City council considers changes to water and wastewater infrastructure

Red Deer city council made short work of their first meeting since the election, considering just two items related to water and wastewater.
 
First, council gave second and third readings to a change of funding source after the cost of purchasing the North Regional Waterline from the North Red Deer Regional Water Services Commission came down by more than 50 per cent.
 
Originally $8.152 million dollars, council learned in August at mid-year budget review that the City would only be required to put forth $4 million, thus reducing the 2017 Capital Budget. At that time, they passed first reading.
 
Now, $3 million of the new pricetag will come from debenture debt and $1 million from the Water Capital Reserve. The portion being acquired runs from the Highway 2A/11A intersection north to the Blindman River.
 
Furthermore, council approved $2.2 million to be spent on oversizing the wastewater line which will soon run from the north side of the Chiles Industrial Park to the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
 
Mayor Veer explains the decision is a proactive one made in anticipation of future city growth to the north and west of the QEII, as well as future flow from Sylvan Lake.
 
“Often times when we enter into agreements with regional municipalities, in order to send water or take wastewater, the City of Red Deer will opt to oversize those trunks. This is in the interest of Red Deerians both on the tax and utility side of the budget,” Veer says. “It essentially means we don’t have to build the same infrastructure twice. It just protects our growth ability in the future with some upfront investment. We realize the financial and operational savings of that in the long run.”
 
Though both items will require debt borrowing, Chief Financial Officer Dean Krejci confirms the City is only at 53 per cent of its allowable debt limit.

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Council also held an organizational meeting Monday to set out 2018 meeting dates, monthly deputy mayor designations as well as appointments to citizen committees.
 
Of note, Jeremy Moore will serve on the Intermunicipal Subdivision & Development Appeal Board,  Ben Ordman will serve on the Public Art Commission and Valdene Callin will sit on the FCSS Board. All were candidates for city council in the recent municipal election.