Cromwell Community Board (CCB) members will tomorrow discuss the proposal, which comes after board members voted last month to halt the previously approved $5.6 million renovation of the hall.
At the time, CCB members discussed whether some "catch-up" maintenance should then be done on the hall, as it could take years for the board to investigate whether it would be better to build a new hall, either on the hall’s existing site or elsewhere.
The motion now before the board suggests spending $45,000 on a new seismic structural assessment. Provided the building is assessed as being above the minimum requirement of 34% of the National Building Specification, it is recommended another $170,000 be spent preparing design and specifications for building consent and tender purposes. The design will include compliance and deferred maintenance work, and structural assessment and concept design for the stage area.
It is then proposed to spend $1.1 million on minimum building compliance and deferred maintenance work. The report, by Central Otago District Council (CODC) property officer Tara Bates, says if the hall is assessed at below 34% of the NBS, another report will ask the board whether to go ahead with strengthening the hall, and to what level.
The hall has a current Building Warrant of Fitness, which means it complies with the standards at the time of construction in 1960 and is legal to be used today.
To make the hall safe and fit for purpose some maintenance and upgrading was required, Ms Bates said. This would require a building consent, which would then trigger other building code requirements.
The proposed deferred maintenance includes revamping the bathrooms, improving the kitchen, providing disabled access to toilets in the backstage area, rewiring the building and upgrading the fire alarm and emergency lighting. The estimated cost was $1.1 million but the true cost could be plus or minus 30% of that, Ms Bates said.
The board will also discuss another report on how to formally write off the $459,000 already spent investigating the abandoned $5.6 refurbishment. CODC chief financial officer Bernard Murphy said the money needed to be accounted for as an expense in this year’s accounts.
CCB members will discuss three options to fund the write-off: through reserves, rates or property sales. Reserve funding or property sales would have no financial cost for ratepayers but meant that money was not available for other projects, Mr Murphy said.
Funding it through rates would mean a 22% increase in rates for one year or smaller amounts over a longer period.
Both reports will be discussed at the board meeting tomorrow at 2pm.
