New Operations Facility

Snow equipment stands at the ready for Old Man Winters inevitable onslaught

On Saturday, October 22nd more than 300 guests converged on the new City of Leduc Operations facility, located in the north-east end of the city at 4300-56 Avenue.  Following a few official speeches introducing the building and its concepts and a plentiful BBQ that had been planned for as many as 500, guests were encouraged to tour the facility, and many commented on its bright and spacious design that is sure to boost team morale.
 Encompassing the offices, shops and equipment that were preciously housed in three separate buildings constructed in the mid-fifties, the Operations Facility is the last core piece of infrastructure to be replaced, following the Multi-Services building located on 50th Street in the City’s southern downtown core, and the impressive Civic Centre, a beautiful feat of modern and tasteful architecture.  This facility is also grand in its design and size, a building that will serve our city well for the next few generations…
 Quoting a document written by the City of Leduc’s Director of Public Services, Rick Sereda, and shared during the opening Ceremonies, the new facility was built following modern guidelines for ‘green technology’: “We are proud of our accomplishments,” wrote Mr. Sereda.  “LEED (Leaders in Environmental & Energy Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system, and although we did not apply for LEED certification, our new Operations Facility was designed and built using LEED strategies intended to improve performance in metrics such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts to our environment.  We believe that we would have achieved silver status. Here is a bit of what we did:
•  The use of natural light through the use of translucent light panels around the upper part of the structure will reduce the requirement for overhead lighting.
•  The use of durable building materials will prolong the building’s life expectancy and reduce operating costs over the life of the building.
•  Collection of rainwater and water-efficient landscaping will meet irrigation requirements.
•  Waterless urinals and low-flush toilets will reduce water usage. 
•  The new salt and sand storage facility is compliant with environmental regulations and designed to eliminate potential salt contamination of surrounding areas.
•  Light pollution is reduced by shielding all exterior lights and locating interior lights to reduce glare and light dispersion.  It is also of note that the parking lot lights represent the municipality’s first use of LED lights which we expect to significantly reduce energy consumption and reduce maintenance requirements.”
 Next year the City of Leduc hopes to be doing its first pilot project of LED lights for street lighting. 
 A cheerful lobby greets visitors, where two congenial ladies, Dianne and Laurie, job share happily.  A tour was offered by Marc Quinton, coordinator of Vehicle Maintenance, whose enthusiasm for his position and the new facility is evident: the four full-time mechanics share the responsibility for the city’s firetrucks, ambulances, Zambonis (the City owns four of them!), by-law enforcement cars, snow removal equipment and road maintenance vehicles.  Two days before the grand Opening event of October 22nd, a brand new sander/plow truck was delivered: this 2011 single-axle International truck, equipped with a front-mounted snow plow and slide-in sander in the back, is replacing a 1985 model of the same brand that has served well, and was ready to be retired.  This new addition to the City’s fleet, potentially being used as a water truck, will be used all-year round.
 This new truck is parked with others in Building A, the main and largest building that also houses Engineering, Facilities, GIS (Geographic Information System) and Transit. Salt and Sand are stored on a ‘paved’ floor in Building C, seasonal trucks are stored in Building B that also includes a lean-to for year-round exterior vehicle storage and paint and chemical storage, and seasonal equipment such as Christmas lights and summer planters are stored in Building D.  All four buildings were built simultaneously by PCL, a huge undertaking with a price tag of $13.5 million. Due to its location, this Operations Facility will reduce the volume of heavy equipment through park and residential areas.
 The functional design of this building is quite impressive, from the large change rooms to the bright and spacious kitchen/training room, the welding room, carpentry room and the huge equipment storage spaces. The vehicle maintenance bay is quite large as well, seemingly able to contain more than five vehicles at once.  Along with the vehicle storage bays, it is kept in the winter at a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius to ensure all vehicles are operational in severe weather”.  Being serviced, the city’s vac truck sat proudly, a vehicle that not only can perform its vacuum duties, but can also assist in digging deep holes through the ejection of high-pressure water and sucking of flying dirt and gravel. 
 All in all, this new facility is another jewel in the City of Leduc’s crown.  Its visual appeal and internal comforts, its smart design and practical space will make the Public Services team members even more proud of their work than ever before.