Council approved capital budgets for each municipal department, Jan. 5, after the department鈥檚 directors presented detailed overviews of their proposed capital expenditures for 2016.
When all tallied up, the overall 2016 capital budget is $1.18 million. That figure excludes expenditures for the replacement of municipal vehicles, which will likely be approved at a later date. That portion of the budget鈥攚hich equates to about $450,000鈥攚ill be presented to council again, after the municipality鈥檚 director of operations researches alternative funding options.
Even without the funding for new vehicles for the department, more than half of the approved capital expenditures for 2016 are in operations, with funds going toward planning for the expansion of the cemetery, an upgrade to a reservoir chlorination treatment system and assessing the town鈥檚 infrastructure as part of the municipality鈥檚 effort to develop a strategic asset management plan.
All told, operations was approved for $636,000 in expenditures, with $481,334 going toward projects related to the town鈥檚 water and sewer systems.
Bruce Thompson, director of operations, explained to council that by investing in asset management planning, as it has been with the ongoing development of an asset management plan, it will ensure long-term community and fiscal health, by allowing the operations department to strategically tackle repairs and maintenance in the future.
Council approved a $385,000 budget for the culture and recreation department, with $146,000 going toward repairing the roof above the administrative offices in the Jasper Activity Centre. Other projects include a software upgrade, three new chlorine pumps, the replacement of heaters above the ice rink and a new steam unit for the steam room in the aquatic centre.
There is also a $50,000 expenditure that could either go toward replacing the surface of the tennis courts鈥攊f the municipality receives a grant for the project鈥攐r building a new playground in Cabin Creek, replacing one that is well beyond its prime.
Director of Culture and Recreation Yvonne McNabb said unless the municipality is awarded the grant it applied for with the tennis club, there isn鈥檛 enough money to replace the tennis courts, so it will instead use the $50,000 to replace the playground.
Other expenditures include new turnout gear鈥攑ersonal protective equipment鈥攆or the fire department, a coat of exterior paint for the emergency services building,聽 as well as a surveillance system for the library and cultural centre and a new telecommunications system for the municipality.
Although the capital budget has been approved, budget discussions are ongoing with more information still to come about fleet replacement and the proposed operating budget, which will be further discussed in February once the final year-end numbers are in for 2015.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
