CARSTAIRS - Town council has approved upgrades to the council chambers and the town hall boardroom totalling $62,000. The move came during the recent regularly scheduled council meeting.
The upgrades to the council chambers include a 98” commercial display monitor, high conference system microphones, in-ceiling speakers, tabletop touchscreen controller, keyboard controller, 120 watt power amplifier, as well as labour costs to install, program, test and train.
Upgrades to the boardroom include video conferencing kits, tabletop HDMI input plate and 60 watt power amplifier.
The upgrades are needed to allow for better zoom conferences and other meetings in the council chambers and board rooms, says chief administrative officer Rick Blair.
Asset management policy updated
In other news from the recent council meeting, councillors approved several updates to the asset management policy, which now includes having the town consider social and environmental impacts of asset management decisions.
The stated intent of asset management (AM) policy is to “maximize benefits, manage risks and provide satisfactory levels of service to the community in a sustainable manner.”
An asset is any item, thing or entity that has potential or actual value to an organization. The value can be tangible or intangible and financial or non-financial.
Asset management means an “integrated process, bringing together skills, expertise and activities of people, with information about a community’s physical assets, and finances so that decision can be made, supporting sustainable delivery."
A change to the policy includes a new scope, stating, “This policy applies to all employees and elected officials directly or indirectly involved with the management of existing and new physical assets such as roads, sidewalks, bridges, transit, water mains, sewers, storm water ponds, pump stations, reservoirs, treatment plants, fleet, technology systems, buildings, parks, arts and trees.”
The updated policy also includes a new long-term sustainability and resilience section, which states, in part: “The town’s asset management decision-making will consider the needs of both current and future generations and the potential challenges associated with changing community demographics and expectations related to service deliver, as well as potential modifications to legislative requirement.
“The town will consider the triple bottom line, including social, environmental and economic impacts when make a strategic asset management decision.”
