A switch from using external contractors to in-house staff to install an HVAC unit at Gibsons Public Library cut the cost of the installation in half, according to a Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) report.
Directors voted at a Nov. 22 committee meeting to approve a new funding structure for the project with an “amazing 50 per cent reduction in cost,” as West Howe Sound director Mark Hiltz put it following the unanimous vote.
The heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit was meant to be installed in 2017 but was delayed because the library needed its roof replaced. The 2018 budget approved the $125,000 expense, which was to be funded through a combination of reserves and short-term debt.
In order to save costs, staff employed “internal resources” for engineering and project management, and the project was completed in September for just over $64,000. Directors approved the entire amount to be paid for through reserves at the Nov. 22 meeting, instead of through a loan.
At the same meeting, directors unanimously voted that the SCRD seek a $70,000 short-term loan to help pay for IT hardware replacements.
