COCHRANE— Cochrane Town Council gave first reading to a borrowing bylaw Monday (Feb. 8) that would allow the Town to borrow up to $23 million for the construction of a new Protective Services Building.
The building is expected to cost $23 million and will be fully funded by debt taken on by the Town, if the bylaw is approved. The debt will be repaid using a combination of tenant lease revenue, off-site levies and property taxes.
The bylaw was centred on a four per cent interest rate, subject to change, and a 25-year term. The 25-year term matches the lease agreement the Town will be entering into with the RCMP.
If approved the Town would request the loan in late 2022.
The Protective Services project was approved in the 2020 budget and construction is scheduled to begin in April 2021. The building is expected to be completed in spring 2023.
Council received an update on the building during the regular meeting on Jan. 25 from Town of Cochrane manager of facilities Greg Barsi.
"This project is an important addition to the continued provision of the effective policing in our community," Barsi said. "It will ensure we will continue to be a community of choice."
The presentation included proposed designs and renderings of the building set to be constructed on a 4.66-acre parcel in Heartland located off of the intersection of Highway 1A and Horse Creek Road.
The new building will serve as a home for the RCMP, Cochrane Municipal Enforcement, Victim Services and Citizens on Patrol. It is estimated about 53 per cent of the space will be used to house provincially funded positions.
"The new protective services building will also allow for more streamlined integration of policing services, where appropriate, and provide residents with a single location for all policing matters," Barsi said.
He added there is the potential to acquire additional leases for an undeveloped space on the second floor of the proposed facility. If this area secures a lease it will help to off-set the initial cost of the project.
The need for a new facility was identified by Town administration as an obligation under The Municipal Police Service Agreement. The document requires municipalities to provide police members with accommodations.
The current RCMP detachment is federally owned, Barsi said, and the building is well beyond its functional life and capacity. There has been no update provided to the Town on the future of the current Protective Services facility.
During the Jan. 25 Council meeting Councillor Alex Reed called the project exciting, but asked if steps are being taken to ensure the facility will be built in a way to limit additional future maintenance.
"As we all know, the Spray Lakes Centre continues to labour under some really heavy burdens of poor craftsmanship," Reed said, asking if any companies involved with the construction of the sports centre will be involved with the Protective Services Building construction.
Barsi said to his knowledge no companies are involved in the project. He added he does not anticipate this being a concern for the building as it will not face the same challenges as the sports complex.
"We've taken the time to take this project to 100 per cent drawing, the details are certainly all being ironed out now," Barsi said. "This facility, albeit complex in nature, it's complex for different reasons than the arena. There's a lot less mechanical equipment in this facility and a lot more security equipment."
Reed also questioned if the new RCMP detachment in Stoney Nakoda First Nation could potentially impact the proposed Cochrane detachment. Barsi said it will have little impact on the Protective Services Building and there have been no anticipated implications indicated by the RCMP.
Coun. Marni Fedeyko said it has been unfortunate to see the project "ballooned in amount" from when it was first proposed and confirmed $23 million will be the expected maximum funding needed for the project.
She added the Town will recover some of the costs of the project through the lease with the province, helping to limit debt taken on through taxes.
"We're all excited to see this project come to fruition and provide some much-needed space for our poor RCMP members," Fedeyko said.
The bylaw will appear before Council for second and third reading at the March 22 regular council meeting. Public input on the bylaw can be provided through Town of Cochrane legislative services.
