The Mayor or Rossland calls the Utilities Master Plan tabled at Monday’s City Council meeting a comprehensive look at priority projects over the next several years.
However, Andy Morel says council also got an unexpected and unwanted surprise while getting guided through the document.
The first order of business is addressing storm water sewer or pipe failures and that’s not all.
“It has our water lines as well, some road erosion, so that has to be dealt with in the near future because it’s something we really can’t push off,” he explained.
The plan identified seven projects totaling $22-million with the highest priority going toward the $7-million dollar replacement of the Wagon Road Sanitary Sewer.
Morel admits the dollar figures are scary and going up constantly.
“We knew these dollar figures were huge accumulatively, obviously that figure is overwhelming,” Morel said, adding that council has looked to the future in its budgeting process.
“We’ve made an effort this year in our budgeting process to target a five percent increase in our property tax to support reserves so that we’re being proactive as far as putting money away,” Morel stated, noting that they will go for whatever grants and partnerships are available.
The mayor emphasized the work will be spread over many years and the making sure the jobs are done properly.
“And it’s one of those things too when you start digging up roads, it’s prudent to invest in the infrastructure so you don’t have to be in there in another decade or so,” Morel said.
He pointed out the utilities master plan only deals with underground infrastructure and doesn’t look at the rock and concrete wall issues in the city.
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