Replacing a communications tower might fall into operational duties, but Saanich council plans to maintain some control over the one at PKOLS.
Staff sought to pursue the design and construction services for the tower at the end of its service life at an operational level, without council input, explained chief administrative officer Brent Reems.
The replacement project is being overseen by Saanich staff from the Lands and Parks Division and will be implemented at an operational level.
That would eliminate a need to come back before council, which would avoid potential delay that could jeopardize the timeline to schedule the work. New federal regulations require updates to that tower by the end of 2024, Reems noted.
Those new regulations happen to align with the maintenance schedule of the 50-year-old tower that was already in the works and budget.
When the project started, it was quickly apparent replacement in the current location would cause significant environmental damage – including tree removal – and expense, Reems told council.
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The staff report noted the district has consulted with groups such as the Friends of Mount Doug, whose member Darrell Wick raised concerns over a “push for expediency at the risk of proper public input,” in a letter to council.
That in itself was enough to raise concern for Coun. Susan Bryce. “Not that I don’t recognize this is primarily an operational exercise, my concern was that the individual that raised the concerns with us was mentioned as representing a group that was involved in the discussion,” she said.
Council approved the request for proposals during its Oct. 30 meeting, adding a caveat that there be a check-in before final approval of the designs.
“I think we just heard tonight how important this location is to the public, we’ve heard some concerns about it,” said Coun. Colin Plant. “I trust staff implicitly all the time so this isn’t about undermining staff. It’s about who’s making the decision at the end of the day. At the end of the day, I think this council should.”
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The majority of council agreed with that sentiment while two did not.
Coun. Karen Harper pointed out the tower is a key part of the CREST – regional emergency communications – infrastructure and there’s a deadline to meet.
“This is really about delegating this authority to the chief administrative officer and I approve generally of delegating things that are already in the budget,” Harper said.
Coun. Zac de Vries reiterated the tower is at the end of its life, and the federal requirements likely have siting and design implications.
“This item is so operational, so regulatory driven there’s almost no room for changes, other than what I think’s already been prioritized,” de Vries said.
Both Harper and de Vries opposed the final decision to have council approve the design.