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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Northland Trailer Park's condo board told the city Monday not to worry about paving after replacing water and sewer lines.

Wade Friesen, vice-president of the Yellowknife Condominium Corporation No. 8, was one of many Northland Trailer Park residents to speak to city council during the Municipal Services Committee meeting Monday. - Nicole Veerman/NNSL photo

By not repaving it's expected to save Northland residents $4 million out of the total infrastructure replacement cost of $18 million.

"We've put in a request recently to see if the city would consider taking back the infrastructure in an unpaved state," Wade Friesen, vice-president of the condo board, told city council Monday during the Municipal Services Committee meeting. "

(That) would be very beneficial to the residents in that it would knock $4 million off the price tag."

Residents are currently expected to come up with all the money needed to replace the park's ageing infrastructure, which is 15 years past its expiry date.

Once the water and sewer lines are replaced, the city will take over responsibility for them.

To pay for the infrastructure, the board is preparing to request an interest-free loan from the GNWT. The loan would be backed by the city through the local improvement tax that the city has already proposed, said Friesen.

"If the GNWT could contribute funds, that would be great, and a no interest loan would be the equivalent for us getting federal funding of $9 million, in that we're not paying double over 25 years with our interest payments," said Friesen.

Friesen and about 40 other Northland residents were at city hall Monday to hear council deliberate on a motion put forward by Coun. David Wind during last week's council meeting. The item was deferred to committee for further debate and discussion after fellow councillors expressed concern about including specific construction start and end dates.

Wind's motion requests administration present council with an outline of what needs to happen to complete the infrastructure replacement, how and when it can happen, and be ready no later than Jan. 31, 2012. It also states construction must start no later than June 13, 2013 and must be finished no later than Dec. 31, 2015.

"I find it difficult that we have put any kind of time-frame on a specific project, particularly construction dates, when in fact at this point, we're still trying to find funding," said Coun. Cory Vanthuyne.

Couns. Lydia Bardak, Paul Falvo, Mark Heyck and Shelagh Montgomery agreed and voted to amend the motion to remove the dates, while Couns. Wind and Amanda Mallon voted to keep them in place.

"Clearly, the funding needs to be found and presumably we can only hope that some of that funding will come from government grants, which will have deadlines associated with them. I would let funding dictate that time-line," said Montgomery.

The condo corporation and the City of Yellowknife have applied for funding from the federal government, but after 15 months, have yet to receive word on their request.

Wind said he felt it was unfair to the residents of Northland to hold out for the federal government to come to their rescue.

"They may and they may not, but at some point that infrastructure is going to have to be replaced, otherwise the city will potentially, with each year that we delay, potentially face a more serious threat to having a disaster on our hands in Northlands."

By March, the park had already had six waterline breaks. But because all of the underground infrastructure is owned by the condominium corporation itself, not by the city, the corporation is expected to pay for the replacement.

The city has proposed a solution - a local improvement tax, which would result in monthly payments of about $420 per month for 25 years from each of the 258 trailers in the park - but residents say it's not financially feasible for them. After the replacement is completed, the city has said it will take over responsibility for the infrastructure.

Although he doesn't live in Northland, Kirby Marshall came out Monday to show his support to his fellow Yellowknifers.

"I will gladly step up to the plate as a taxpayer of Yellowknife to do my share because I understand the importance of Northlands and the people that live there and reside there, work and go to our schools.

"This is a serious, serious problem that faces Yellowknife and we have to get it dealt with. It's a tough problem, but that's what you're here to do. Fix it," he told council, eliciting applause from the crowd.

Council will vote on the amended bylaw at next Monday's council meeting.

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