CARSTAIRS - Council has approved the Town of Carstairs' 2025 capital budget, which includes two main projects: a new $8.3 million water reservoir on the east side and a $1.5 million water service line to feed the new infrastructure.
The $10.6 million capital budget was approved at the Jan. 27 council meeting.
Mayor Lance Colby says the new water reservoir is needed to meet the requirements of the town’s expanding east side neighbourhoods.
“We have to put in the new water reservoir,” Colby told the Albertan. “We have so much building going on in the east that we need the reservoir in order to meet the requirements.
“If we don’t have it, we are not going to have enough water to service the development that is going in there. If people want to build, they can build and not have to worry about trying to get water. We want to keep ahead of it.”
The project will be funded through a combination of dedicated reserves and off-site levies, he said.
“There could also be some short-term borrowing depending on what the actual cost comes in at,” he said
The reservoir will be located south of Highway 581 at Range Road 13 on town-owned property.
The $1.5 million water service line project will connect to the existing water line near downtown to the new water reservoir.
The town hopes to fund that project through a Water for Life grant, which will be announced in the spring, he said.
“We are hoping that will come through,” he said. “We should know in March whether it will come in.”
Asked when the two project will get underway, he said, “We hope to start them, if everything goes right with the grants, probably in spring or early summer.”
The capital budget includes department spending for the arena, corporate services, emergency services, fire department, golf course, operations, and parks.
Corporate service department spending is $60,000 for administration building expansion.
Fire department spending includes $27,100 for six sets of bunker gear, and $50,000 for the town’s share of a new vehicle.
Golf course department spending includes $15,000 for a mower, $16,000 for inside security cameras, and $20,000 for event tent upgrades including lighting, heat and storage.
As well as the water reservoir and water line projects, operations department spending also includes $200,000 for a replacement gravel truck.
Arena department spending includes $24,000 for a laser level and $4,800 for a deep fryer.
Parks department spending includes $15,900 for security cameras for fire hall, gazebo and curling club, and $12,000 for campground furnaces, hot water tanks and radiant heating.
Council is still deliberating the 2025 operating budget, said Colby.
“We have more to do on it and have some stuff to look at,” he said.
