Quesnel City Council is backing away from a full scale replacement of the old Chamber projectors with a digital system.
Council originally budgeted for 25 thousand dollars but the five bids that it received ranged from 47 to 68 thousand dollars.
Councillor Martin Runge…
“I actually think we just actually defer this into a future time. I think the cost is much higher than expected for just those monitors at this time, and I wouldn’t want to take it out of Council initiatives but it could become a budget item next year.”
The project involves installing TV’s pointing out towards the gallery so people could better see what’s on the agenda.
It also included a TV in the lobby outside of Council Chambers and new digital monitors for the Mayor and Councillors as well.
Councillor Scott Elliott also couldn’t justify the cost…
“For me I can see the benefits to having these things here but when we look around our Council Chambers at typical meetings there is no one here to watch the TVs so at this point in time I think I would defer it to the next budget and then we can reassess.”
The vote to defer it to the 2020 budget was unanimous but perhaps not the entire project.
Mayor Bob Simpson successfully lobbied for staff to get the cost of just the TV for the lobby…
“That TV in the foyer, the envisioning of that would be to catch the pictures that were removed from here, former Councils, former Mayors, some of the community history and can also be used for a notice board, notice of public meetings, notice of public consultation etc…so if Council is interested in that, I believe what we’ve told is the switch to then incorporate it into what we do here could be made part of it, it could be made switch capable, because the intention was to have that.”
Council, at the request of Councillor Ron Paull, also voted to cost out a TV for the main lobby downstairs as well.
The vote was 4-3 in favour with Mayor Simpson and Councillors Elliott and Runge opposed.