Councillors killed a plan that would have squished the remaining two phases of downtown revitalization into a single year at their regular meeting Sept. 24.
After debating the pros and cons of completing the project in 122 days next summer, only the mayor came out in favour of the proposal.
If the project was finished in 2013 the town would save $177,995 by avoiding the contractor's inflation markup of eight per cent and about $17,000 on mobilizing materials and equipment to Innisfail, council heard. The anticipated $195,000 savings was a lower value than some had expected.
“I'm a little bit disappointed the cost savings would only be a couple hundred thousand dollars,” said Mayor Jim Romane. “I was hoping a half-million.”
In addition to the budgeting differences, the one-year option would shave 52 days off the construction schedule.
“That's my biggest concern,” Romane said, “the impact of going through this for another two years, and the impact of the entire Main Street.”
Coun. Mark Kemball, who relies on a steady flow of customers coming into Innisfail for his success with the Dairy Queen restaurant he owns, said it will be tough to deal with two more years of revitalization activities.
“I have very mixed feelings about both scenarios,” Kemball said. “My business is a summer business. I'm like a farmer. You have to make hay when the sun shines.”
The town currently receives $1.5 million a year from a Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) grant, which has been used to help fund revitalization efforts, while the $440,000 from the Federal Gas Tax and the $475,000 from the Street Improvement Program have been put towards other community priorities.
“We literally wouldn't be able to do any other projects,” said Craig Teal, director of planning and development, in his presentation to council.
Phase 2 has been estimated at $3,540,000 while Phase 3 has been estimated at $2,350,000, totalling $5,890,000.
“Financially for the town we're going to leave a million and a half in reserves, in our savings account, by doing it over two years,” said Coun. Brian Spiller in an interview. “The mayor had asked the council to look at doing it in one year.”
The MSI grant cannot be banked or used to top up reserves in future.
Council has made a commitment to keep reserves at a minimum of $10 million, but doing the project in just one more year would break that pledge, Spiller said.
Detour routing would have been a lot more extensive if revitalization was compacted to one year. Current plans under both options would have the north route travel across the tracks and back again, but under the one-more-year option the south route would go around the backside of the Co-op building and all the way down to 46 Street.
Because the rapid reno idea was quashed, projects that could be funded in 2013 include resource road completion, sewer relining of older sections of pipe, improving trails and parks around Innisfail, Highway 2A storm sewer construction as well as arena and pool plant upgrades.
Coun. Tracey Walker was absent from the meeting.
"I have very mixed feelings about both scenarios."Mark KemballCouncillor
