BATTLEFORD — The issue of high costs of local improvements and the burden on residents spilled over to Battleford town council on Monday.
Council members heard a delegation including residents Colleen Blais and Jim Ramsay, expressing concerns about a local improvement project on 3rd Avenue between 35th and 36th Street West.
The delegation represented five households on the street.
The project called for street repaving and gutter work, but alarm bells went off with residents regarding the costs. Under the local improvement program, the town is responsible for covering 60 per cent but residents would be responsible for 40 per cent, repayable over seven years.
In this case, the delegation explained they were shocked to find out their cost worked out to $23,600 per household, for their portion of the cost.
However, it was explained to them the residents on the street had petitioned against the project going ahead. So there will be no work done on that street and no bill for $23,600.
A wide-ranging discussion then emerged on the whole issue, including on whether the local improvement method is the way to go to pay for these types of repairs.
It had been acknowledged the street did need repair, with lots of problems with water coming down the street. But the cost was out of reach of most residents, Blais said.
The residents were concerned what would happen in the future when their street would become a “gravel abyss of potholes,” in Blais’ words, and what their costs would look like at that point. “Are we looking at a $30,000 plus bill in five years for this improvement?” asked Blais.
Leslie responded the rate and the seven-year repayment time is actually set by the province, not the town.
This isn’t the only local improvement project that faced issues in proceeding due to opposition from residents. Later at the meeting, it was noted four projects in total were petitioned out by local residents, and are not going ahead.
In their place, administration recommended adding the following as alternate capital projects: 1st Avenue West, from 19th Street to 21st Street for approximately $224,000; Central Avenue, from 19th Street to 20th Street for approx. $169,000; 3rd Avenue, from 29th Street to 31st Street West for roughly $264,000; and 3rd Avenue from 34th Street to 35th Street West for approximately $90,500. That was carried by council.
“Let’s get some work done, because we’re running out of summer,” was Leslie’s comment.
