The Civic Centre, where the Dunedin City Council is based, is in line for a $2.25 million makeover next year.
Crowded offices and a lack of security for staff were the main issues that persuaded city councillors to bring the work forward to the 2008-09 draft budgeChief executive Jim Harland said some council staff were working in ‘‘substandard conditions'' and the building had had no money spent on it for 20 years.
He said there was nothing stopping anyone walking in off the street and approaching staff at their desks and there were ‘‘simply no measures to prevent staff being assaulted by members of the public''.
Cr Bill Acklin said some members of the public were ‘‘more volatile than in the past''. Cr Michael Guest considered it ‘‘essential'' the work went into the annual plan.
Cr Neil Collins questioned why the property department did not have provision for the work in its budget. Finance and corporate support general manager Athol Stephens said whichever way it was done, the costs would come back to the ratepayer.
The work was expected to add $218,000 to the council's budget for the next 20 years.
Cr Paul Hudson was concerned that the council was heading for a rates increase ‘‘way up from 12%''.
‘‘There are some essential projects but we are going to have to make some very hard decisions on the nice-to-do projects.''
Cr Dave Cull said the council had reached the point of ‘‘hitting the wall'' with its rates increase. ‘‘I don't think we can keep pushing the envelope.''
Cr Andrew Noone said he did not support the spending this year, because of budget constraints, and suggested security personnel and cameras be used in the short term.
‘‘This hasn't been an issue up until reasonably recently . . . we have a significant rates increase in front of us.'' Cr John Bezett said the work had been put off before and had to be addressed now. He said he knew of ‘‘a number of incidents''.
Cr Richard Walls described it as ‘‘a disgusting building'' to work in at times and he did not know where else in the world the entrances to male and female toilets faced the lifts.
Cr Syd Brown's amendment, requiring the chief executive to report back on ‘‘ways to minimise the impact on rates'', was adopted
