Despite City Staff recommendations, Victoria City Council voted to put the remaining steel from the Johnson Street Bridge legacy rails forward for public art use.
City director of engineering, Fraser Work, had recommended differently. He and City staff wanted the steel put up for public bid for any use with an B次元官网网址渁s is, where isB次元官网网址� caveat. The steel was dismantled from the Johnson Street Rail Bridge in 2011, and a small portion of it was retained for possible future use in a public art display. Since then itB次元官网网址檚 been sitting in the CityB次元官网网址檚 Public Works Yard.
The steel presents a hazardous problem: itB次元官网网址檚 coated in toxic lead paint, something that was standard practice up until the 80B次元官网网址檚. Works and City staff said they wanted to have as B次元官网网址渇air and transparentB次元官网网址� a process as possible to whoever ended up buying it.
RELATED:
Coun. Jeremy Loveday asked why staff didnB次元官网网址檛 want the steel to be set aside for itB次元官网网址檚 original purpose: public art.
City Solicitor Tom Zworski cited liability problems.
B次元官网网址淭he difficulty with city dictating or being part of the decision on how the steel is used, is that the city then retains a certain degree of responsibility,B次元官网网址� Zworski said.B次元官网网址� It would require remediation of lead paint on steel, but also ensuring itB次元官网网址檚 structurally suitable for the purpose.B次元官网网址�
| Remnants of the Johnson Street Rail Bridge have been in the City Works Yard since 2011. The steel is coated in toxic lead paint, and City staff wanted it sold with an "as is, where is" policy. (City of Victoria) |
Work said that if City staff were to remove the paint it would cost around $15,000.
B次元官网网址�$15,000 is an estimate on just the rough order cost to do the work,B次元官网网址� Work said. B次元官网网址淚t doesnB次元官网网址檛 include structural assessment, or how it will affect other projects and their timelines.B次元官网网址�
In the 2018 budget the City set aside $250,000 for public art, earmarked specifically for the two artists in residence. Currently one of the artists, Luke Ramsey, has a large claim on the contingency for the use of an upcoming orca piece constructed out of metal surfboards, intended for the triangular meridian near the Janion building.
RELATED:
When asked just how much of the $250,000 would be used for this instillation, director of finance Susanne Thomson said that the total bill had not come in yet, so she wasnB次元官网网址檛 sure if the entire contingency would be used or not.
Coun. Ben Isitt put forward an idea to try to raise money for the remediation of the steel, suggesting that portions of the bridge could be sold to people seeking a memento of the old bridge.
B次元官网网址淚 think people would be happy having [a piece] the size of a BB pellet,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hey would probably bay $5-10 for a gram of steelB次元官网网址�. and I would presume weB次元官网网址檇 get applications in the hundreds.B次元官网网址�
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps disagreed with the idea, saying when the new bridge opened sheB次元官网网址檇 expected 500 people, and that 10,000 showed up.
B次元官网网址淧robably thousands would want a piece, and then we chop it all up and thereB次元官网网址檇 be none left for public art,B次元官网网址� Helps said, adding that if any was left after an art installation was put up the idea could be considered.
In the end, Coun. Loveday put forward a motion to put the steel forward for purchase only for the use of public art.
B次元官网网址淢y fear is that if we put this out to the tender, a scrap metal company may have money to bid right now, and an artist may not,B次元官网网址� he said.
Council agreed, adding amendments that the intended use be for the public realm, and that the art piece stay in the City of Victoria.
B次元官网网址淚 know it would be easier for staff to dispose of the steel in the regular procurement process, but thereB次元官网网址檚 too much public interest,B次元官网网址� Helps said. B次元官网网址淪taff outlines very clearly financial implications and risk implications, but our job is to mix information from staff with that from the community.B次元官网网址�
Helps noted that, since the steel had been in the yard since 2011, this wasnB次元官网网址檛 a time-sensitive issue and could be something to consider for the 2019 budget.
