Space constraints at the council's Stafford St office block had been well-documented and had reached a "must-action" status, chief executive Graeme Martin said in a report to be considered at a council meeting today.
"The staff accommodation issues are almost beyond urgent. As an employer, it is untenable to continue to fail to remedy the documented problems."
He called for the "accommodation imbroglio" to be eased and suggested the council needed to look for temporary accommodation for future council or public meetings.
The council was consulting through its long-term plan about proposals to build a council chamber and civil-defence facilities in its car park as a short-term solution and investigate long-term accommodation options.
It had earlier agreed all options for an inner Dunedin replacement headquarters be retained as options.
Complicating the situation was the need to upgrade the Stafford St building's security and the flow-on need for an upgrade to the "fire cells" in the reception area and above.
Work was due to start in six weeks, meaning staff needed to be relocated, which would involve the use of the council chamber, he said.
The chamber was the only remaining free space in the building.
So the council faced some "conflicts of timing of decisions", he said.
"Constructing a temporary building on the lower car-park site should not be done if 70 Stafford St is not ruled out for site redevelopment as the council's new headquarters."
The major redevelopment would "seriously impair" the usability of all buildings on site and might require the space of the proposed temporary council chamber, Mr Martin said.
If the temporary premises could not be built straight away, the council must look at other options which were confined to leasing or buying alternative premises close to Stafford St, he said.
"The security and fire cell changes will mean the next two rounds of council and committee meetings and any similarly timed hearings will need to be held off site."
Mr Martin proposed four options for the "short term" or "not less than three years, maybe beyond five years".
The four options were asking council architects Oakley Gray to develop ways Stafford St could accommodate more "optimal staff occupancy"; modifying the draft long-term proposals to allow the council to lease or buy alternative premises; that council agree the meeting be the last in the chamber and to use the chamber for staff accommodation covering immediate security and fire cell works and short-term staff space needs; as an interim measure, rent space for council, committee, and larger public hearings.
He has recommended councillors agree to all of the four options.
ORC headquarters
2006: ORC sets aside $12 million for new headquarters.
2007: Council seeks change of designation for site on Kitchener and Birch Sts.
2008: Tenders called for 4000sq m office block.
2008: Work begins on waterfront site.
2009: $31 million waterfront proposal dropped after $6.8 million spent.
2011: Architects' report shows Stafford St has 194sq m space shortfall.
2011: Report also states 120sq m needed for short-term growth.
2011: Councillors set up project control group to move process forward.
2011: Option of temporary car park council chambers and civil defence headquarters raised.
