A STATE OF DISREPAIR

When the roof’s caving in, it’s generally regarded as a sign that you’re in some trouble, if not right this minute, then sometime awfully soon.

That’s the kind of thing we’re facing with several properties, or buildings owned by the Town of
Renfrew.  Roofs leaking, structural fatigue, mould, and other conditions that make the properties untenable, unsafe, or both.

The short version reads that Renfrew needs to undertake some serious moves towards fixing up or replacing these buildings if we’re to continue to lease them out or have them as a base of operations for municipal staff who use them on a daily basis.

The main problem is, of course, money, as there’s a noted shortage of cash to throw at projects and needs like this.  A lot of that cash got swallowed up by Ma-Te-Way, or more recently the significantly over-budget renovation of the Town Hall.  It’s all good for civic employees working at those two locations, but for the men and women who work our roads, our parks and all the other on-the-ground stuff that happens in town, the conditions evident at these municipal buildings are such that they represent health and safety concerns right now, in the present, let alone what might present in the near future.

Ive heard of these conditions referred to before in my time covering council, a fairly recent thing that’s lasted maybe a little over three months, but this situation has been stated quo for much longer than that, it just simply has to be.  And the upshot of that is the fact that nothing’s been done in a concrete manner to address these shortcomings other than some idea generation and visits by senior staff to assess the situation.

CAO Gloria Raybone has been the most recent to tour the buildings, gathering information and intelligence around conditions faced by her workers in the field at these premises.  She, of course, would have been made aware of the situation as she prepared to take over her position, and the visits would be part of the new CAO’s due-diligence with respect to this situation.

As a result of her inspections, Ms. Raybone has recommended that there be a prioritizing of Public Works building safety undertaken, complete with an assessment of the garage located at the landfill.  The recommendation suggests the needed repairs be considered matters of immediate concern and redress.  Some are in need of immediate work, and some may need to be closed in order to protect the employees working there.  As well, repairs need to be tackled sooner rather than later to prevent further deterioration resulting in more extensive repairs that would likely carry a more extensive price tag.

On her tour, the CAO noted a number of serious issues with the Public Works Building, which happens to be what is known as a “Jerry Building,” a structure meant to be temporary in nature but that has evolved into more of a “permanent” structure despite not being intended to be so.  The roof leaks and some support beams are rotting or rusting with gaps at the base near the floor.  A sink hole has developed in one section of the floor where it’s cracked owing to the previous removal of an old underground tank.  There are significant water issues that have resulted in damage to the building and the suspicion of mould being present.  Outside walls are in the process of rusting and caving in, while insulation doesn’t appear to be sufficient for its intended task.  The building is shifting, meaning the garage doors in the bays are now out of alignment, while there’s a need for repairs to the ventilation system ton protect workers from exposure to gas emanating from chemicals.

The garage at the landfill has walls, vapour barriers, and insulation that’s all coloured black, indicating the very strong possibility of mould.  If that’s the case, insulation and vapour barriers will have to be replaced and wood beams and doors will require extensive cleaning to chase out any mould and neutralize it.

The Fire Hall is a bit of a mess as well, with the foundation sporting signs of crumbling with holes, cracks, and chipping.  Brick work in the structure is degrading due to water damage with mortar eroding away.  This is a heritage-designated building, which means that needed repairs are going to be restricted and governed by that designation.  That sort of has the sound of expensive attached to it.

The Caboose appears to continue to be a going concern, or nightmare if you will.  Water damage again is the culprit, resulting in the possibility of mould, and the ceilings and walls of one section in the process of collapsing.

550 Hall Avenue and 1 Innovation Drive are both hobbled by roof issues and other required work.

Councillor Kyle Cybulski welcomed the report but expressed a degree of disappointment with it, in that he views these conditions as things that have been known about for awhile.  He wanted to know if anything has been concretely done, other than looking and talking, and wondered if this was the first step in the process of making the needed repairs.  He expressed hope that this report was simply not a sheet of paper to join other papers tossed in a file somewhere waiting to be found by someone sometime in the future.

Councillor Andrew Dick was also displeased, saying the conditions at these locations have been known about for a long time, certainly predating this council, and ought to have been undertaken far earlier than this.

CAO Raybone offered that this is considered to be a priority of hers, and ought to be for Council as well.  She noted that the town’s civic administration team is, for the most part, new to their positions, and that for the most part, the conditions of these buildings are problems that have been inherited from those in place before.  

That said, the CAO assured Council that this is definitely a priority item for her in the here and now.