West Shore Mayors in View Royal, Colwood and Langford have been informed that the Project Validation Report for the proposed West Shore RCMP facility expansion has been delayed.
The Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) team, charged with project oversight for the proposed expansion, reports that delays stem from the RCMP requirement to redact sensitive design information from the 1,000-page report.
The team advised that they have a professional obligation to ensure any information that is to be shared with the owners group meets the RCMP’s security clearance threshold.
They did not provide an updated timeline for delivery of the delayed report.
Colwood respects the need to protect security regarding the design and operational features of a police facility. However, it is unclear why a succinct summary of key project impacts with the total cost and category breakdowns cannot be provided.
Quote from Colwood Mayor Doug Kobayashi:
“We have one chance to get this right," said Kobayashi. "There is only one taxpayer, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to review and address the full, detailed information necessary for us to make an informed decision."
The municipalities have a duty to their citizens to identify any project risks and ensure that the $87.5M allocated for this project ($103M total with contingencies) is fully validated and will best support public safety on the growing West Shore.
The City’s hope is that the Validation Report, once received, will address many of the remaining questions.
The IPD team has expressed concern regarding the ability to meet borrowing timelines in the absence of owner validation. It is important to emphasize that delays are due to the current lack of transparent, non-sensitive financial and risk information rather than from any unwillingness on the part of the Owners to proceed.
"Our core responsibility is to our residents," said Kobayashi. "We are not prepared to put them or the municipality at risk over a lack of due diligence.”
To ensure Colwood makes informed and responsible borrowing decisions on behalf of its residents, the City has engaged the services of Mr. Jonathan Huggett to undertake the necessary independent investigative due diligence. Step one is to gather details about the status of the validation report to see if efficiencies can be found to meet the security clearance requirements. A report on the findings of the investigation will be presented at an upcoming Colwood Council meeting.
Colwood is committed to making an informed decision that advances essential community safety infrastructure and supports RCMP operations, officer safety, and community protection for the next generation.
-- 30 --
Media contact
Sandra Russell, Communications Manager
srussell@colwood.ca
Find this release online at www.colwood.ca/News
Subscribe for Colwood news at www.colwood.ca/Subscribe
Follow @CityofColwood on facebook, instagram and youtube