42 - Sunday, July 12, 1992 —- North Shore News vio Gannon 5 & oo INQUIRING REPORTER DOCTORS THROUGHOUT B.C. are holding rotating strikes and may opt out of medicare to protest the pro- vincial government’s plans to cap their salaries. Bill 71 caps doctors’ billings at $1.27 billien this year, 4.7 per cent more than was budgeted last year. Doctors say that’s $69 million less than what is needed and that they Should doctors’ salaries be capped? > . will have to ration services if their incomes are capped. Health Minister Elizabeth Culi says doctors should con- tro! the number of patients’ visits if they are unneces- sary. She says the cap is meeded because of tough eco- nomic times which doctors will have to weather with the rest of the province. 4 Seed, Brent Roberts North Vancouver Yes. Doctors chose their career. The government has ‘‘x’’? amount of dollars to spend and capping salaries may be a necessity. Eric Lock North Vancouver 1 think they should be capped but 1 also think they have the right to protest and to be repre- sented before a bill is passed. : Noreen Tyler West Vancouver No. You can’t pul a price tag on a person's life. [f people need to see a doctor, they need to see a doctor. But I think the general public should exercise discretion. Barrie Street North Vancouver Doctors’ salaries should only be capped if a testeiction is imposed on every profession and corporation, especially directors. It seems vin- dictive to single out one Iris Cunningham Nozth Vancouver I agree with a cap. In times of recession, we're all capped. Everybody's salary is connected to the economy in some way. - Doctors need to be as aware of the economic Situation as everyone group of people. else. NV District hall receives $8.2M overhaul | Departments moved to temporary facilities during renovation project THIRTY-FIVE years after opening its doors to municipal taxpayers, the North’ Vancouver District municipal hall, 355 West Queens Rd., is undergoing a multi-million-dollar facelift. Richard Plunkett, district direc- tor of planning and development, said the $8.2-million renovation project, which started in April and is expected to be completed in December 1993, will result in im- proved service and easier access for municipal hall visitors. By Surj Rattan News Reporter completed, said Plunkett, the public will be able to find any municipal department easier than But some district departments - they can now. have had to leave the municipal hall and move into a temporary location near Lions Gate Hospital while the renovations are taking place. : The planning ard development services departments, which in- clude planning, social planning, land, permits and licences, are now located ai 253 East 14th St., the former offices of the North Shore Union Board of Health. Plunkett said the planning and development services departments will stay at the new location for the next 1% years. And although the temporary offices are located in North Van- ‘couver City, the building is of- ficially known as the North Van- couver District annex. The municipal hall was original- ly built in 1957 and was extended in 1972 and again in 1982. Plunkett said district staff have now outgrown the building. He added that the district cur- rently has a staff of about 170 who work out of the municipal hall, and, according to exisiting building standards, that is 34 people more than the district is allowed to have in the current building. : “This building has not been user ~friendly, The prime con- sideration was to make this build-° ing friendly to the public. I think when it is finished it will be a masterpiece,” said Plunkett. The expansion includes a 25,000-square-foot L-shaped ad- dition that will be located between the hall’s south wing and its ad- - ministration wing and east parking lot. . Plunkett said one of the expan- sion’s main features will be a cen- tral atrium area that will house all. service departments. Once that is “Right now we have people walking up and down the hails who are: literally lost. They can’t find the right department, and they can’t find their way out,’’ said Plunkett. the municipal hall's conputer system. The construction project has been divided into two phases. The first phase has already been ap- proved by council. Approval for phase two wiis be considered dur- ing the 1993 budget debate. Other changes planned in the expansion include added meeting rooms for citizen advisory com- mittees, a2 new main public en- trance and lobby and the provi- sion of a post-earthquake disaster command centre. In addition, the project will: @ improve access between fluvors ‘for the physically disabled; @ upgrade the building to mect fire code standards and include wy NEWS photo Me Wakefield WORK ON an $3.2 mililon expansion project has begun at the North Vancouver District municipal hall. Meanwhile, the district's planning and development services departments have temporari- ly relocated to the former North Shore Union Board of Health of- fices on West 14in Street in North Vancouver City. A second feature will be the ex- panded council chambers and foyer area. “We just can’t accommodate the public in the council chambers right now. The whole outer area of the council chambers will be glass-encased. We're trying to in- crease the public’s awareness of the council,’’ said Plunkett. In addition to the $8.2 million renovation project, Plunkett said the district is also involved with 2 $10-million administration update that is geared towards improving the installation of a sprinkler system; ® provide new mechanical and electrical systems to meet exisiting and future needs; @ improve energy efficiency in the building; - @ increase working space for staff. .Piunkett said the current work- ing space capacity is 151 square feet per person, while the recom- mended standard is 175 to 225 square feet per person. ‘*We have 35,000 square feet right now, and we'll be adding on another 30,000 square feet,’’ said Plunkett. Vancouver-based Busby Bridger Architects prepared the concept, design and working drawings on the municipali hall expansion. The general contractor is Marbella heritage tree next to the hall’s cast parking lot will be left standing. “When the hall was built, it had to be built around that huge tree. We wanted to keep this site in a residential area, and we are one of the few municipal halls to be'located in a residential area,” Pacific Construction West. Plunkett atso noted that a huge said Plunkett. NORTH SHORE AUCTIONS (A divisior: of Semiahmoo Auctions Ltd.) ANTIQUE, COLLECTIBLE & FINE FURNITURE SALE FEATURING ... 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