The city recently had to dip into funds to fix a Memorial Arena code issue, though the fix ended up costing a fraction of what was projected.
CAO Wayne Staudt advised that the Class T upgrades to the refrigeration plant room at the Memorial Arena are now complete as required by the BC Safety Authority.
Staudt said the initial cost through local contractor quotes was expected to exceed $50,000, but through the city, the final cost for the project was $20,316.
The problem was that the refrigeration plant room was not constructed to meet a one-hour fire resistance rating.
With the construction update, he said the arena is now constructed to meet that requirement.
Staudt noted there were no mechanical issues or requirements involved and the upgrades were strictly based on achieving the one-hour fire rating.
He said one reason the costs were so far under estimates, was through the efforts of city staff.
Staudt noted that through the work of the city carpenter, plumber, electrician and arena worker the costs associated with completing this upgrade were greatly reduced.
Leisure Services staff will now apply to the BC Safety Authority for a safety assessment in order to achieve a Risk Assessed Status Plant. That will eliminate the need for 24/7 staffing currently required when the refrigeration plant is in operation.
The city noted that both Western Financial Place and the Curling Arena are Risk Assessed Status Plants.