OLDS — Town council set its 2022 capital budget.
Plans call for a total of $3,819,500 to be spent on various projects this year, ranging from trail maintenance to portable toilet enclosures and wayfinding (directional signs).
Initially, the capital budget stood at $4,039,500.
However, during the policies and priorities meeting on Dec. 6 and a regular council meeting on Dec. 13, council hacked away at that figure, deciding to cut or defer several projects.
For example, council put off plans to buy an electric half-ton pickup, deciding to wait until newly-hired operations director Scott Greico completes a review of the current vehicle fleet to determine what is needed and what may be surplus.
Also, several councillors said electric vehicles are still too new or “experimental.” They’d like defer buying electric trucks until they’re confident the kinks have been worked out.
That said, there may be more interest in replacing passenger vehicles or SUVs in the Town of Olds fleet with electric ones because they’ve been around longer.
Council also decided to cut back on trail improvements or extensions in town.
A proposed link between the Imperial Loop and the sidewalk along 57th near St. Stephen’s Catholic church was axed, saving about $81,000.
That left about $70,000 worth of trail work that will go ahead.
Council agreed to defer about $80,000 worth of wayfinding projects, thereby cutting about $80,000 from the capital budget and reducing the 2022 wayfinding budget to $85,000.
Council also ratified several budget cuts they tentatively agreed to on Dec. 6.
During budget discussions on Dec. 6, council directed administrative staff to remove seven items.
These were: painting the north reservoir, cemetery expansion and pond drainage, revitalization of Centennial Park and four projects proposed for the Sportsplex: sound upgrades, painting the main floor, a score clock and a play centre.
Removing those seven items brought the capital budget down $627,000.
