Mun. of Argyle building talk in "very preliminary stages"

By Eric Bourque

THE VANGUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

Those who had a chance to view the Municipality of Argyle’s budget documents for 2008-09 may have noticed an item in the capital budget, under “expenditures,” listed as Pre-Design Study (Municipal Administration Building).

The amount showing on the corresponding budget line for 2008-09 is $25,000.

The amount budgeted for the same item in the 2007-08 budget was $20,000, which was not spent, and it’s uncertain whether much more will happen on the issue in the 2008-09 fiscal year.

While officials recognize that the Municipality of Argyle’s administrative office building in Tusket is getting old and has its limitations, there are no plans – at least not now – for a major renovation of the existing structure or for having the offices and staff relocated to another facility.

The matter came up during a recent council meeting that was part of the municipality’s budgetary process.

At that session Alain Muise, the municipality’s chief administrative officer – who was going over the budget details with council – said the issue of the municipal building is at the “very preliminary stage.”

Nothing is expected to happen before this fall’s municipal elections.

Aside from housing the municipality’s administrative offices, the Tusket building recently was chosen as the new home for the municipality’s emergency operations centre, which required quite a bit of space.

The building gets particularly stretched when the municipality has summer staff.

A report on the building was conducted at least a decade or so ago – looking at issues like how to accommodate a growing staff, how to make the facility more accessible etc. – and the municipality decided to start putting money aside with an eye towards perhaps the eventual renovation of the existing building or the development of a new site.

No decision has been made as to the direction the municipality will end up taking.

The Municipality of Argyle has operated out of the same location – a former school – since 1976.

The Tusket courthouse used to serve as the municipality’s administrative home.