Nearly 12 months since a report was presented to the council outlining four interim options to deal with the organisation's overcrowding problems at its Stafford St premises, Mr Martin is again asking councillors to make a decision so a short-term solution to the problem can be found.
"Council has been unable as of yet to narrow the sites, options and timing of a long-term accommodation option."
In a report to be considered tomorrow, he recommended the council give approval to the proposed "lower car park option", at a cost of $926,000 - the council had included $1 million in its long-term plan for interim accommodation.
It proposed a steel-framed building, set on a concrete pad, with a Colorsteel roof, double glazing and fibre cement board wall cladding.
To keep costs down, it would not be fully relocatable, but would still include a council chamber, meeting room, kitchen, storage, toilets and reception area.
Included in the cost was $174,876 to add features and services needed for the building to act as civil defence headquarters.
Staff had investigated commercial space options the council could lease within three blocks of its Stafford St offices and had identified one potential space, but modest seismic strengthening would be needed to accommodate the civil defence operations centre, he said.
However, experience being off-site - the council was now holding its meetings and hearings at Dunedin's Salvation Army premises - had "identified some frustrations, inefficiencies and confusion", Mr Martin said.
Extra hours were required for room set-up and closure, loss of time at breaks between meetings and lack of rapid access to staff.
Any interim solution was likely to need to serve the council well for five or more years.
If the council accepted the lower car park option, work could start almost immediately, but other options would need to be better canvassed and explored with independent professional assistance, he said.
