Yellowknife (Dec 06/06) - The City of Yellowknife will find itself short $60 million if it tries to replace all its aging infrastructure over the next 10 years, according to an assessment prepared by FSC Architects and Engineers.

Warren McLeod of FSC presented the study Monday at City Hall to the Priorities, Policies and Budget Committee meeting.

The study has taken two years and will most likely be adopted for information at next Monday's council meeting.

This will allow council to use it when deciding what should be put in, and what should be left out of the final 2007 budget, said Mayor Gordon Van Tighem to council members at the meeting.

McLeod gave the committee a quick explanation on how the $60 million gap was deduced.

"To get the infrastructure gap, we looked at the needs of the city compared to the actual funding," he said.

"We took the capital needs at $208 million and (subtracted) it from the capital fund at $140 million to get the infrastructure gap."

When Coun. David Wind expressed some concern about the $60 million deficit to replace aging infrastructure over the next 10 years, McLeod said most Canadian municipalities are facing large infrastructure replacement deficits.

"For example, Edmonton is looking at $7.2 billion for its infrastructure over the next 10 years," he said. "Its funds for it are at $3.1 billion. That city is looking at a $4.1 billion infrastructure gap, so the City of Yellowknife isn't alone," McLeod said.

McLeod said city staff are doing a good job repairing and maintaining city-owned infrastructure.

"It's like having a real old car and you keep it running by putting time and money into," he said.

McLeod listed the infrastructure areas that received an F grade in the study, meaning they are of the highest priority for replacement.

First on the list was roads and sidewalks, which FSC estimates will cost about $10.7 million to replace. Second was water and sewage, where replacing aging underground pipes should cost about $28 million. The city's vehicle fleet will cost roughly $6.7 million to replace, and repairing, upgrading and replacing city buildings is tagged at $15.9 million.

"Overall 54 per cent of the city's infrastructure was given a good grade," McLeod said. "Ten per cent was given an F or very poor."

When Coun. Paul Falvo asked what type of management plan - such as what needed to be repaired compared to replaced - was needed to accomplish all that the FSC study concluded, McLeod said that FSC was not hired to do that.

"The study wasn't meant to be a be-all-to-end-all for each item," he said. "It was meant to be a guide; to be a tool."