HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-2021-4 - Protective Bollard Installation at City Hall
Staff Report
Infrastructure Services Department www.kitchener.ca
REPORT TO: City Council
DATE OF MEETING: May 17, 2021
SUBMITTED BY: Qureshi, Asad, Director, Facilities Management,
519-741-2600 ext. 4424
PREPARED BY: Chris Oke, Manager, Project Delivery
519-741-2600 ext. 4225
Lynda Stewart, Manager, Project/ Energy Management
519-741-2600 ext. 4215
Grant Egerdeen, Supervisor, Corporate Security
519-741-2600 ext. 7578
WARD(S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: May 12, 2021
REPORT NO.: INS-2021-4
SUBJECT: Protective Bollard Installation at City Hall
RECOMMENDATION:
That protective bollards be approved for installation at specified locations along the
perimeter of the City Hall block, as outlined in staff report INS-2021-4, in accordance
with public safety guidance; and,
That the protective bollard project be incorporated into the existing contract for City
Hall outdoor works to realize efficiencies and cost savings by undertaking the
Protective Bollard Project concurrently; and further,
That the existing construction contract, awarded to Heritage Restoration Inc., be
increased by $807,300, to be funded through the Gas Tax Reserve, to undertake the
protective bollard project.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
The purpose of this report is to obtain approval to proceed with the Protective Bollard
Project at City Hall based on public safety guidance.
Proceeding with this project concurrent with the City Hall Outdoor Spaces project will
results in savings of approximately $440,000
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
The overall budget for the Protective Bollard Project is $807,300 to be funded from the
Gas Tax Reserve
This report supports the delivery of core services.
BACKGROUND:
Public Safety Canada (PSC) conducts on-site risk assessments through the Regional
Resilience Assessment Program to Critical Infrastructure as identified in Canada’s
National Strategy on Critical Infrastructure.
The purpose of the National Strategy for Critical Infrastructure is to strengthen the
resiliency of critical infrastructure in Canada. The strategy works towards this goal by
setting the direction for enhancing the resiliency of critical infrastructure against current
and emerging hazards. The strategy is also based on the recognition that enhancing the
resiliency of critical infrastructure can be achieved through the appropriate combination of
security measures to address intentional and accidental incidents, business continuity
practices to deal with disruptions and ensure the continuation of essential services, and
emergency management planning to ensure adequate response procedures are in place
to deal with unforeseen disruptions and natural disasters.
As part of the City’s ongoing efforts to ensure the security and safety of property,
customers and staff, Public Safety Canada’s services were utilized for assessing City Hall.
A high priority recommendation from Public Safety Canada was to install protective
barriers around the perimeter of City Hall to mitigate any high-speed avenues of approach
from vehicles. It was noted that the existing perimeter bollards do not provide this
protection.
Protective Barriers Around City Hall:
City Hall is a prominent feature in the City of Kitchener, the focal point of local municipal
government, providing open and accessible services to residents and businesses, and
serves as a welcoming and inclusive space for the community. Carl Zehr Square makes
the space unique to the downtown area whereby it is a gathering place for premier events,
rallies, and protests as well as community recreational use.
Carl Zehr Square is currently undergoing an extensive renovation to re-vitalize City Hall
and bring people to the City centre. The square has been previously programmed as a
fountain in the summer and ice-skating rink in the winter. The new design will replace the
fountain with a splash pad in the summer for the public to enjoy. Gathering the public
closer to King Street has many advantages to provide a sense of place and community,
however the hazards increase from vehicle traffic. The new design incorporates a
reinforced concrete seat wall along the length of the splash pad to provide limited
protection from vehicles driving along King Street. Providing a safe and secure venue to
gather is paramount to keep the public trust.
While City Hall has been fortunate to not have any major vehicle incident, whether
intentional or deliberate, other critical infrastructure facilities have not. A few illustrative
examples of incidents are listed below:
In 2020, a vehicle was exploded on the road adjacent to the Waterloo Region
Courthouse. Protective bollards are in place to prevent vehicles from entering onto
the courthouse property.
In 2019, a supporter of a group of yellow vest demonstrators drove a school bus on
to the side walk near City Hall in Hamilton. As a result of this incident City of
Hamilton will install bollards around City Hall to protect people from vehicle intrusion
onto the City Hall grounds.
In 2018, an impaired driver collided with multiple parked vehicles before crashing
into the bus shelter near Union Station in Toronto. There have been at least 2 more
vehicle related incidents at Union Station in the last 2 to 3 years. One incident was
related to impaired driving and the other was after a robbery. City of Toronto has
installed jersey barriers on a temporary basis around the perimeter of several
facilities such as City Hall and Union Station until more permanent bollards can be
implemented.
In 2017, City of Edmonton experienced an attack on its citizens where a vehicle
rammed into a crowded area injuring 4 and killing a police officer.
In 2016, Kitchener Memorial Auditorium experienced a theft of an ATM machine
from a vehicle driving into the lobby of the facility.
In 2011, a car drove into the lobby of the Waterloo Region Police Headquarters, this
was later discovered to be a targeted attack.
Facilities Management engaged MTE consultants to review and provide various design
options for installing protective barriers. MTE prepared a report with multiple options and
opinion of cost, ranging from $807,300 to $4.9M. Careful consideration has been given to
balancing aesthetics and cost with safety to the public.
The preferred design option utilizes existing site features as barriers to minimize the extent
of bollards placed around the perimeter of City Hall. All bollards in this design are rated to
protect against high-speed vehicle approach and unintended vehicle access, which is
consistent with municipal applications in other jurisdictions. Attachment 1 provides photo
renderings of the bollard installation for both the King Street and Duke Street frontages.
With the current City Hall Open Spaces construction underway, an opportunity arises to
add this project as a change order to save money on procurement, re-mobilization,
concrete re-work or the complexity of managing multiple contractors on site. The
estimated cost saving to incorporate this project into City Hall Open Spaces project is
$440,000. This includes a 30% mobilization cost and a 25% concrete re-work cost if this
project is undertaken outside of the City Hall Open Spaces project. Facilities Management
and MTE have consulted with the contractor to ensure that the works can be integrated
into the construction schedule without additional time burdens to the completion of phase
one. The proposed additional bollards to protect the Duke and Young Street entrances will
be completed during phase two construction.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This report supports the delivery of core services and contributes to the security and well-
being of the public and staff.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The projected costs and proposed funding source for the installation of protective barriers
around City Hall is shown in the table below.
Item of Work Projected Funding Source
Cost
Phase 1: Carl Zehr Square, intersection of
King/College, King/Young and Bells Lane, all $576,500 Federal Gas Tax
new crash rated bollards.
Phase 2: Duke Street entrance and Young
$125,500 Federal Gas Tax
Street entrance, all new crash rated bollards.
Contingency $105,300 Federal Gas Tax
TOTAL ESTIMATED COST $807,300
The Gas Tax Reserve has a sufficient balance of $1.2M to fund the cost of the protective
barriers.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
There are no previous reports/authorities related to this matter.
APPROVED BY: Denise McGoldrick, General Manager, Infrastructure Services
Attachment 1 – Photo Renderings
Figure 1: King Street Photo Rendering
Figure 2: Duke Street Photo Rendering