Rossland city council is proceeding with a major infrastructure project on Spokane St.
Less than two weeks after cutting the ribbon on Washington St., council voted to move forward with the Spokane Street Infrastructure Improvement Project. “The primary objectives of this Project are to upsize and replace the existing utilities and to urbanize the existing roadways to provide a safer, more accessible, shared corridor for all road users, including pedestrians,” according to background provided by City staff. Despite the project’s name, it will include First Ave. between Spokane St. and Washington St., Spokane St. between Second Ave. and Leroi Ave., Leroi Ave. between Spokane St. and Davis St., and Davis St. between Leroi Ave. and Kootenay Ave.
At Monday night’s council meeting, Mayor Kathy Moore and councillors voted to have City staff apply for a Clean Water and Wastewater Fund grant toward the project, which council approved for up to $4.4 million. The grant requires that the City pay for 17 per cent of the project and also requires that the project be completed in 2017.
To that end, council also approved ISL Engineering Ltd. to complete the activities needed to finalize tender documents for the project, so that if the grant application is successful the project is ready for completion during 2017.
The Clean Water and Wastewater Fund also allows local governments to submit up to two applications, so council also voted to have staff put in an application for the Comprehensive Sanitary Sewer Inflow & Infiltration Strategy.
Given that the City of Rossland now pays its portion of the East End Regional Sewer Utility Service based on flow, council has made cutting down on inflow (storm water entering the sewage system) and infiltration (ground water seeping into the sewage lines) a priority. The same rules would apply — the City of Rossland will pay 17 per cent and must complete the work in 2017 — and council approved the project for up to $500,000.
Both of these projects are included in the City of Rossland’s 2016-2020 Financial Plan, and both projects are budgeted to be phased over a number of years, so if the grant applications are successful, it’s possible some funds could be redirected to other capital initiatives.
Washington St. project projected to be under budget
City of Rossland staff project that the total cost for the Washington St. project will be $6,661,922.40, whereas the total project cost was estimated at $7,010,858.96 back in April.
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