BOWDEN - Town council has voted for what they hope is a final solution to ongoing drainage issues in the alley behind Reddi Mart.
During a meeting, council voted to install a catch basin in the middle of the alley as well as a conduit so a lift station could be installed later, if deemed necessary.
They're also looking at having the entire alley paved in order to solve issues there, including rutting that tends to occur as big trucks come in there to unload goods.
It was agreed council would obtain a separate cost for that paving, although interim chief administrative officer Jacqui Molyneux indicated it could likely be incorporated as part of a number of paving projects expected to be undertaken this summer.
Council was given three options.
Option 1: pave only part of the alley with a cost of $60,000. However, Molyneux warned under that option, the town would still have "issues" with gravel at each end.
Option 2: Install a lift station at a cost of more than $150,000. Molyneux told council she was concerned about what that would cost the town in the end, due to ongoing power and heating costs.
Option 3: Paving the entire lane with a catch basin in the middle of the alley at a cost of $150,000. Molyneux favoured that one because, as she wrote in a memo to council, "this would be the best option for maintenance costs for future years and would be the best to eliminate the drainage issues with traffic in this alley way."
Some councillors came up with another idea: combining options 2 and 3 into what they called option "2B," installing the catch basin, a conduit for a possible lift station, and leaving the option open to pave the alley.
"2B or not 2B, that is the question," Coun. Kerry Kelm said jokingly.
In the end, councillors voted unanimously for 2B.
Molyneux said the project could be funded with money the town has received under the province's Municipal Sustainability Initiative program. She said the town also has a surplus from its north lift station construction project, which came in under budget.
During debate, Coun. Wayne Milaney, who works in the construction industry, argued in favour of paving the alley.
"I'm not saying this would create a precedent, however it is a very good idea if we could pave that alley," he said.
"The problem with not paving it is because you're getting big trucks delivering, so as soon as the fall comes, that's when you get those ruts in. So if we don't pave it we're going to have the same issue," Molyneux said.
"This particular alley I think though is highly used," Coun. Carol Pion said.
"Yeah. Probably the most traffic in town," Milaney said.
Milaney also promoted the idea of a lift station.
"I would recommend we do put the lift station in because it'll go away and we'll never have a problem again," he said.
"My problem with the lift station is the yearly cost. We're looking at -- because there's electricity, there's heat, so we're probably looking at $3,000 to $5,000 a year," Molyneux said.
"I think that's overstated, because those pumps, we'll be lucky if they'll cut in three times a year," Milaney countered.
"The thing is, a lot of that problem comes from the flat roof building. When it gets a big rainstorm or snowmelt, there's a four-inch pipe and the water just gushes out of there," Mayor Robb Stuart said.
He asked if the proposed fix will indeed solve problems in that alley.
"Oh, absolutely," Milaney said.
Stuart indicated it's time to take the bull by the horns and eliminate issues there once and for all.
"I think the way it's been kind of reworked has been a waste of time and money for about two years now," Stuart said.
However, he conceded paving one alley may not be popular with some residents when "some of our streets are not in that good a shape."
