The second night of budget deliberations shifted focus to the waste management, water, sewer and infrastructure needs of the city.
The first night of deliberations the previous Wednesday had already seen administration propose a three per cent property tax increase and a 4.5 per cent increase in base water and sewer rates as well as consumption rates. It is expected that the big decision facing council will be whether to accept the 4.5 per cent increase, or go with a lower utility rate closer to 4.23 percent.
“I think the decision here is whether council wants a slightly higher rate on base and consumption fees in order to pay down principal on long term debt. That’s the decision council has to make by Monday,” Mayor Ryan Bater said to reporters following the meeting.
While the issue was mentioned Monday, there was not a lot of discussion on it. The second budget session mainly went into detail on some of the capital needs of the city on the utilities and infrastructure front.
The director of utilities, Stewart Schafer, led council through the needs for waste management to begin the meeting. According to the 2018 budget, a surplus is projected for total waste management services at $1,333,553, which is down from the $1,518,918 that was in the 2017 budget but still ahead of this year’s actuals so far.
The big news is that no rate changes are being proposed for waste management this year; this is in spite of losing the waste contract with the town of Battleford, with a projected loss of revenue of $485,000.
For utilities, Schafer outlined some budget highlights including an electronic maintenance program for the water treatment plant, as well as plans for a new well.
Schafer noted two wells were not producing much water and if they cannot be repaired, a new well will be drilled in 2018. Estimated capital cost is $500,000 and would be funded by capital reserves.
Some maintenance items are to be conducted at F.E. Holliday water treatment plant, at an estimated capital cost of $300,000.
An RFP is to be prepared for 2018 to determine the structural integrity of the Saskatchewan Hospital reservoir, which the city is considering purchasing from the province. It is currently used by F.E. Holliday to backwash their 1 and 2 filters as well as the raw water intake line. Structural repair work is also planned for the water tower in 2018.
They are also proposing to apply for funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for a pilot project to install an Advanced Metering Infrastructure in the city. It would allow the city to monitor usage and identify problems for landlords and tenants at rental properties, but Schafer said if FCM turns down the city’s application it will not go ahead.
The surplus for 2018 is estimated at $263,116 for water services.
For sanitary sewer, administration plans to buy a sewer camera to inspect main storm and sanitary sewer lines within the city. It would be used to look down sewer lines for possible damaged pipe and tree roots and would also be used by Planning and Development when in preliminary selections for UPAR pipes.
As well, a number of major capital projects are proposed at the wastewater treatment plant including: new programmable logic control systems for the SCADA system at the wastewater treatment plant ($320,000), replacing fibreglass kick plates and floor grates there ($163,000), changing out rubber membrane covers for the fine bubble diffusers ($7,500), and adding a metering dumping station at the plant to track and charge who is dumping sewage at the plant ($195,000).
Sanitary sewer revenue is expected to be approximately the same as budget 2017; expenses for this area are expected to decrease by $28,000.
The 2018 infrastructure budget was presented by the director of infrastructure, Dan Loewen.
Among the highlights is a $50,000 budget commitment to fund the proposed new natural spaces play structure at Centennial Park.
The Battlefords Early Childhood Intervention Program had already committed $50,000 towards that project. Now that the city has confirmed it is on board, the project will move forward in 2018.
Another highlight, presented by Schafer, is the potential third phase of the program to resurface runways at Cameron McIntosh Airport. The amount to be resurfaced in 2018 is dependent on the amount approved through the provincial Community Airport Partnership program.
The second phase has already been completed this fall with the centre section of the main runway now completely repaved. Schafer said corporate jets that had refused to land at the airport previously are now landing there again. There is also a need for a capital item: Airport LED guidance lights costing $50,000.
What is still uncertain is whether the province will continue the CAP program in their 2018 budget, but the thinking from administration is that it will continue, as it is a relatively inexpensive program for the province to run.
The importance of the airport to the community was also noted as a link to the outside world. Schafer also took the opportunity to point out to the mayor that an important visitor was likely to arrive at the airport that week – a “friend of yours, I understand, Justin.”
Schafer was referring to the anticipated visit of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a campaign stop Thursday.
The budget deliberations were due to wrap up Wednesday night with the last remaining items: planning and development, leisure services and police services. Council is likely to vote on adoption of the budget Monday night.
