This article looks at a few of those options.
Council has not yet made any decisions and will discuss these possibilities during its budget meeting tonight and possibly on Monday, Dec. 18.
Transportation projects
Bevan Harlton, director of operations, said his department had identified several projects worth $1,258,000 that it could defer to 2025 or later.
These projects include slope monitoring and remediation, upgrades to traffic control measures, storm sewer remediation near Hillcrest Golf Course and Sunningdale Creek, replacing, repairing or relining storm sewers and monitoring the status of programs.
Land development
City administration has suggested that it could work to generate land development revenues of $1 million next year and for the next five years and dedicate that funding to the general capital reserve. This would force city hall to market and sell existing land more actively and acquire and develop land for future sales.
Land sales have fallen off over the past few years — revenues usually ranged from $1 million to $1.5 million — so city hall must refocus on this area, said finance director Brian Acker. It’s realistic to think that the city can generate this revenue next year and in subsequent years.
Gas tax funding
Harlton said city administration could redirect $1.51 million of the federal Gas Tax funding from water and wastewater capital projects to transportation projects — paved roads — leaving roughly $660,000 for water/wastewater initiatives.
This would mean that city hall would reduce the scope or length of the infrastructure renewal projects — sanitary mains and feeder mains — next year, which would shrink the latter program by roughly 400 metres, he continued.
However, this would not affect the water/wastewater buildings the city manages and maintains, nor would it affect the Crescent View Lift Station project, a planned power backup generator on High Street, the renewal of sewage ponds, software program upgrades, the final decommissioning of a Buffalo Pound water transmission line and a condition assessment of the wastewater treatment plant.
Solid waste utility
Acker said city administration could make a one-time transfer of $2.5 million from the solid waste utility to the general capital reserve next year. This is because of the extra revenues the city received this year from Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant’s disposal of pond sludge in the landfill.
“It wouldn’t be an ongoing source of revenue … and it would have no impact on our landfill replacement project,” he added.
When asked about the new landfill, Acker said city hall should have roughly $14 million in a reserve account over the next four years to fund the $20-million project. The current landfill should generate extra revenues during that time.
Coun. Heather Eby agreed with the one-time transfer but thought it offered a false sense of security for next year. She reminded council that they used money from the accumulated surplus last year to fill shortfalls for this year. Now, they face causing more financial pain for the next council.
Events Centre rigging steel
City administration has suggested not proceeding with the installation of rigging steel at the Events Centre next year, which would save over $1.5 million. Acker noted that money already allocated to the project — $449,839 —should be left in the account, while the project should be spread out over a few years.
Additional funding could be acquired from other Events Centre revenue sources and future years’ capital project contributions. Until extra money is found, this project will likely not move forward for several years.
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