(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Economic recovery

City looks to invest in three new capital projects

May 21, 2020 | 11:48 AM

Prince Albert city council appears to largely agree with administration’s spending priorities for a chunk of provincial post-COVID stimulus money.

Staff are recommending most of the $5.1 million be used for previously approved projects in order to relieve financial pressure, but three new projects are also on the list.

City administration recommends splitting the $5.1 million of provincial funding between 11 projects. (Council Agenda/City of P.A.)

The first, a $116,587 internet backbone and network would improve technology functions at city facilities. According to a city report, the current system is outdated and has numerous shortcomings.

The replacement of a water main and the installation of fire hydrant on Second Avenue W. between Marquis Road and 34th Street has also been identified as a priority to provide increase fire protection to the area. That project is estimated to cost $150,000.

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Finally, city administration wants to build a storage cover-all building at the Old City Yards. According to a city report, the existing sanitation building at the site is just over 40 years old and can’t sustain another winter’s snow load. The structure will be condemned as of this fall.

At Monday night’s council meeting, city councillors voiced concern about spending money on infrastructure at the Old City Yards.

“We’d like to be out of the Old City Yards,” Coun. Ted Zurakowki told the meeting. “So putting this investment down there doesn’t really make sense to me.”

Director of Public Works Wes Hicks said city administrators learned the value of having staff at multiple locations during the pandemic.

“We’ve discovered that putting everybody in one location is very, very bad for the operations,” he said. “If we had someone get sick up there [at the Municipal Service Centre] we are literally shut down.”

Council ultimately decided to put the debate on how to spend the infrastructure funding on hold until Monday May 25’s executive meeting.

“I thought it was a pretty good list and it’s sort of spread all over the place so it’s kind of neat,” Mayor Greg Dionne told paNOW after the meeting.

“I appreciate it. It’s not very often you get money from the province.”

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom