The city will try to bundle four transit projects into a single P3 project in order to take advantage of federal P3 funding.
A federal program called P3 Canada allows municipalities to apply for up to 25 per cent of the capital value of projects. Economies of scale make the program suitable for large projects so the program encourages municipalities to bundle similar projects together when applying.
Couns. Len Bracko and Roger Lemieux will work with city administration and P3 Canada to develop a viable project so the city can apply for funding next year.
Bracko spearheaded the move.
“You’ve got to make things happen,” he said.
Bracko has compiled a list of four projects: park and ride facilities at the south and north ends of St. Albert, a functional alignment study to determine where to run LRT within St. Albert, and a future LRT parking structure.
The program is an opportunity for the city to get projects done while minimizing the impact on its taxpayers, Bracko said.
“The priority is to get the transit system moving forward,” he said. “If we could put them together for a P3 we could perhaps have enough dollars to make it work.”
He projects the four projects on his list would cost a total of $71.2 million. He thinks the city could get $47 million from the province’s Green Trip program and $17.8 million from the federal P3 fund, leaving St. Albert to pay only $6.4 million.
“It’s important at least we attempt to see what happens,” he said. “If it doesn’t work, that’s fine but if it does, let’s go for it.”
Coun. Cam MacKay was the only councillor to vote against the motion.
He felt some of the projects were premature. For example, he questioned the logic of doing an LRT alignment study before there’s a commitment to bring LRT to St. Albert.
“It’s kind of like building the garage before you’ve got the car,” MacKay told council.
In a later interview, MacKay said he doesn’t mind P3s for certain situations.
“If you’re going to go out and borrow money for projects that may not happen, I wouldn’t do that in my personal life, but I look forward to seeing a policy,” he said.
Council has had two workshops on P3s to learn how the province structures its P3 projects. It’s also gotten briefings on what federal money is available and what kinds of projects would qualify.
A rep from P3 Canada has told the city that roads, highways, schools and bridges are being seriously considered, council heard Monday.
However, it’s also important to bundle like projects together for the program, the city says.
