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Niven paving project on hold until pipes checked, repaired City administrator to move forward with up to $450,000 in emergency funding Simon Whitehouse Northern News Services Published Friday, Sept 14, 2012
According to the city, 31 out of 35 residents in Niven Phase VI, which includes homes on Haener Drive, DeWeerdt Drive, and Driscoll Road, have complained about freeze-ups and leaky piping under the streets. A memorandum at Monday's municipal services committee meeting indicated the "SAO (senior administrative officer) advised the mayor of the nature of the emergency and the estimated amount of funds to be expended." Mayor Gord Van Tighem said the cause of the problems weren't known at Yellowknifer's press deadline, but that they were extensive enough to require further inspection underground and need to be dealt with right away. "When they started to work on the paving they had some problems with water or sewer lines, which led the city to scope the water and sewer lines," said Van Tighem. "In scoping the sewers they found 31 of 35 the lines in some form of distress, which means you don't want to pave it." The mayor said the paving project was halted in August due to various problems stemming from the pipes sloping in the wrong direction or being twisted, bent, kinked or broken. Repairs are expected to be complete by the end of the fall. If the city delayed the work until after the winter there could be a break and it would cost anywhere from $1 million to $2 million, according to the city memo. Public works director Dennis Kefalas said Monday that the city wanted to know the full extent of the deficiencies as soon as possible. "We wanted to get this in front of council as quickly as we could but right now we don't have the answers yet as to whether this is an act of God or if there is a responsible party," Kefalas said. Asked if the problem could have been handled sooner, Van Tighem said no. "If it was created by the condition by the freeze-thaw cycle of an area of semi-continuous permafrost, no." Homes North began building the subdivision in 2005, but developer Les Rocher, had not heard anything about the city's intent to inspect the area when contacted by Yellowknifer. He said FSC Architects and Engineers (now Stantec) did the engineering work. Van Tighem said Robinson Enterprises Ltd. put the pipes in the ground about eight to 10 years ago. The mayor said the city will look after the repairs even if the faulty pipes are found to be within residents' property lines. Annette Austin, who lives on Haener Drive, said the city has been very helpful in addressing the eight or night freeze-ups she has experienced. She had camera work done on the pipes and submitted her invoice to the city this summer. "Where the pipes are connected there are gaskets and those gaskets had come askew," she said. "So it creates a ridge where toilet paper can get stuck. Then it builds up over time and whatever is in there freezes." Under the city's personal property acquisition and disposal policies, Long can single-handedly expend funds in emergency situations. However, some councillors felt that he could be overstepping his bounds, considering that an emergency could be defined as a flood or a major fire. "I didn't want to go the point where I was accusing him of exceeding his authority, but in the reference that they quote, it says the SAO is authorized in circumstances of an emergency to spend whatever funds is required to deal with that emergency," said Coun. David Wind. "And then they would advise council as quickly as possible. I would be hard pressed to accept that (situation in Niven) as an emergency as is being characterized." Van Tighem said both he and deputy mayor Mark Heyck support the move because paying the money now could save the city a lot of money in the next several months.
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