Public Works Yard Updates Project
Nanaimo has grown
Nanaimo is 91 square kilometres in size and connected by a lot of infrastructure that serves a lot of people (over 107,000). All of it is maintained by the City's Public Works and Parks teams. Nanaimo’s Public Works department maintains and operates the City’s water system, sewer and drainage systems, roads and transportation network and provides garbage collection, snow removal and many more important services to our community. The Parks team maintains the gardens, clear the trails, maintain sports fields, install public art and keep the washrooms clean so that our parks can be enjoyed.
The original public works buildings were constructed over 60 years ago when Nanaimo’s population was less than half of what it is today. Now, with a community of nearly 110,000, these buildings are insufficient - they were not meant to support a city of this size. These updates will help the City continue to provide services to our community safely and efficiently.
The project
The City is planning to replace two buildings at the Public Works Yard - the fleet maintenance and crew and administration buildings with new, fit for purpose buildings. The fleet maintenance building is where crews will maintain the City’s fleet from cars to fire trucks. A new crew and administration building will not only house offices but will bring together Public Works and Parks Operations crews (over 100 staff members) under one roof. These buildings will be simple, functional and seismically safe. That means they will be there and ready to keep servicing our community when it is most needed.
Alternative approval process
In July, City Council chose to use an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) to seek elector approval to borrow up to $90 million for the construction of the Public Works Yard Updates Project, which includes replacing the fleet maintenance and administration buildings. An AAP is a common process used by municipalities to seek elector approval for long term borrowing. It allows eligible electors to indicate if they are against long-term borrowing If 10 per cent or more of eligible electors submit a response form in opposition, Council must either abandon the bylaw or hold a referendum to obtain approval.
An AAP provides eligible electors with a minimum of 30 days to submit their response form noting their opposition to the borrowing instead of having to appear on one of three designated dates to express their opinion, like they would in a referendum. The Public Works Yard Updates Project AAP to seek approval to borrow up to $90 million runs from September 18 at 8:30 am until October 31 at 4:30 pm. In this instance, the City will run the AAP for the Public Works Yard Updates Borrowing Bylaw for 42 days. This provides an additional 12 days beyond what is legislatively required. Learn more about the Alternative Approval Process on the City website.
Funding the project
The City is looking to borrow up to $90 million for the Public Works Yard Updates Project but will only borrow enough to cover costs each year as the project moves forward.
Property taxes will be adjusted each year for borrowing costs. Once the borrowing is complete, and if the full amount is borrowed, the cost for the typical Nanaimo home would be $139/year or $18 per $100,000 of assessed value. Based on a typical home valued at $783,808, and a 20-year amortization at 4.58%. Rounded to the nearest dollar. Learn more about the funding in the Finance 101 section.
Choose Your 101
Like a 101-level introductory course, we'd like to introduce you to the facts about the Public Works Yard Updates Project and the potential borrowing of 90 million dollars to finance it. Let’s get started!
Got a question?
Check out the Frequently Asked Questions section to see if we can answer it there. If you have more questions, ask away by emailing EngineeringInfo@nanaimo.ca or calling us 250-754-4251, Ext 4230. If you have questions about the AAP, please email legislative.servicesoffice@nanaimo.ca or call 250-755-4405.
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Public Works and Parks Operations 101
Share Public Works and Parks Operations 101 on Facebook Share Public Works and Parks Operations 101 on Twitter Share Public Works and Parks Operations 101 on Linkedin Email Public Works and Parks Operations 101 linkCity of Nanaimo operations crews keep our city moving, and while most of the work takes place routinely (and in the background), it’s work that we all depend upon. Like breathing, we don't think about why we take in each breath, but if we go for a hard run or dive underwater, we quickly remember. Similarly, we all notice City service disruptions. If a sanitation truck goes down and a recycling pickup is missed, we take note. If a watermain breaks and water floods our neighbourhood, we notice that too. If our sewers were to back up - well, let's not think about that one.
The list goes on! City crews fix potholes, clear tree debris following a windstorm, program our traffic lights, mow our sports fields, make and place street signs, repair streetlights, brine roads to combat black ice, plow snowy roads, monitor coliform in our swimming areas, remove hazardous trees, plant beautiful gardens, sweep dirty sidewalks, trim overgrown trails, repair broken bus shelters, clear blocked culverts… operations teams keep on top of it all as quickly as they can.
When was the last time you thought about where the storm drain outside of your home leads? As long as only storm water flows into it, you don't need to think about it – the City's drainage team does that for you. Thankful for the yellow line that separates both directions of traffic on busy streets, or the street signs that mark your road for a parcel delivery? It wasn’t magic that put them there; it was the City’s Roads and Traffic crew.
In fact, there are five teams that work out of Public Works every day: Roads and Traffic, Water, Wastewater, Sanitation and Fleet Maintenance. With the Public Works Yard Updates Project, the City plans to bring some of the City's Parks crews to the yard as well, creating a more efficient use of the property.
There’s logic in bringing together the Parks and Public Works teams in this central location. The City’s Fleet Maintenance team services and repairs every piece of mechanical equipment the City has, from weed-eaters up to the arenas’ ice resurfacers, and further up to the City’s fire and recycling trucks. Fleet maintains more than 400 pieces of equipment including 200 vehicles.
The Public Works Yard Updates Project includes a new fleet maintenance facility with bays that can more efficiently accommodate the City’s largest vehicles. In 2012, the first seismic assessment of all public works buildings was completed. The fleet maintenance building scored the worst and has been flagged as a priority for replacement. It wouldn’t take much of an earthquake to knock it down. Because of this, a new fleet building is crucial as the City future-proofs the yard.
It's an unpleasant thought, to say the least, but should the fleet maintenance building become unusable, the ripple effect would be dramatic. From cancelled waste collection, to roads and parks that can’t be maintained, to arenas that would shut down because the ice can’t be resurfaced, without proper fleet repair, the City’s service delivery will become more and more limited in the aftermath of the facility’s closure. We hope the big quake never comes, but if it does, the City wants to be ready and able to respond. Besides being structurally unsound, the size, configuration and functionality of the shop does not serve the City’s modern fleet needs during even normal day-to-day activities.
The other significant component of the Public Works Yard Updates Project is a new crew & administrative building. As our community has grown over the past 30 years, the City has been bringing in temporary modular buildings to expand the original office space at the public works yard. These additions were meant to be used for a max of 20 years, and now 30 plus years later, they are still in full use. Like the fleet maintenance building, the administration building is well beyond its useful life and does not meet the needs of our growing community. Although it scored better than the fleet maintenance building, the administration building at public works also failed its seismic study and needs to be replaced.
In the meantime, the City’s Parks Operations and Public Works crews will continue to serve the community, as ready as ever to manage the infrastructure that keeps our city moving.
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Interactive Maps 101
Share Interactive Maps 101 on Facebook Share Interactive Maps 101 on Twitter Share Interactive Maps 101 on Linkedin Email Interactive Maps 101 linkCurious about the Public Works Yard and the scope of the work that Public Works and Parks crews do out in our community? Visit these two interactive maps to learn more about the crews and facilities that keep our community moving!
A Look at the Public Works Yard
Located at 2020 Labieux Road, the Public Works Yard is a long and narrow stretch of land across from Beban Park that follows alongside the railway. The very active yard is where all of the City’s fleet is maintained, infrastructure supplies are stored and disaster response is coordinated. The City's snowplows, sanitation trucks, hydro-vac truck and so many more mobilize from this yard. Tour through the map to learn more!
Public Works Yard Interactive Map
Public Works and Parks in the Community
Nanaimo’s Third Street sports corridor provides a perfect location to highlight the work and the reach of both Public Works and Parks Operations crews. From the parks, gardens and fields that the City's crews maintain, to the storm and sanitary sewer, to the many ways operations crews service our roads, there’s a lot of infrastructure in our community that we fully depend upon. Thankfully, the City's operations crews are on top of it all.
Public Works and Parks in the Community Interactive Map
Looking to learn even more about the Public Works Yard Updates Project and how it will help keep these services going? Check out the 101 rundown below or read through the Frequently Asked Questions:
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The Public Works Yard Updates Project 101
Share The Public Works Yard Updates Project 101 on Facebook Share The Public Works Yard Updates Project 101 on Twitter Share The Public Works Yard Updates Project 101 on Linkedin Email The Public Works Yard Updates Project 101 linkDesigning and creating a development plan for an active public works yard is a huge task. Visioning for the site’s necessary upgrades has been underway since some of the yard’s key buildings were determined to be high-risk during their condition and seismic inspections in 2012 and in 2018.
The original yard, built in the 1960s, looked much different than the public works yard today, but despite seismic safety concerns, these original buildings are still in full use today.
The yard today has a few more buildings than the 1960s and construction trailers have been used to expand office spaces. These portables were originally meant to be temporary, but it became necessary to not only keep them long term, but to continue adding more with our city’s growth.
When the City developed the concept for a renewed public works yard, there were a lot of considerations:
- Efficiency. Currently, the City's Parks and Public Works operations teams are spread across Nanaimo at three locations. There’s the Public Works Yard on Labieux Road, the Parks Annex on Nanaimo Lakes Road and the Parks Operations Yard on Prideaux Street. Bringing these teams together at the Labieux yard creates greater efficiencies, houses most of the operations equipment where it’s cleaned, fuelled, maintained and repaired, and ultimately brings most of the City’s operations staff (over 100 crew members) together under one roof.
- Seismic Stability. While we don’t know when, a sizeable earthquake in our region is inevitable. In 2012, the City’s public works buildings underwent their first seismic study, and their condition was assessed again in 2018. Based on these studies and assessments, and because the community really needs the City to keep its fleet operational and its staff working, a new fleet maintenance building and a new crew & administration building are the cornerstone of the Public Works Yard Updates Project. Where possible, a couple of the aging buildings in the yard will be kept, given seismic upgrades, and continue to be used for non-critical storage.
- Active Yard. It isn’t just new construction; it’s building a new facility in the midst of active daily work. Despite major construction, the City needs (and wants) to pick up garbage on collection days, brine the roads ahead of a cold snap, service sewers to keep them flowing, repair any broken watermains, and keep Nanaimo's roads clear and intersections functioning. This plan will allow crews to work while the new facilities are being constructed.
- Fleet Size. The City's fleet is large, both in numbers and, in some cases, mass. Our largest fire trucks and full-sized sanitation trucks don’t even fit in the yard's largest service bays and while the City's heavy-equipment mechanics have found some work arounds to keep these trucks in service, these work-arounds are inefficient. The City has over 400 pieces of equipment including 200 vehicles that needs to be maintained and repaired regularly in the shops at public works. The shop bays aren’t suitable to handle the over 4000 repair orders per year that come in, and they definitely aren’t ready for that number to grow with our city’s future growth.
- Staff Capacity. Currently, many of the City's public works staff work in or are based out of portable office spaces. By building a crew & admin building that is future-proof and large enough, the City will also be creating efficiency, bringing its growing teams together.
- Storm Water. The original drainage system installed under the public works yard is now end-of-life and literally crumbling away. It’s time for it to be replaced. This will be an opportunity to make modern rainwater improvements, helping to retain runoff and improve drainage quality in the face of climate change.
- Sustainability. With climate change upon us in a big way, the City is committed to balancing responsible, cost-effective design choices with those that lead to energy efficiency and a small carbon footprint. The City isn't looking to win any awards, but from lighting, to insulation, to materials used in construction, sustainable choices will be made where they make sense.
- Growth. Our community is growing very quickly and it seems to be well known that Nanaimo is a great place to live. While that means an increase in the number of resident taxpayers, it also means that demand on the City’s services will be greater over the coming years. The Public Works Yard Updates Project plans include space and development for increased staff, equipment and supplies so the City can continue to grow with the community.
- Location. Bringing together both Parks and Public Works will mean an even busier yard and the new design will help avoid any ‘traffic jams’, while keeping office staff together and away from the most active work zones. An additional entrance to the yard will help reduce congestion at both gates and in the yard’s corridors. The location of the two new buildings will also allow day-to-day work to continue while construction is underway.
- Washrooms. When the original staff building was built in the 1960s, it was built with the then current workforce (mostly men) in mind. This included a very large change room with showers and plenty of space to clean up after a day of work in the elements. The workforce has changed since then and inclusivity is important to the City of Nanaimo. Considerations for all potential staff members will be brought forward when designing washroom spaces.
- Emergency Operations. A city the size of Nanaimo is mandated by the Province to have an accessible emergency operations centre as well as a backup location. The new crew & admin building will have a multi-purpose room dedicated as a backup emergency operations and communications hub.
- End of Life Buildings vs Usable Infrastructure. While many of the on-site buildings are at their end of life, there are a few buildings built in the 1980s and 1990s that are built well enough to keep, do a few seismic upgrades to, and continue using to their full potential. These include our stores building, our truck barn and our small equipment and signs shop building. The new infrastructure at the yard is designed around this existing infrastructure.
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The Public Works Yard Updates Project – Financing 101
Share The Public Works Yard Updates Project – Financing 101 on Facebook Share The Public Works Yard Updates Project – Financing 101 on Twitter Share The Public Works Yard Updates Project – Financing 101 on Linkedin Email The Public Works Yard Updates Project – Financing 101 linkConstruction costs have escalated wildly in the past four years across Canada. While we wish we could go back in time and build this when costs were more affordable, we can at least move forward before they get higher. Here’s a look at the project, which involves borrowing up to $90 million:
Construction $48,000,000 Project Delivery* $14,000,000 Allowance for Inflation $10,000,000 Contingency $18,000,000 Maximum Borrowing $90,000,000 * Project Delivery includes costs for design, insurance, third-party utilities (hydro, telephone), permitting, etc.
It’s worth noting that these potential amounts include allowances for cost overruns and inflation, and the City will only borrow what’s needed, when needed, and will only use the funds for this project. However, we can only ask once, so we need to ensure that the amount will be sufficient.
A large project like this doesn’t happen without an impact on property taxes, but if financing is approved by the public through the AAP, then the borrowing costs will be spread out over 20 years. If the full amount is borrowed, then once borrowing is complete, the average cost per household per year will be about $139 (about $18 per $100,000 of assessed value and an average Nanaimo home value of $783,808*).
*Rounded to the nearest dollar. Tax impact based on 2024 figures and a 20 year amortization of 4.58%.
Below is a more detailed project cost breakdown (see pdf for explanation of the chart below).
Cost Type Item Estimated Cost Construction Crew and Administration Building $21,000,000 Fleet Maintenance Building $16,000,000 Storm water Treatment and Servicing $3,500,000 Site Servicing $1,500,000 Surface Works and Site Development $1,500,000 On-site Electrical Infrastructure $1,500,000 Relocate the Materials Storage Facilities $1,500,000 Road Improvements and Site Entrances $1,000,000 Site Security $500,000 Construction Sub-Total $48,000,000 Project Delivery Professional Services (Design, Legal, Admin., Inspection, Etc.)
$9,000,000
Furnishing, Fixtures, and Equipment (Inc. Fleet Maintenance Equipment)
$2,000,000
Permitting and DCCs
$1,500,000
Off-Site Work
$525,000
Third Party Utilities
$500,000
Insurance
$400,000
Move Costs
$75,000
Project Delivery Sub-Total
$14,000,000
Inflation Projected to May 2028
$10,000,000
Contingency 25% (Class D)
$18,000,000
Total Recommended Budget
$90,000,000
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Project 101 Q&As
- Why is the work needed?
- Have you done any assessments to determine what the actual need is?
- What other options were considered instead of what is proposed?
- Why aren't there detailed drawings for the project?
- If approved, what are the next steps? Has a contractor already been hired?
- Is the project just to make the buildings earthquake-proof? If so, why not just do seismic upgrades?
- Were seismic studies done on the buildings in the Public Works yard?
- Why make post-disaster rated buildings, what is the additional cost for that?
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Financing 101 Q&As
- How much is this going to cost me?
- Will the full amount be borrowed?
- Why can’t you use reserves to fund this project?
- Why can’t you put last year’s surplus towards this project? What is the difference between annual and accumulated surplus?
- How much debt does the City currently have?
- If property taxes are increased one per cent per year for contribution to the General Asset Management Reserve Fund why can’t this reserve, fund the project? What is the purpose of this reserve?
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AAP 101 Q&As
- What is this AAP about?
- Why an AAP and not a Referendum?
- How was 10 per cent of eligible electors determined?
- What is the difference between an municipal election, a referendum and an alternative approval process?
- Does the City have to deliver notifications to all residents for a referendum?
- I submitted an opposition form for the previous AAP held in January this year. I am still opposed to the borrowing for this project, do I need to submit another response form this time?
- Do I need to respond if I’m in favour of the borrowing?
- Can the AAP be cancelled while it is in progress and just move to a referendum?
- What happens if the AAP fails?
Public Works Yard Updates video
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In this video, Bill Sims (GM of Engineering & Public Works) takes us on a mini-tour of the Fleet Maintenance Building and the Crew & Administrative Building as the alternative approval process (AAP) to fund the Public Works Updates Project gets underway.
