Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer (left) receives the proposed Capital Budget and 10-year Capital Plan from City Manager Allan Seabrooke (right) during a budget briefing held at City Hall Friday morning.

By Sheldon Spackman

Capital Budget

City aiming to maintain programs and services through proposed capital budget

Oct 18, 2019 | 1:55 PM

Next year’s proposed capital budget for the City of Red Deer has been described as a “maintenance-themed budget.”

During a briefing at City Hall on Friday, city administration handed over the proposed $180 million Capital Budget and $1.2 billion Capital Plan for council’s consideration.

Administration is said to have worked on balancing community needs, current infrastructure and the economy.

“The focus of our Capital Budget and capital plan is to ensure the continuation of quality, effective services for our residents that are financially sustainable and affordable,” said Allan Seabrooke, City Manager. “The City has substantial investment in municipal infrastructure and our focus in the short and long term is on protecting these assets through a planned repair, replacement and preventative maintenance program.”

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The projects being proposed in the budget and plan are a mix of annual maintenance programs, current facility enhancements and mandatory upgrades to infrastructure in response to the current economic state.

Top capital projects proposed to begin in 2019 include: Wastewater Treatment Plant rehabilitation, replacement and upgrades, Northland Drive projects from Taylor Drive to 49 Avenue, Multimodal Transportation Plan for Transit, planning for another landfill cell at the Waste Management Facility and site development for the expansion of the GH Dawe Centre, including a twinning of the existing ice surface to replace the Kinex Arena.

However, Seabrooke added as a result of the prolonged economic slowdown, there are anticipated provincial austerity measures that will lead to the deferral of some new capital projects expected in the community.

Proposed projects now moved out of the City’s 10-year capital plan include: an aquatic centre – deemed financially not feasible at this time, and due to minimal growth in recent years, the North Highway Connector project east of Gaetz Avenue, a CPR pedestrian bridge and additional RCMP detachment in the city’s northeast.

Starting on November 18, council will consider the recommended projects in the 2020 capital budget and multi-year projects that have start dates in 2020. At that time, city officials say they will also have the opportunity to approve the 2021-2029 capital plan in principle.

Approving the projects in principle in the capital plan is said to give administration the ability to plan future projects, while providing flexibility to adjust projects based on community needs and funding sources.

“As we develop our budgets and plans, we continue to work on ensuring our infrastructure meets the current needs of our citizens while considering future growth in our community,” said Dean Krejci, Chief Financial Officer. “It’s our responsibility to manage expectations based on what our funding sources and debt limits allow.”

Residents are invited to get involved in the budget process by providing feedback on the proposed 2020 Capital Budget and 2021-2029 Capital Plan.

Copies of the budget can be found at City Hall, Collicutt Centre, Recreation Centre, Red Deer Public Library (Downtown, Timberlands and G.H. Dawe Branches) as well as summary information at www.reddeer.ca/budget.

Written feedback can be submitted at the aforementioned locations as well as through an online form. The deadline to submit is 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 13.

Capital budget review begins at 9 a.m. on Monday, November 18 in Council Chambers, City Hall.

(With file from City of Red Deer media release)