With Grand Forks needing about $35 million in the next decade to repair its aging infrastructure, the city is asking for assistance from the provincial government.
Last Tuesday (Aug. 16) Mayor Brian Taylor and Chief Administrative Officer Lynne Burch, along with delegations from Cranbrook and Lake Country, travelled to Victoria to discuss infrastructure with Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Ida Chong.
“I’d have to say that Minister Chong was very cautious about making any commitment based on the government’s tenuous revenue picture,” explained Taylor when asked about the meeting.
“She mentioned that they’re really waiting for the results of the HST referendum but in fact, the government coffers are pretty low, so she definitely made no promises but I think we were very well received and there was a lot of appreciation for the leadership we were providing.”
The mayor said the meeting was worthwhile because the three delegations were talking about big money (in the millions) and the ideal situation would involve two thirds of the funding from the federal and provincial governments, with the municipality chipping in the final third.
“That formula has been implemented before. At this point in time, the Build Canada fund, which is the federal fund that they use to fund infrastructure, is down and out,” he said, adding that Chong was aware of how well the two thirds from the province and the feds and one third from municipal formula worked.
“She’s not in a position to commit a third from the province at this point and I think she’s been purposely very cautious in terms of raising expectations but this was an educational trip for us and we’re looking at the fact that these three communities are moving ahead of the pack in planning for a sustainable community and we’d like to be recognized,” said the mayor.
“We’ve offered to be a model community.”
Although Chong was cautious, she did seem to indicate that she was willing to continue discussions regarding financial assistance for infrastructure from the province.
“We talked about the challenges of financing infrastructure renewal and making the most effective use of taxpayer dollars,” explained Chong in an email.
“I look forward to continuing to work with these communities as they take steps to achieve their visions for the future.”
The city received an infrastructure report from engineering firm Kerr, Wood, Leidal and Associates last fall, which detailed a $32.5-million infrastructure deficit and estimated that the aforementioned $35-million would need to be spent in the next 10 years.
“We are one of three communities that have started programs called asset management which in simple terms is just basically looking after what you’ve got, making sure that you get your value for your money,” explained Taylor.
“It’s a way of organizing your business planning so what we’re looking at is the first challenge here of asset management is that we need to plan for a healthy infrastructure.”
The city recently identified fire protection and roads, water and sewer as infrastructure priorities and seeks to borrow $1.3 million and $4.2 million for each project respectively but whether the money is actually borrowed will depend on results of a referendum that will coincide with the upcoming fall election.