Expanding the city’s recreation services, including parks amenities, and building accommodations for policing, are among the heftier items up for approval by St. Albert city council this year.
The city released its draft budget Nov. 3, which includes a proposed 2.5-per-cent tax increase, 4.5-per-cent utilities increase, and operating budget of $117.1-million. The tax increase includes 1.5 per cent required to fund the city’s repair, maintenance, and replacement (RMR) infrastructure deficit, with the remainder a general increase to maintain the city’s service levels.
Council will consider 13 recommended capital growth projects requiring funding for 2022, totalling close to $14 million.
By far the largest item in the city’s municipal growth capital for 2022 is the proposed Badger Lands solar farm at $26 million. This project still requires council to sign off on a borrowing bylaw, which will come forward for council’s approval in the coming months.
Parks and recreation
Though not the most sizeable single-ticket item, the city could dedicate a large total portion of funds to a recreation centre site and parks planning.
For 2022, the city is looking at allocating $1 million in planning funds for a recreation centre site in the developing Cherot neighbourhood, formerly known as Elysian Fields. This future site could help to address the city’s growing recreation needs.
Detailed planning would include a functional study, complete with cost analysis; an investigation of partner opportunities; and technical studies with geotechnical and environmental and traffic impact assessments. Cost for the ensuing stages of the project have not yet been determined.
Diane McMordie, St. Albert’s director of finance, said there will be a lot of public engagement around the project, pending council's approval for the design stage.
The city is also recommending council approve the next phase for the Red Willow Trail connections to the Meadowview area.
Approved for funding in 2020, phase one of the three-phase project focuses on the construction of Grey Nuns White Spruce Park and is already underway. This portion of the project will be completed in fall of 2022, according to the project’s description in the budget.
In the remainder of 2022, the city will begin planning for the trail connection from Ray Gibbon Drive to the CN Trestle Bridge, with construction planned for 2023.
The total cost of detailed planning and design for this phase of the project is slotted at around $368,000. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2023, with work on the project in that year forecasted to cost roughly $3.3 million.
Manda Wilde, senior project manager for St. Albert, said in October this project will dovetail with the city’s Oakmont Trail project. The Oakmont project looks at connecting the remnants of a trail that currently exists on the north side of the Sturgeon River along the Oakmont neighbourhood.
“These two projects will effectively fully connect both the north and south sides of the river by [a] trail,” Wilde said in October.
The city is also proposing close to $700,000 of capital money be put toward the continued future park planning for new neighbourhoods.
If approved, work in 2022 will focus on future parks in South Riel, Erin Ridge North phase two, and Cherot East.
Expanding police service buildings
Expanding building accommodations for policing services is another growth priority in the proposed 2022 capital budget.
These accommodations would cost $5 million, and include a large renovation and parking lot expansion at the main RCMP detachment at Maloney Place, along with a renovation to the first floor of Beaudry Place. The city is looking to borrow the funds for the facility, with a borrowing bylaw to come before council at a later date if they approve the project as part of the budget process.
According to the project plans in the budget document, this new space is required to address human resource and policing program growth. The expansion would also address design “shortcomings” in the current spaces, for example parking shortage, and security deficiencies.
The city estimates the expansion would accommodate the city’s needs up to 2034.
Rebuild of Villeneuve Road
Another big-ticket item up for approval in the draft budget includes a rebuild of Villeneuve Road.
This rebuild could realign Villeneuve Road — which connects Ray Gibbon Drive to St. Albert Trail — to better accommodate a future east-west arterial road — Fowler Way — planned for the northeast of St. Albert.
The city is planning to incorporate accommodations for “active modes” of transportation, such as bicycling, in the road’s rebuild. This would involve potentially adding sidewalks and trails alongside the new road.
The $4 million required for the project in 2022 would be covered by federal grants, with an estimated $8 million for the total cost of construction as the project continues. Currently, a small portion of the project is captured under the city’s off-site levy program, meaning developers Melcor and Strata would chip in $2.5 million for the total project.
Other projects
A few examples of other capital projects up for funding in 2022 include traffic-calming strategies, intersection improvements, and an rehaul of the city’s maintenance management system for $1.1 million. Some of these projects will be funded through provincial and federal grants.
For now, the budget is in draft form. City council will see additional presentations from administration and debate what should ultimately be included in the budget in the coming weeks. Final approval of the budget is currently set for Dec. 20.
