The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is moving around some money to cover a project in the expansion of municipal hall.
In works that were “not contemplated at the time the 2024 budget was set,” the RMOW awarded a $1,138,623.10 contract to Whistler Coast Construction for a "Municipal Hall Fire Suppression System Project on Sept. 10, that according to a staff report is necessary to ensure the safe occupancy of municipal hall and the new annex building.
“The sprinkler system upgrade in Municipal Hall is required by the BCBC (British Columbia Building Code) to allow for final occupancy of the new annex building,” reads the report.
Work to improve municipal office space has been underway for almost a year, since the RMOW approved the expansion project back in October 2023 that would see the existing annex building—a temporary modular construction—gain an additional storey to increase floor space.
That project, when funding was allocated in July 2023, was tendered out for $1,397,000 at the time, and would see the then one-storey annex have a second floor added on top, with a bridge connection to the main section of municipal hall.
A year later, the additional cost of a fire suppression system is being factored into the project.
When funding for the expansion came before Whistler council last year, the need for fire protection upgrades was noted, but not included in the overall budget. At that time, the fire suppression project was in the design phase, and according to a staff report, would be implemented at the same time as the expansion project. There were no funds allocated at the time.
According to a communications official with the RMOW, the funds to cover the fire suppression project came from money allocated to the upgrading of the public safety building, on the same block in the village. That project was delayed, opening up the allocated funds for the fire project, allowing the project to continue without an amendment to the municipal budget for the year.
The scope of the fire suppression project is wider than just the expansion project, and includes the entirety of municipal hall rather than just the expanded annex.
In a presentation at the Sept. 10 regular council meeting, staff explained when municipal hall was initially constructed, fire regulations went as far as requiring smoke detection throughout—and a lot has changed since then.
According to staff documents, the project will see indoor office glazing replaced with wired glass to provide a 45-minute fire separation barrier; there will be sprinklers installed on all levels of the building; there will be greater spatial separation of different parts of the building with "water curtains" in case of fire; and there will be improvements to exits to the building.
“By implementing these measures, municipal hall will meet with the requirements of the BCBC and provide a safe and secure working environment for staff,” reads the report.
The work is expected to be carried out from October through to March 2025.
The winning bidder for the project, local company, Whistler Coast Construction, offered the lowest bid on the project, beating out two other competing bids.
With an engineers estimate (or ballpark budget) of about $1,089,500 to complete, Whistler Coast Construction’s successful bid of $1,138,623,10 came in at five per cent above estimates. The other two bids were 12 and 15 per cent over.
According to the tender award recommendation report, Whistler Coast Construction’s low bid with a 4.5-month construction schedule was recommended due to lack of major difference in timeline—and being the lowest bid.
As the funding for the project was re-allocated from another, delayed project, no budget amendment was required for the contract to be awarded. The funds for the public safety building project will be laid out in the budget process for 2025 instead.
Councillors voted unanimously to approve the project, with minimal questioning.
