Turner Valley town council chose needs over wants when approving its capital budget last month.
During a meeting on April 23, council reduced the proposed $1,952,500 capital budget as presented by administration to $1,943,500 after declining a community garden in Everwood, improvements to the Friendship Trail park at rock bluffs, upgrades to Main Street from Highway 22 to Decalta Road and a park and ride facility, which will be postponed to 2019 when more planning has been done.
"I think council made some good decision on this, looking at the wants and needs,” said Mayor Gary Rowntree. "We’ve covered off the needs quite well.”
Council agreed to a pathway either east or west of Main Street south of the four-way stop to Decalta Road, whichever is most feasible, but not road improvements.
"It was quite an extensive upgrade,” said Rowntree of the road improvements. "Administration was looking down the road for the potential residential growth for that area. The need to go to that extent at this point, council did not feel it was justified to spend that amount of money for that type of upgrade. But we just need a safe pathway for those residents along that route.”
In addition, rather than replace the Town’s carved wood sign at its east entrance for $50,000, council cut that amount in half.
"It’s separating out the wants and needs,” Rowntree said. "Yes, the sign is getting old so let’s try to clean the thing up for 25,000.”
Council approved replacing the storm-water culvert at Dunham Lane and Dunham Creek for about $160,000. A flood risk assessment last year revealed the need for the replacement to improve drainage and prevent erosion at the crossing.
Council also approved installing solar pedestrian crosswalks at the existing painted school crosswalks on Royal and Edward Avenues for about $30,000.
The Millennium Park ball diamond will receive an upgrade this year, costing about $57,500, which will include new grass, shale, fencing, security mesh, scoreboard, benches, dugout and bleachers.
In the final year of replacing the Town’s outdated water meters, about $20,000 has been budgeted to replace 71 meters that will transmit water consumption data to a portable data collector.
The servers in the municipal building, which approached the end of their life, will be upgraded at a cost of $30,000. In addition, the Town’s 2009 mower, which cost $15,800 in repairs the last three seasons and several days of downtime, will be replaced at a cost of about $75,000.
Council also agreed to have about 15 alley aprons paved and water main valves adjusted for $60,000 each year until 2022 to protect gutters from erosion and breakage, and reduce gravel and dirt from getting onto roads and into storm sewers.
About $400,000 in repairs will be made to the lift station at Seclusion Valley. Improvements will include a prefabricated building with a concrete foundation to house the electrical panels and a new generator.
The Turner Valley Fire Department is also on the list for capital money, including a $20,000 backup generator and $10,000 for dispatch equipment.
Council also agreed to budget $750,000 for the purchase of land, but Rowntree said details are confidential until an agreement is made with the seller.
The majority of the projects are fully-funded through municipal grants, capital reserve and levies.
Coun. Cindy Holladay echoed Rowntree’s comment that the decisions council made for its capital budget were based on needs over wants.
"The Seclusion Valley lift station and culverts were really important, and the pathway,” she said. "Those are the keystones that everyone wants to get done because they needed to get done. The school crosswalks were totally something we wanted to see done. These are the critical ones.”
Holladay said the biggest want versus need was the municipal entrance sign.
"We brought it down to $25,000 because it is very old,” she said. "That’s the only one I would say would be more into the want category as it’s something we will all appreciate being the first impression of Turner Valley to update because it’s quite an old and ragged looking piece of wood. We reduced the amount so it’s a little bit more affordable.”
Holladay said council still has to work on a strategic plan to decide future capital projects for the town.
