Sundre council members are requesting a meeting with provincial officials to discuss a grant application to fund flood-related projects.
Sundre council members are requesting a meeting with provincial officials to discuss a grant application to fund flood-related projects.
Council recently voted unanimously against spending $28,000 on engineering services to apply for the grant, which provincial officials say is a requirement.
The provincial government launched the Alberta Community Resiliency Program in June for flood-affected communities. The program grants 90 per cent of engineering and construction costs towards approved projects that cost up to $3 million, and 70 per cent for projects exceeding $3 million.
But councillors believe the province should pay for 100 per cent of the costs.
Council members wrote a letter to the minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, the minister of Alberta Transportation, and premier Jim Prentice, to request the meeting last week.
"It is the responsibility of the provincial and federal governments to ensure public safety, protection of infrastructure, the bridge, and management of the Red Deer River Watershed – not the municipality of the Town of Sundre," reads the letter.
"Please get back to clearly understanding your responsibilities and stop expecting to take money from 'the single taxpayer pocket' through municipalities in this flawed 'cost sharing' model."
If town officials paid for the required portion, the money would be spent from infrastructure replacement reserves, which would delay upgrades and replacements to 40- to 60-year-old infrastructure, according to the letter.
Plans are in place to replace roads, sidewalks and facilities, as well as for upgrades to the town's water and wastewater systems, in order for them to continue to operate safely.
"We have taxed residents to meet the goals of this comprehensive plan – and the current grant funding model of the Government of Alberta takes none of our carefully considered plans into account when offering us a 90 per cent/ 10 per cent 'deal'," reads the letter.
Councillors believe there have been enough engineering studies performed on the Red Deer River over the past year, and that if another one is needed, the province should pay for it completely.
"Property taxes are intended for programs, services and facilities within our community," reads the letter. "Provincial and federal tax is paid by the same taxpayer to fund interventions needed in her majesty's rivers."
Coun. Myron Thompson said through his many years of sitting on council, the provincial government has paid for 100 per cent of the costs for these types of projects.
"The fact remains that the river is the responsibility of the province and if they don't want to take responsibility they are in the wrong," said Thompson.
"We're sick of it, we're tired of it, we've had enough. And if you want to do any more studies, Mr. Province, you pay for it yourself."
Town officials are seeking funding for three flood-related projects, according to Dave Hill, the town's director of operational services.
The No. 1 priority project is to construct a 100-millimetre gas line that would service the residents and businesses on the east side of town.
Town officials were unsuccessful in their bid for $200,000 from the Alberta Flood Recovery Erosion Control Program for the project earlier this year.
They were advised at that time that the municipality may qualify to apply for the project under the Alberta Community Resiliency Program.
An existing gas line is located under the Highway 27 bridge over the Red Deer River, but officials say if another flood comes through town, the line could be damaged.
During the flood in 2013, the gas main sustained significant damage due to the amount of debris flowing under the bridge.
A section of the gas main was dislodged, because one of the pipe supports for it was completely torn off the bridge, leaving the gas main hanging underneath.
"Had the gas main severed or broke the results could have been a gas leak, fire or explosion causing potential damage to the only bridge in Sundre," Dave Dubauskas, the town's chief administrative officer, said in a letter requesting the funding earlier this year.
"Additionally, a leak would cause loss of gas supply to residents on the west side in the vicinity of the bridge due to low pressure.
"The potential population without gas in the event of this type of occurrence would be in the order of 1,375."
The gas line is the only service to the east side of town, so if flow in it was disrupted, approximately 50 residential homes, a trailer park consisting of about 25 permanent trailers, about 30 businesses and Tall Timber Leisure Park would be without gas service.
Officials proposed that the gas servicing to the east side be provided from the east side. This would allow for the gas line under the bridge to be shut off during a flood event, without impacting east-side residents.
"Presently the Foothills Gas Co-op has an existing gas main on the east side of Sundre that they are willing to allow the town to connect to such that this servicing can be provided," he said.
Mayor Terry Leslie said the gas line situation has been a concern for town officials for several years, but it was brought to the forefront after last year's flood.
The second priority project which town officials are seeking funding for is to develop a long-term strategy for containment and management of the river channel through Sundre.
"This includes allowable riverbed care, cleanup, re-channelization, ditches, outflows, or overflow stream re-channelization that might be undertaken to permanently safeguard the town and its assets," Hill reported to council.
The third priority project is to acquire a new radio system for emergency responders to be able to communicate seamlessly at all times.
"This will correct a known shortcoming of the existing communication process," he said.
"To qualify for funding, for each of these projects, the town must provide a pre-engineering report supporting the concepts and priorities, technical and economic feasibility, and impacts and benefits. The pre-engineering costs do not qualify for grant funding."
