Council approved, by resolution, a host of capital works and purchases for 2017, chief among them, the downtown repaving of Third Avenue from Five Corners to mid-corner of Third Avenue East just past the entrance to RONA, as well as potentially beginning the replacement of Woodworth Dam.
City staff specified that they wanted to take advantage of the already approved project of the provincially-funded re-paving of parts of McBride Street to Second Avenue West, to the end of Park Avenue, and combine the two repaving projects together.
The projects will happen concurrently with much of the work being done at night, staff said.
“We are seeking to reduce costs and achieve economies of scale by coordinating paving with the Province,” Mayor Lee Brain said.
The first phase of the water dam project continues into 2017, with improving road access to Woodworth Dam and lowering the supply line below ground to protect it from mud slides and thrown trees. The second phase of the project is seeking approved funds from the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund by senior governments and that involves the replacement of the dam itself.
The city’s landfill cell will also be expanded in 2017 with the beginning of the West Berm expansion.
“The beginning of the West Berm expansion will result in a couple more years’ worth of airspace which provides the necessary time for the opening of a new 35-year landfill cell,” wrote chief financial officer Corinne Bomben in her report to council.
Additionally, the city will install accessibility lifts at the pool and civic centre, make repairs to the hot tub, and install LED lighting in the arena. A replacement pumper truck for the fire department will also arrive in July 2017.
Coun. Joy Thorkelson asked Bomben what the capital budget was for 2016, and Bomben replied it was $11 million. The 2017 capital budget is $27,166,000.
“[2016] included Phase 1 of the water project, so we are rolling over phase one because it didn’t begin earlier in the year, so that makes up a large portion of 2017. The dam and phase three of the water project make up the majority of this overall capital budget,” Bomben said.
