The choice of brand-new council office furnishings was on the table, with a delightful array of options for councillors to decide upon.

The Council Services Committee approved $150,000 for the purchase of new furnishings for all 14 ward offices during a meeting on Dec. 10. The vote was 4-2, with Couns. Raj Dhaliwal and Dan McLean voting against.  Couns. Jennifer Wyness, Rob Ward, Kim Tyers, and Myke Atkinson voted in favour.

The base option came with two potential layouts, plus a meeting area option, each in exquisite finishes of Essential Oak, Craft Walnut, or Smoked Oak. There was also an option for a lounge area (drinks not included).

This base package would all be covered under a budget-approved lifecycle fund in the City of Calgary’s facilities maintenance budget, according to Susan Robinson, manager of building infrastructure.

“The purpose and the intent of the standardized suite of furniture is to provide a standard and equitable suite for all councillors’ offices to ensure compliance with corporate ergonomic obligations for health and safety,” she told the committee.

“Standardized furniture simplifies maintenance and repairs and improves turnaround times. It enables flexibility to move or relocate furniture as needed to support building maintenance activities or emergencies, achieves cost efficiencies and consistency by streamlining procurement and inventory management, maintains a professional, cohesive look while upgrading the aging furniture, and that all furniture purchased will remain property of the city.”

Of course, councillors with a flair for office design that matches their modest-yet-upscale professional taste could opt for more expensive ensembles like the Teknion-Dossier or the Technion Chronicle packages, valued at between $30,000 and $40,000. These options would have to be funded from ward office budgets and take up to 20 weeks for delivery.

Robinson said that upon approval, they would meet with individual councillors to determine their needs and whether the councillors would use the base suite furniture or if they wanted to find their own.

“We want to be very upfront in saying that we understand and respect that different councillors have different furniture that they like and they want to keep, and we are happy to support that, but we’re looking to purchase all of this furniture in one batch so we get the efficiencies of the cost and we’re able to store it and replace it as needed,” she said.  

“In future years, we’ll work with each individual councillor to make sure that their suite works for them and their needs.”

‘I did that all for $4,000’: Coun. McLean

Robinson noted that the expected lifecycle of the suites, purchased through McCrum’s Office Furnishings in Calgary, would be between 20 and 25 years. It is all industrial furniture.

The contract comes with lifetime warranties, and McCrum’s will come in for repairs and maintenance on the furniture, as needed, during its lifecycle, Robinson said.

Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean said that when he originally took office in 2021, it was going to take months for him to get furniture, so he sourced his own. He boasted that he’s not cheap, he’s frugal.

“I went on my own, and then my whole office was – a lot of people seem to like it, it’s laid out real nice,” he said.

“I did that all for $4,000, so this is a kind of… and then I had to fight for a long time with council services to pay for it.”

McLean wondered why, if he could outfit an office for $4,000, why was it $10,000 per office through the City of Calgary?

“I don’t have a problem with replacing worn-out or outdated furniture. I think it’s just mandating it at what seems like a huge price,” he said.

“I think the public is looking at the optics, and I think a lot of them have got inquiries saying, ‘why do you need $10,000 for a desk?’ The taxpayers’ always very, very diligent and watching what we do.”

Ward 12 Coun. Rob Ward, who confessed that he did a stint in office furnishings at one point in his life, said it’s good quality at a good price.

“Yeah, it can get expensive to replace office furniture when it’s cheap stuff,” he said.  

“I never love spending $10,000 on an office, but if we’re at life cycle and this is going to provide savings long term, I think it’s a good move.”