One of the City of Nelson’s big capital projects this year includes restoring a heritage building in Railtown. The Coke and Gas Works building has a major revitalization planned that will restore the original windows and gas lamp posts, repoint the brick and stone, and a roof replacement. $100,000 is covered by the Columbia Basin Trust’s Heritage Grant. Paving is another highlight in the capital budget, says Chief Financial Officer Colin McClure.
“For 2019 and 2020 I think that City of Nelson residents will see an increase in paving work throughout the city to deal with some of our roads that are having some challenges. We’ve also got some buildings in a sense that the police-library building is having a new roof put on and some of the H-Vac upgrades.”
A project near the airport on Lakeside Drive has already begun. That work is an upgrade for the sewage treatment plant to help remove grit from the effluent as it’s pumped to the plant, which had been damaging the pipe. In total, there’s over $15-million in capital spending for 2019. $7.8M is funding projects in water, sewer and hydro. The work includes continuation of watermain replacement and secondary source. Continuation of CIPP relining, sewer main upgrades, hydro transmission system upgrades and pole replacements. There’s $8-million in general capital towards the paving program, sidewalk and retaining wall improvements, building improvements (i.e. exteriors, mechanical systems), vehicle and equipment replacements, and park improvements. Part of that is finishing upgrades at the Cottonwood Falls Park where the Cottonwood Market is held on Saturdays by the West Kootenay Eco Society. A new stage and washrooms still have to go in. Columbia Basin Trust grants also supported that project.
Some good news for the City in the last little while is the volume of new construction.
“Not quite $80,000 in new construction where we’ve had new homes built creating a new tax revenue for the City,” says McClure. “And it wouldn’t be a surprise to residents, or travelers or visitors of the Nelson area that we have quite a building boom going on and there’s also an expectation of four or five major projects coming online for 2019 and 2020.”
City Council hasn’t yet determined the tax increase for 2019 as funding for regional parks has recently changed with the Regional District of Central Kootenay. Two per cent was the plan, but the funding changes with the RDCK could offset that amount, suggests McClure. However, there would still be a two per cent increase for the regional district’s requisition. City Council has yet to meet to determine the plan forward.
A few quick facts from McClure’s budget presentation on March 18:
- All City operational revenue $46 Million
- Total operational expenses $39 Million
- Revenue over expenses pay down debt & flow into
Operational and Capital reserves - General Fund Operational expense and allocations to
reserves is budgeted at $22.1 M in 2019, funded by $10.4M
in Taxation (approx. 2 to 1 ratio) - A 1% increase in taxation produces about $90,000 to cover
operational expenditures - The dividend from Hydro to operations is equal to a 32%
tax increase - Only Municipality in Western Canada that generates and
distributes electricity - 171 Regular Employees
