Mayor breaks tie to delay repaving
Motion to dip into reserve fund for 50 Street road work defeated by Heyck's vote
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Friday, May 1, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A city councillor's attempt to dip into a reserve fund to repave a section of 50 Street instead of delaying the work for another year failed after the mayor had to decide a split vote.
The crumbling sidewalk shown here along 50 Street between 51 Avenue and 52 Avenue won't be repaired this year after council voted to push the work to 2016. - Shane Magee/NNSL photo |
At a March municipal services committee meeting, councillors asked city staff to come back with a way to have NWT Construction Ltd. repave both Utsingi Drive and a one-block stretch of 50 Street.
The issue came to council Monday night with staff again proposing to delay 50 Street until next year.
It prompted a debate about spending priorities, complete with finger pointing.
The approved capital budget set aside $2.35 million for repaving this year. Staff recommended cutting 50 Street to pay for water and sewer contracts that came in over budget.
Coun. Rebecca Alty said work in Old Town related to the Harbour Plan and repainting the upper interior walls of the Ruth Inch Memorial Pool could be pushed to 2016 so the city could instead afford the repaving.
The painting is budgeted to cost $100,000 while the parks are budgeted to cost $350,000.
The 50 Street repaving would cost nearly $700,000 according to a city staff report.
"For me, the road work is also required," Alty said in response to city administrator Dennis Kefalas saying the budgeted park work is needed this year to make a lot on Wiley Road "somewhat usable" as part of the Harbour Plan.
"Not only does 50 Street get pushed back, but so do all the other projects that need doing," Alty said.
Coun. Adrian Bell said the city seems to have a problem setting priorities, pointing out the work was supposed to be done in 2006 but has been put off several times since then.
"We just keep pushing it along and along," he said.
He instead proposed an amendment that would have the city dip into a $6 million reserve fund to pay for the repaving.
Last year, a proposal for "streetscaping" was scrapped in favour of simple repaving as council slimmed the budget to achieve a zero property tax increase.
Bell was one of those who voted to scrap the more costly option.
In response to Coun. Cory Vanthuyne's assertion this was a vote against 50 Street paving entirely, Bell said, "Now it's my turn for a history lesson."
In fact, Bell favoured the paving project.
As well, Coun. Bob Brooks said Bell has stated in the past various projects shouldn't move ahead because the city has to live within its means.
"I don't think this is living within our means," Brooks said about Bell's repaving idea.
Councillors Brooks, Vanthuyne and Dan Wong voted against Bell's attempt.
Bell, Alty and Niels Konge voted in favour.
It was left to Mayor Mark Heyck to break the tie. He voted against and spoke in defense of city administration.
"I think it's unfair to point the finger there for any perceived shortcomings," the mayor said, referring to a comment from Wong.
"The question of priorities has come up, but the reality is there are probably many kilometres of roads in need of repair," Heyck said during the meeting.
Delaying other work would mean too much focus on just roads and sidewalks, he said.
Council in the end approved awarding repaving work on Utsingi Drive, including side road tie-ins to Deh Cho Boulevard, worth $1,038,931 plus GST to NWT Construction, the lone bidder. Alty was the only vote against that motion.
