Sundre council voted unanimously against spending $28,000 on engineering services to apply for a provincial grant for flood related projects.
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 Sundre councillors believe the province should pay for 100 per cent of the costs.
“The fact remains that the river is the responsibility of the province and if they don't want to take that responsibility they are in the wrong,” said Coun. Myron Thompson.
“What they're doing is saying that they may allow something to happen, but in order to make sure they want to do that, they want another engineer study and they expect the town to pay for that, or the county, or combined.”
He said through his many years of sitting on council, the provincial government has paid for 100 per cent of the costs for these type of projects.
“My message is they're your responsibility. Local governments cannot afford to continually put engineer studies on that river,” he said. “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.”
During the meeting council requested that town staff write a letter to the province outlining their concerns.
Town officials are seeking funding for three flood related projects, according to David Hill, the town's director of operational services.
The Number 1 priority project is to construct a 100-mm gas line that would service the residents and businesses on the east side of town.
Town of Sundre 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 Resilience 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 to request 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, and bar skimming measures, as well as any permanent berms, 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.”
