Special Board of Aldermen Public Hearing Page 21
get far more money and those like myself who have to pay those benefits. It’s important to note.
One other point | wanted to make is on the debt service on page 18. | don’t have a specific question
except that the city bought what | call a “white elephant” on Burke Street. The white elephant on
Burke Street — | forgot how much it cost. There was a white elephant on Burke Street a year ago and
it’s still a white elephant on Burke Street today. Mayor what did we pay for that building and save that
money into this debt service, and what do you expect to do with this white elephant on Burke Street
and what are the renovation costs on the white elephant on Burke Street? All of that is bonded
money.
Mayor Donchess
It’s not the cost of renovating Burke Street are not in this budget. | think the brief answer is that the
city pay $4.2 million based upon Mayor Lozeau’s recommendation. To accomplish the acquisition of
land to enable a treatment plant expansion when that becomes necessary and to potentially renovate
the garage and office building. | forget what the rest of the question was but that’s how much we paid
and the city is examining the costs. It’s turned out to be a lot more than was estimated at the time.
We’re trying to get the cost down but as was presented to the Budget Committee the other night, the
costs that’s been projected by one architect at least is in the range of $49 million for the office and for
at that point a tear down and a construction of a new Public Works garage.
Fred Teeboom
Now that’s the problem. He said he hasn’t been in this business very long. I’ve been looking at this
stuff for 20 years. When you look at this, you’ve got to do some planning. When you get to this point
of this budget book which is hundreds of pages, a lot have gone into that. You're talking about
buying a building $4 million — you said $49 million to renovate?
Mayor Donchess
The $4 million is in here but none of the other money is there because that hasn’t been approved.
Fred Teeboom
Right. What are you going to do with it? Are you going to spend $49 million and is that going to wind
up in this debt service item from five years from now we'll stand around and say oh the budget is so
tight. It’s so tight. What are you doing about the building?
Mayor Donchess
| don’t Know what’s going to happen with the project.
102 BOARD OF ALDERMEN
103 LEGAL DEPARTMENT
107 CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
109 CIVIC AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
111 HUMAN RESOURCES
113 BENEFITS
