DND spends $374,000 to renovate offices of two top officials

[PMedMoe]

Seems like Gregory Thomas of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is really after MacKay.

>> link removed IAW Mike's direction <<

 

[Jed]

Kind of makes the 30K spent on the Ozon's room at the the Petawawa Mess in the early 90's seem like small potatoes.

 

[armyvern]

Kind of makes the 30K spent on the Ozon's room at the the Petawawa Mess in the early 90's seem like small potatoes.

Mess room renos = NOT taxpayers money, rather paid for Mess members money. Just need to point that out before the media viewing this thread feel the need to run and file ATI requests to see how much has been spent on Mess renovations.

 

[Journeyman]

$3.74K for renos for 2 x Senior Exec plus a support staff of seven, including a secure conference room (possibly, although not likely TEMPEST).

"Tempest" -- that's the word I was looking for -- "tempest in a tea cup."    :boring:

 

[Edward Campbell]

Reminds me a bit of the (in my opinion) slanderous attacks made in a (little read) book called Tarnished Brass about the renovations referred to as being made to that office in 1992.

I have not been near the DM's office since the mid 1990s, but then, just after the renovations which so horrified a journalist, it was less lavish than the suites of one of two other deputy ministers which I had also visited and far, far less palatial than the offices of a few senior business executives with which I was also familiar.

Office renovations on the 13th floor of Fort Fumble are expensive, in part, because the work has to be done in a manner which causes minimal disruption to the (important) work that is being done up there. I hope that only high quality furnishings and decor were used because some really important people come to visit Mr. Fonberg and part of their impression of the quality of Canada and DND and the CF is how they perceived the DM's office.

 

[Journeyman]

Just need to point that out before the media viewing this thread feel the need to run and file ATI requests....

Spelled "Ozon's" they'd never find it  >

 

[dapaterson]

$3.74K for renos for 2 x Senior Exec plus a support staff of seven, including a secure conference room (possibly, although not likely TEMPEST).

"Tempest" -- that's the word I was looking for -- "tempest in a tea cup."    :boring:

Journeymath: $3.74K = $3,740.  Whereas $374K = $374,000.  A slight difference.


Depending on the nature of the renos it may not be excessive.  However, the timing suggests a bit of a tin ear.

 

[armyvern]

Spelled "Ozon's" they'd never find it  >

He's young (I hope). 

But yes Willie, this is all Much Ado About Nothing.

 

[Journeyman]

Journeymath: $3.74K = $3,740. 

  :facepalm:

I guess that's you get paid the big loggie bucks.......

 

[Scott]

:boring:

Seconded.

Peter's wedding had them lay off for a while but it also reminded some that he was still there and/or they had ATI requests pending.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Reminds me a bit of the (in my opinion) slanderous attacks made in a (little read) book called Tarnished Brass about the renovations referred to as being made to that office in 1992.

I have not been near the DM's office since the mid 1990s, but then, just after the renovations which so horrified a journalist, it was less lavish than the suites of one of two other deputy ministers which I had also visited and far, far less palatial than the offices of a few senior business executives with which I was also familiar.

Office renovations on the 13th floor of Fort Fumble are expensive, in part, because the work has to be done in a manner which causes minimal disruption to the (important) work that is being done up there. I hope that only high quality furnishings and decor were used because some really important people come to visit Mr. Fonberg and part of their impression of the quality of Canada and DND and the CF is how they perceived the DM's office.

Bit in yellow, methinks, isn't a fair comparison because companies can do what they want with their money based on what owners and/or shareholders can live with, as opposed to the Canadian tax dollar used here.

Otherwise, good points.

 

[Jed]

He's young (I hope). 

But yes Willie, this is all Much Ado About Nothing.

Ah, Young at heart, anyway. 

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Here is a link to an CBC article on the renovations, including a copy of the briefing note on the renovations that was released to the CBC under the Freedom of Information Act. 

 

[Gunner98]

His office had not been renovated since 1992? I know hundreds of DND people that work in a former hospital that has undergone only minor renovations since the 60's.  Their offices are former operating rooms, ward and private rooms, remove the beds and medical equipment and shazman you can get another 15-20 years use out of the building.  Many offices still have the bathrooms, showers, bathtubs and sinks associated with their original intent.  Original tiles and oxygen connectors remain in the former Operating Rooms and Critical Care rooms that have been re-purposed as offices.

 

[Grapeshot]

The briefing note used to justify the project was a joke. Based on what has been published, it looks like contract splitting was done! However, I'm sure that the DM had the authority to both order the renovations and sign the contract. After all,  the Financial Administration Act would not apply as he is too important.

 

[CountDC]

;D  couldn't access the link on the CBC site as security says it falls in the category of Pornography/Adult Content.

as for the renovations - security issues makes me wonder if some of the renovations involved  a "vault".  Converence room with various security features such as sound proofing, electronic blocking and a bank vault door. 

 

[The Bread Guy]

;D  couldn't access the link on the CBC site as security says it falls in the category of Pornography/Adult Content.

Scribd.com, the document-sharing site where the Briefing Note is posted, tends to get firewalled on GoC computers, but I don't think it's because of naughty content.

 

[dapaterson]

The briefing note used to justify the project was a joke. Based on what has been published, it looks like contract splitting was done! However, I'm sure that the DM had the authority to both order the renovations and sign the contract. After all,  the Financial Administration Act would not apply as he is too important.

Hmm.  PWGSC did the work on DND's behalf and would have issued all the contracts.  If you look closely, they indicate that contract limits meant they couldn't compress the schedule as much as they wanted to - so they did respect the FAA.

Given that it's a secure area, it means that all contractors would have required security clearances.  Oddly enough, most general labourers don't have security clearances, meaning the ones that do are more expensive to hire.  Even once you hire contractors with clearances, you are still required to provide on-site physical supervision of them - so that's additional costs.

The news reports have stated that secure conference facilities were installed.  I am not an expert in the field, but I do know that creating EMSEC zones does not come cheap.

Finally, and unfortunately, Ottawa is a government town.  All the contractors (in every field) know almost to the dollar what they can charge for their work, and there's little incentive to compete on price.  Indeed, if you ever want a furnished apartment in Ottawa you'll discover that they all cost exactly the same amount - which, oddly enough, is exactly what the government pays for people on IR...

As I stated before, the timing of this was less than ideal.  But this was not merely rearranging a few cubicles - there were walls to move, security considerations, costs for the temporary relocation of those involved...while it makes for good, outraged headlines, I suspect a review by the OAG would be rather boring and anticlimactic.

 

[dapaterson]

Scribd.com, the document-sharing site where the Briefing Note is posted, tends to get firewalled on GoC computers, but I don't think it's because of naughty content.

I suspect it's blocked (a) to prevent John Q Public Servant from uploading confidential documents and (b) to keep John Q Public Servant from reading the really meaty stuff that other departments accidentally let out...

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Here are JPEG images of the 3 briefing note: