Update - Clinic basement repair approved

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Clinic basement repair approved

Kincardine News - Kincardine,ON,Canada*

Troy

Kincardine News Staff

Wednesday April 02, 2008

http://kincardinenews.com/News/388896.html

With the price tag significantly lowered, Municipality of Kincardine

council is moving ahead to fix the Kincardine Community Medical

Clinic basement.

With a portion to be funded through financing in 2009 and just over

$250,000 to be carried on the tax rate, the $760,000 project didn't

have near the impact as initially brought forward.

" It's a compromise and no one gets 100 per cent of what they want, "

said Mayor Larry Kraemer at the March 26 special council

meeting. " We've decided on a path that's acceptable. "

A recorded vote of 7-2 saw councillors Randy Roppel and Gord

vote against the proposed fix.

The decision was made after all of council, excluding Roppel, took

part in a tour of the clinic basement to see the work that had been

done by contractor Don MacArthur and Conestoga Rovers and Associates

(CRA), who will be implementing the project.

Roppel had said he'd seen it before and had already made up his mind.

A motion was also called by Deputy Mayor Haight, who believed

the project should go to tender, but was rejected. Voting to go to

tender was Haight and councillors Guy , Gord and

Randy Roppel.

The decision approves the final four steps laid out in the original

plan, after council approved mould control, preliminary drawings and

the interior removal of the flooring and some of the drywall last

month.

Council will also meet with the South Bruce Grey Health Centre chief

executive officer, chair and Kincardine representative on April 7,

to discuss the possible options to improve the clinic's situation.

Depending on the outcome, they may also meet with all of the board

to discuss the issue sometime in May.

For the time being, CRA's Cramp said they would work with Don

MacArthur to wrap up the final design for the perimetre drainage and

floor subdrain improvements in the coming weeks, sloping the grade

away from the building to drain water into the ravine and seperate

storm sewer run-off from the parking area. New drains would also be

installed in the floor of the building.

Cramp said work on the exterior of the building is expected by the

end of June, when the interior restoration will commence. New

flooring will be installed and the drywall removed at the base of

the walls would be replaced and the fixtures reattached by the end

of August.

Mayor Larry Kraemer was glad to see the work going ahead, at a price

tag $440,000, cheaper than what was originally expected.

Counc. Randy Roppel said the initial rejection of the plan should

have been enough to abandon the issue. Roppel said they should have

instead waited to talk to the hospital board about new build, or the

possibility of attaching the clinic to the hospital.

" I'm against constructing a brand new building, if this building is

worth saving, " said , who said Roppel shouldn't comment on

the current status of the building, if he didn't take the time to

visit it with the rest of council.

said if the medical staff doesn't want to use the

downstairs, which was cleared of any health concerns from mould,

someone else may want to rent out part of it.

" If there's no moisture or mould and the air quality is good, it's

not unsafe, " he said.

Kincardine Physicians Group Gurbin repeated his claim that they

only wanted dry storage in the basement, and accused unnamed

individuals of trying to convince them to work back in the basement.

But Gurbin said they'd be willing to work in the present state, " for

whatever time it takes to get the right answer " to improve the

situation.

Work is expected to begin on the clinic this week, which will take

place only on weekends, in order not to interfere with the medical

community.

Phase two of the clinic restoration, a new 10,000-square-foot option

or a building connected to the clinic, will be discussed with the

hospital board in the coming months.