The City of Yorkton is continuing on dual fronts in terms of creating a better storm water drainage system.
Houses purchased on Brodie Avenue have been demolished and Yorkton Council unanimously supported moving toward tendering the actual construction of a holding pond on the property.
"The engineering estimate to prepare the tender drawings and provide construction administration is $84,500 exclusive of GST. Since Associated Engineering has several projects ongoing in Yorkton at this time, there will be some cost savings associated with already having staff available from other projects. If City Council determines that this project may proceed, it is anticipated rough construction work can be undertaken this fall depending upon weather conditions. Completion work, such as landscaping, would occur as weather conditions allowed in the spring of 2012," explained Gord Shaw, Director of Planning & Engineering with the City at the regular meeting of Council Monday.
The overall project is projected to be $2,300,250.
This project also includes a survey associated with closing Brodie Avenue as part of the work to create the storm pond. The Brodie Street Water Pond project will be spread over 2011 and 2012.
This project is important to the long term development in this area of the community. It is the first step in a ten year program to mitigate the potential for flooding in the western half of the community. Funding for this project will be resolved through the 2012 budget process. It will likely involve an internal loan and capital funding, detailed a report circulated to Council.
In addition, the city commissioned Associated Engineering to complete the Yorkton West Storm Drainage Study. This study identified the type of upgrades required to achieve reduced flooding extents in the western side of the community, said Shaw.
"Associated Engineering provided a proposal for the next stage of this study. Associated Engineering identified in their proposal that the work would encompass ten months of work provided that weather conditions allow them to complete outside work in a timely manner. The project would begin in September and be completed likely in June
of 2012," detailed a second report to Council.
The cost of this project is identified as $160,300 exclusive of GST. It is administration's standpoint that some contingency should be included with this estimate as it is likely that once in the field, other work may need to be done. It is suggested that 15 per cent be used as contingency which means that $24,000 should be added to the above figure for a total of $184,300.
This work is needed in order to ensure that capital budgeting for the next ten years can be predicated with some accuracy and to identify when the work components can be implemented.
Administration has also discussed the implementation of survey benchmarks throughout the city.
These benchmarks are utilized over the entire lifespan of a project from the conceptual/design phase, to the construction phase, over the entire service life and even in the decommissioning work. Surveyors in this community have relied upon legal survey pins, fire hydrants or other means to use as survey control points. Unfortunately, these types of control points are often disrupted over the life history of a project and the link between the drawings and the real world is broken, explained Shaw.
As the City continues to grow, the number of different construction projects contemplated will also grow. The majority of these projects require precise surveying to ensure construction in the real world is consistent with the overall design and record drawings on file with the city and all of the city's surveyors, engineering consultants, architects and contractors.
Having benchmarks in place is particularly important during the type of work contemplated in storm water management. It is important to have correct measurements for inverts and outlets in order to ensure proper storm water management. The elevation difference around the city is small enough from the standpoint of storm water management that a difference of a few millimetres can make a difference.
Associated Engineering identified a cost of $25,000 to complete the installation of 10 to 20 survey control points throughout the community. Once completed, this would form the backbone of a survey control program for the city and provide benefits to all existing and future development.
Again the budget for the work will be determined through the 2012 budget process.
