City bill nearly doubles for routine floor replacement

A routine flooring replacement at Lloydminster’s Park Centre at Bud Miller All-Seasons Park turned up an unwelcome discovery, asbestos hidden beneath the red skate floor.

The find was reported to council’s Governance and Priorities Committee Monday as part of a City Manager Contingency Reserve update covering unexpected expenses in the first quarter of 2026.
The flooring project was budgeted at $40,000. Once work began and the asbestos was discovered, abatement added another $30,000 – bringing the total to $70,000.

Ryan Hill, who presented the reserve update, told council the additional cost was entirely the result of the abatement requirement.

“The asbestos abatement was discovered once they started doing the actual flooring project,” Hill said. “That full increase is just due to the actual asbestos abatement.”

Coun. Justin Vance asked whether the fireplace removal and planter work at the Park Centre were part of the same budget line. A city staff member clarified those elements were completed using existing city labour and fell within general operating costs.

The Park Centre flooring replacement was one of three unexpected items covered through the City Manager Reserve in Q1 2026. The others were a cost increase of $371 on a John Deere mower tender that came in just over budget, and additional environmental sampling costs related to the Wastewater Treatment Plant Sludge
Management Facility conceptual plan after elevated hydrocarbons were detected.

Hill confirmed no replenishment of the reserve is required at this time.

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