The City of Warman is adopting a phased-in approach to ensure civic operations keep pace with anticipated growth over the coming decade.
A report adopted by Warman City Council at its meeting on Monday, January 11 recommended expanding four civic facilities over the next 10 to 15 years to accommodate a population of 30,000.
Warman currently has a population of a little more than 11,000.
At the top of the priority list is the city’s aging public works facility on North Railway Street. The building and storage yard, which underwent renovations a few years ago, is currently operating at capacity.
The city is also looking at expanding the storage area for equipment used by the Recreation and Community Services department, currently housed in the Legends Centre.
One of the options recommended in the report adopted by council is consolidating equipment storage for both departments into a single 10,800 square foot facility. The current public works facility is roughly 5,500 square feet in size.
The city is currently exploring options for relocating the public works facility. The anticipated cost of the new building is about $3.75 million.
Other civic buildings requiring expansion in the coming decade include Warman City Hall and the Warman RCMP municipal detachment office.
Warman Mayor Gary Philipchuk said the report, prepared by Firebird Consulting, will help the city in its long-range planning process.
“Over the past couple of years, council has discussed the need to have sufficient capacity to meet the needs of the city,” said Philipchuk. “We know these facilities will have to be expanded, but there were varying opinions as to priorities.
“This report looked at our current situation very objectively, weighed what our future needs will likely be, and provided options.”
The report said Warman City Hall is currently utilizing 95% of its capacity. It pegged the cost of expanding City Hall from its current 7,100 square feet to 10,500 square feet at $3.3 million. The expansion is anticipated to be needed in about five years.
The current Warman municipal RCMP building is 2,565 square feet. The report recommends it be expanded to bring it up to 10,500 square feet by the year 2030. The estimated cost would be $4.9 million.
The Warman-Martensville RCMP detachment also has an office in Martensville; with satellite detachment offices in Delisle and Radisson.
Philipchuk said the report and its recommendations mark “a starting point, not an end point.” He noted the total cost for expanding all the facilities is in the range of $12 million; so those expenses will have to be spread out over many years and other potential sources of funding from senior levels of government will be applied for whenever appropriate.
Philipchuk said the report marks “a step forward” and provides objective data for updating the city’s ten-year capital plan.
The city is also beginning the process of mapping out its 2021 civic budget. Higher-priority facility expansions such as the public works building could enter into those calculations, Philipchuk confirmed.
He pointed out that the report and its recommendations provide the city with a considerable amount of flexibility.
“There are a lot of moving parts,” said Philipchuk. “Some facilities, including the RCMP detachment building, may fit into a regional partnership arrangement. There are always ongoing discussions with our partners. We’re looking to do what’s best for everyone.”
The city has released a three-page public summary of the report which is available on the City of Warman website.