Public submissions and hearings about the council's annual plan for 2010-11 have led to several changes to the amended version of the plan, which the councillors will be asked to adopt at a meeting tomorrow.
Dropping the plans to move the library to make room for gathering all council staff under one roof has instead given room in the budget for other investments requested by the public, including a $200,000 project to prepare for CCTV cameras in the Queenstown CBD.
QLDC chief executive Debra Lawson said the council had given consideration to every submission received.
Submissions relating to the published plans to move the library to the old Pulse Fitness building at Memorial St were mostly opposed to the proposal.
"There were also some unforeseen costs associated with the proposal, which aimed to be cost-neutral; namely, the need for additional staff across three floors. This was not supported," Ms Lawson said.
Setting a further $20,000 aside for developing a concept design for improvements to the Memorial Hall had also been a direct result of a submission to the annual plan.
Ms Lawson said the council would also set aside $25,000 for preliminary consultation on two projects: an events organisation and an "economic future agency".
"The council was receptive to a proposal for a co-ordinated, district-wide events body, but felt, given the potential for the body to become rate-funded, more detailed consultation with the community needed to be undertaken," she said.
The second proposal to develop an economic future agency had been proposed by the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce.
But chamber chairman Alastair Porter said he was disappointed there was only money appointed to investigation and consultation, rather than proceeding with establishment of the agency right away.
"This shows a lack of understanding of how to encourage economic growth. It should be tackled with more urgency," he said.
The list of additions to the annual plan will cost more than what is saved by not relocating the library.
But QLDC finance manager Stewart Burns said several capital works projects had not been completed in 2009-10, which meant there would be less depreciation to be covered over the rates.
"Due to the timing issue with the capital works, we have been able to decrease the amount of depreciation the ratepayers cover by $533,000," he said.
The reduced cost had shaved 1% off the rates for next year.
In total, the new draft of the annual plan will mean an average increase in rates of 7.7%, compared with 7.95% in the first draft.
"We have tried hard to minimise the cost to the ratepayers," Mr Burns said.
