Infrastructure assessment on tap

By Stan Ashbee
Sunny South News

In 2016, the Town of Picture Butte’s mission, if they choose to accept it, is to undertake a complete infrastructure assessment and multi-year capital plan.
“To that end, we just recently completed a request for proposals and received five. We have since short-listed down to two firms and have met with both and now it’s just a matter of making a decision and making a recommendation to council,” said Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Larry Davidson.
It’s a project, Davidson noted, that will look at the condition and life cycle of all the town’s assets — including water, sewer, storm, sidewalks, and roads.
“And try to create a meaningful replacement strategy. Recognizing our limited financial resources for a period of approximately 20 years,” he said.
According to the CAO, the big project was identified as part of council’s strategic plan. “Once we award the contract, we’re expecting the consultant will start right away and it should wrap up the end of August or early September. Just in time for us to start to develop our budget for 2017. At that point, we’ll take that information and start to implement it,” he explained.
Davidson said the town’s goal is to try to look at the replacement of the required works in a block by block fashion. “The intent is we’re not going to be digging up roads twice — it’s very holistically.”
Council will still need to adopt the proposal, as part of their budget cycle.
The town, Davidson added, is also making progress with the Parks, Culture and Recreation consultations, recently initiated.
“We have several open houses. On Feb. 17, Stantec will be hosting a session with our council and tentatively Lethbridge County council to review kind of, ‘this is what we’ve heard and this is what we’re thinking.’ As well on that same date there will be a session from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the Community/Seniors Centre for stakeholder groups and then an evening session from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Community/Seniors Centre for residents, as a whole,” Davidson said.
“It’s really important we get that feedback. As well online right now we actually have a survey we’re anxious to have our residents partake in.”
According to Davidson, the Stantec consultation process is set to wrap up by Mar. 31. “We’re hoping all this community-led discussion will identify what the community’s priorities are and their desire for new or changes to existing facilities and then once we get that buy-in, we’ll start to implement that, as well,” he said.
Finalizing the subdivision for the industrial lands, within the CPR development is also underway in the town.
Davidson added interest in the Sunset Park residential subdivision is still strong.
“We’re actively going to start marketing those lots soon.”