
However, the city resurrected it.
"I would want a
full accounting of the cost," said Orléans Councillor Herb Kreling. "It is
almost incomprehensible."
Alta Vista Councillor Peter Hume
wonders why staff didn't look at alternatives to installing sewer and
water pipes.
"There are technologies you can use that don't involve sewer pipes,"
Mr. Hume said.
Rideau-Rockcliffe Councillor
Jacques Legendre
feels council may not be able to delegate as much authority to staff if this
is the result.
"I want to see more about it to see how it could possibly be justified," Mr.
Legendre said.
Richard Hewitt, city director of infrastructure services, said the project
landed within budget and was put out for bids. The lowest bidder won the
contract.
"It's a fairly significant project ... a lot more than a washroom," Mr.
Hewitt said.
While Mr. Hewitt didn't have details on the project, he said the unusual
expenses for the project would be: NCC visual requirements; task
specifications from OC Transpo; sewage and water pipes brought into a
non-serviced area; and concrete construction which is more expensive than
wood framing used in homes.
Alternatives to sewage and water
pipes were impractical, Mr. Hewitt said.
A composting toilet couldn't handle the volume expected, Mr. Hewitt said,
and the Ontario Ministry of the
Environment doesn't like sewage holding tanks.
The lounge was necessary because the station was a route end point and
drivers had to make time adjustments for their routes, Mr. Hewitt said.
Paul Jolicoeur, a spokesman for the Amalgamated Transit Union, said he was
unaware of the washroom building and couldn't comment on it.
© Copyright 2001 The
Ottawa Citizen
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