City council will be asked to put nearly $9 million more into a water and sewer project to serve Red Deer’s northeast, boosting the project’s cost by almost 40 per cent.
The new numbers appear in a report going to council for its mid-year budget review on Tuesday.
Early estimates, compiled before detailed engineering work was completed, estimated the cost of a storm water trunk extension at $10.1 million. That bill rose to $16.6 million because a longer main was needed because of the change in a school site orientation, said Paul Goranson, the city’s director of development services.
The pipe depth also had to be increased. Poor soil conditions, and the need to move up by a year additional trunk lines and a storm water pond all contributed to the cost increase.
Similar challenges boosted the sewer line costs to $6.8 million from $4.4 million. The lines will run from the future Northlands Drive river crossing to the future high school site where 30th Avenue and 67th Street meet.
Council will vote on a borrowing bylaw to cover the additional $9 million to up-front the servicing costs.
Those costs will be later recovered through offsite levies charged to developers as neighbourhoods are built out, said Goranson.
Grading of the Laebon Developments-owned land to the north is expected to start this fall with servicing planned for next year.
Red Deer’s steady growth will also require some spending on the fire response front.
Council will debate a request for $420,000 to undertake design work for the future relocation of two city fire halls.
The moves are required to ensure adequate response times as the city grows.
Trucks and ambulances based at Station 3 on 32nd Avenue would move near 22nd Street and 30th Avenue and Station 4 would move north from Deer Park to north of 67th Street to serve new development in the northeast.
Station 3 would remain as an Emergency Services headquarters station with the dispatch centre and fire prevention officers based there. The $6.4-million Station 4 and $7.2-million Station 3 are in the 2015 budget.
Council will also consider whether to spend $169,500 on a 2015 census and additional money for a confined space simulator for Emergency Services ($34,000, including a $26,000 grant) and two more dispatch consoles ($46,000).
Another $72,600 has been proposed to fund a community shuttle bus pilot project beginning in September to service low-ridership routes or areas where regular buses can’t reach such as Kerry Wood Nature Centre.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com