Newmarket staff seeking more money for 2 drainage projects

Yorkregion.com
Aug. 23, 2016
By Chris Simon

Two drainage projects will filter a little more money out of Newmarket’s coffers than expected.

Councillors will debate a plan to increase funding for drainage projects at two municipal recreation facilities - Lions Park and the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex - during a meeting next week. Under the plan, funding for Lions will rise from $304,000 to $615,000, while the Ray Twinney project goes from $350,000 to $450,000.

About $420,000 of the overall cost would be covered by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and Environment Canada, with the remaining amount paid for through a town reserve fund.

The Ray Twinney project will address on-site drainage issues and downstream flooding in Western Creek.

This project is time sensitive as both the LSRCA and Environment Canada require the project to be completed by March 2017 in order to obtain funds, development and infrastructure services commissioner Peter Noehammer said.

Ditto for Lions, which has experienced drainage issues for years, he said.

The Lions improvements will reduce flooding at the park and adjacent properties. The existing drainage channel will be moved farther away from D’Arcy Street and deepened and widened. A wetland feature will be constructed near Lorne Avenue to reduce the risk of downstream flooding. Construction could begin later this year.

These projects address one of the more vulnerable aspects the town has with respect to climate change - flooding, Noehammer said.

Most town capital projects are completed within budget, town treasurer Mike Mayes said.

But he admits staff will approach council for budget increases on a few projects next week. It’s those hikes, which often come in separate reports to council throughout the year rather than as line items in the capital budget, that stick out to residents.

“I suppose those are always the ones we highlight, the ones asking for additional dollars,” Mayes said. “But if you look at our capital budget on the whole, you’ll find the vast majority come in on budget, in fact under budget.”

If the project is approved at committee of the whole, it will need to be ratified by council at an upcoming meeting.