ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT


                                                        Date: July 18, 1996


     TO:       Vancouver City Council

     FROM:     General Manager of Corporate Services

     SUBJECT:  Overhaul of Elevators in City Hall



     RECOMMENDATION

          THAT Council approve funding in the amount of $200,000 to
          overhaul the public elevators in City Hall with funds advanced
          from the 1994-96 Capital Budget and recovered from the 1997-99
          Basic Capital Budget.


     COUNCIL POLICY

     Council is the approval body for capital projects over $50,000. 

     PURPOSE

     This report seeks approval of a capital project to overhaul the public
     elevators in City Hall.  These elevators have, of late, been prone to
     failure at great inconvenience to the general public and staff alike.


     BACKGROUND

     Council approved funds in the 1994-96 Capital Plan for various office
     renovation/upgrading projects in City Hall, the East Wing and the
     former VanCity building.  A project to overhaul the public elevators
     in City Hall was not one of those projects.

     Given the need to advance the overhaul work, which will be included as
     a recommendation to Council in the 1997-99 Capital Plan, staff are
     requesting the project be approved with an advance from unexpended
     1994-96 Capital Funds.




     DISCUSSION

     The two public elevators at City Hall are as old as the building
     itself.  The elevators have been periodically reconditioned and
     maintained on a regular schedule but their reliability in the past
     year or so has deteriorated to a point where a major overhaul of both
     units is necessary.

     Continuation of the existing situation will result in lost time and
     inconvenience to staff and the general public, and reflect a poor
     image of City Hall around our Better City Government initiative.

     Repairs will be undertaken during the summer and will continue for a
     period of 16 weeks, with one elevator taken out of service and
     overhauled and then the other.

     Although bids on the project are yet to be received and the contract
     awarded, our preliminary estimate of the overhaul costs is in the
     range of $200,000, including consultant's fees and taxes.



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