Not quite flush with cash yet, but requiring some important public works projects to get underway, the city of Prince Rupert has approved a number of projects that had been delayed over the last few years due to budgetary concerns.
Last Monday’s council meeting saw council green light the projects so as to not lose out on valuable co-funding or in some instances before infrastructure deteriorates more than it has already.
From the Alaska Marine Highway dock, through important and necessary upgrades to Hays Creek Bridge, a design for a Hays Creek sewer and the purchase of replacement vehicles for aging transportation in the city, there will be no shortage of locations for the city to spend its money.
Also on the potential list will be the completion of work on the Uplands development at Cow Bay, improvements to the Rushbrook Parking area and an expansion at the land-fill site. All told the city will spend some 1 million, five hundred and eighty nine dollars on a number of projects, which is about 60 to 70 per cent of the city’s capital works budget.
Among the planned projects and their costs are:
Alaska Marine Highway Dock--$250,000
Cow Bay Uplands completion--$90,000
Fern Passage Water Supply Main Study--$50,000
Replacement of city vehicles--$83,000
Hays Creek Bridge Repairs--$300,000
Hays Creek Sewer Design--$225,000
Land-fill Expansion--$300,000
Rushbrook Parking area improvements--$186,000
Total anticipated cost of approved capital projects--$1,589,000
The Daily news updated the list of projects, providing details on what’s required and the cost of them in Monday’s paper.
City gets back into spending mode
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, February 18, 2008
Last Monday’s council meeting saw council green light the projects so as to not lose out on valuable co-funding or in some instances before infrastructure deteriorates more than it has already.
From the Alaska Marine Highway dock, through important and necessary upgrades to Hays Creek Bridge, a design for a Hays Creek sewer and the purchase of replacement vehicles for aging transportation in the city, there will be no shortage of locations for the city to spend its money.
Also on the potential list will be the completion of work on the Uplands development at Cow Bay, improvements to the Rushbrook Parking area and an expansion at the land-fill site. All told the city will spend some 1 million, five hundred and eighty nine dollars on a number of projects, which is about 60 to 70 per cent of the city’s capital works budget.
Among the planned projects and their costs are:
Alaska Marine Highway Dock--$250,000
Cow Bay Uplands completion--$90,000
Fern Passage Water Supply Main Study--$50,000
Replacement of city vehicles--$83,000
Hays Creek Bridge Repairs--$300,000
Hays Creek Sewer Design--$225,000
Land-fill Expansion--$300,000
Rushbrook Parking area improvements--$186,000
Total anticipated cost of approved capital projects--$1,589,000
The Daily news updated the list of projects, providing details on what’s required and the cost of them in Monday’s paper.
City gets back into spending mode
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, February 18, 2008
Pages one and five
After being told by the province to halt capital expenditures in 2005, and then having to cut expenditures in 2007 after the city discovered a $5 million shortfall, the city of Prince Rupert signed off on a list public works projects last week.
After being told by the province to halt capital expenditures in 2005, and then having to cut expenditures in 2007 after the city discovered a $5 million shortfall, the city of Prince Rupert signed off on a list public works projects last week.
Last Monday, council gave the go-ahead for the public works department to start a host of projects that had been postponed last year.
Bob Thompson, the city's director of engineering explained that an early go-ahead allows the city to tender early and in some cases save money on the projects and necessary materials.
"We should bear in mind that almost all of these projects have already been given council approval. Unfortunately, they were halted mid-course during 2007 and must be completed this year to avoid loss of external funding and/or risk of further damage to the asset itself," said Thompson.
“These projects are actually behind schedule rather than early due to our exceptional circumstances.”
Listed as of critical importance on the project list is fixing the Alaska Ferry Dock.
The city started the work in 2006 after the Alaska Marine Highway System noted extensive damage to pilings, but failed to complete the work in 2007 after the budget shortfall. This is expected to cost $250,000.
In addition, the cruise ship companies would like to see council complete work on the Uplands development in Cow Bay, a project worth about $90,000.
The city is expected to spend $50,000 to compete a Fern Passage Water Supply Main study and $83,000 on replacing public works vehicles between 18 and 20 years old, that have been limping around in recent years.
The city has budgeted $300,000 for Hays Creek Bridge repairs, $225,000 for Hays Creek Sewer design and $300,000 for land-fill expansion, which is critical to the ongoing use of the landfill expected to continue until 2040.
Last on the list is $186,000 for improvements to the Rushbrook Parking area.
The city has received a matching grant from the Coast Sustainability Trust but was unable to proceed with the work last year.
Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond said council is working on getting the budgeting done earlier, but in the meantime they need to approve these projects to get the best possible price. At this point, councils do not need to have their budgets in place until May.
The full cost of the approved works is $1,589,000. That represents about 60 to 70 per cent of the full capital works budget.
Many of the projects were postponed in 2007, after the city released it had included $5 million in the budge that it didn’t actually have because it had counted the water, sewer and garbage revenues twice.
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