INNISFAIL – A year after completing the 61st Avenue reconstruction project at West Gate Industrial Park the town is bolding moving toward starting the area’s second large scale project for 37th Street.
At town council’s regular meeting on April 26, administration presented a report that asked council whether it wanted to go forward with the final design, procurement and reconstruction of 37th Street between 61st Avenue to 58th Avenue.
If the town goes ahead with the reconstruction of 37th Street it would complete all current road improvement priorities currently identified by administration, said Todd Becker, the town’s chief administration officer.
“I have not heard of any other streets requiring pavement at this given time in that area,” said Becker in an interview on April 28.
Steven Kennedy, director of operational services, reminded council on April 26 the town completed the 61st Avenue reconstruction project last year at a cost of $913,655.83.
The project cost was partially offset with a 15 per cent Special Tax on 10 property owners for a period of 15 years.
He told council that the major part of the plan to pay for the 37th Street project, which is valued at $1.1 million, is using $700,000 left over from a Building Canada Grant, with the remaining $400,000 coming from the town’s Utility Stabilization Reserve.
Council was also told a Special Tax Bylaw could be prepared in the same manner as the 61st Avenue project, which was recently passed by council.
Kennedy said discussions have not yet taken place with business owners along 37th Street, adding about half are the same as those on 61st Avenue. He told council that once the project goes through the design stage business owners will get an understanding of the scope of the bylaw tax.
However, there was also discussion at the April 26 council meeting whether the town should also consider a Local Improvement Tax (LIT) as an option to recoup some of the project cost.
A LIT comes in the form of a bylaw and is applied for a complete term of time, whether it is one year, three, five or even 10. It can also be petitioned by property owners. If two thirds vote not to have the tax council is obligated not to apply the LIT. However, if two thirds of impacted property owners do want it then council can go ahead.
A Special Tax is applied and approved annually by council, or can be rescinded after each year, if council deems there is a good reason to end it, such as growing property owner objections.
Nevertheless, council gave approval to move ahead with the preliminary project stages, and once design work has been completed and consultations have been conducted with property owners, administration will bring back a report to council with a funding model on how the town should finance project, including whether a LIT or Special Tax should be applied to property owners.
If council ultimately moves ahead following another report from administration, which is expected to come to council in the summer, construction could begin as early as August and be completed in October.
