Okanagan Similkameen Regional District office upgrades, upgraded

PENTICTON – The upgrade to the Okanagan Similkameen Regional District office building is on budget thanks to a gas tax grant from the Union of B.C. Municipalities.

The board of directors have approved some add ons to the building renovations, in addition to giving final budget approval to the project.

Chief administrative officer Bill Newell says the $175,000 grant allowed the directors to consider increasing the scope of the renovation project following Greyback Construction’s awarding of the original contract for $365,800 for the work in September, 2015, along with an additional $70,000 in contingency funds. They also approved carpet replacement in the building at a cost of over $58,000.

The board approved two changes to the renovations at their Nov. 19 board meeting, adding replacement of the building’s roof at about $70,000 and the change out of all interior and exterior lights to high efficiency LED fixtures at almost $46,000. These items were funded through a $174,325 Regionally Significant Project Gas Tax Program grant reallocation.

Regional directors have approved the total capital budget of $610,325 at the director’s board meeting on Dec. 17.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.