Thanks to a variety of factors, Huntsville’s Roads Department has an unexpected surplus of $1,034,795.76 in its 2017 Capital Budget. The Town’s Director of Operations and Protective Services, Steve Hernen, was before General Committee on June 28 requesting permission to use those funds to add four projects that were scheduled for 2018 to the existing 2017 budget.
The excess funds are thanks to grants, District projects that have been cancelled, a newly adopted bridge replacement plan, and project tender pricing that came in below the approved budget.
“We had $3.1 million (with grants) that we could spend on capital roads,” said Hernen. “To date, we are predicting that just over $2 million will be spent to complete the work that we have approval to do which leaves us with a million dollars, all coming out of the reserve fund which has been planned for and taxed for… We can leave the million dollars in there or we can start to look at the 2018 roads, and that’s what we did.”
The four projects are another section of North Mary Lake Road; a section of Harp Lake Road, which was bumped off the 2017 list because other roads needed more urgent work; White House Road, which includes ditch and culvert work; and ditch and culvert work on Griffin Lodge Road to prepare for surface work in 2018. Moving those four projects to 2017 would still leave $83,795 in this year’s budget for unforeseen expenses.
“Obviously we are going to monitor the budget,” said Hernen. “If we don’t have enough money, if we run into a problem on another project, one of these off the bottom of the list will be knocked off…to keep it within our $3.1 million spend.”
It was news that pleased the councillors.
“When we set out in this new direction, this is exactly what we were hoping to be able to accomplish, to be aggressive with our timelines and… push some more roads off the list,” said Councillor Jonathan Wiebe.
“I am completely overjoyed by this report because we’ve heard over and over again, just fix the roads,” said Mayor Scott Aitchison. “I appreciate the creative ways you come up with to solve these problems, not the least of which is pushing back on the District’s Engineering and Public Works Department,” he added, referring to staff’s questioning of why the Town should be paying to repave roads that the District tears up for water and sewer work.
Aitchison suggested that there should be policy in place that allows the Roads Department to move projects forward when there is a surplus without seeking council approval, as long as it remains within the already approved budget. In a round table discussion, councillors agreed.
Hernen noted that what is moved forward from the next year may not be the worst road on the list if those repairs would cost more than the approved budget. “We might have to go down to a smaller road.”
Brandon Hall, Civil Engineering Technician with the Town, also noted that the process the department has begun using on some roads is creating a stronger road base.
“We have $60 million worth of immediate needs on a $3 million-a-year budget,” said Hernen. “Sometimes, yes, we are putting a bandaid on to get us 10 or 15 years so we can try to get a handle on the whole road needs requirements.” Hernen added that the department is looking for ways to be more efficient and cost-effective. “We are looking at all those operations… We are spending a lot of time analyzing what we are doing and why we are doing it and is there a better way to do it…is there a better way to spend that money.”
As a result of completing these four projects this year, the department will be able to include other projects from future years in its 2018 plan.
Committee approved both the change request and a resolution to allow roads staff to move future projects from the approved capital plan into the current budget year.
Both resolutions will go before council for ratification in July.
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They should look at Town Line.This is the road that gets used every time some event is in town. The road is awful, no sidewalk. More people are living on this road with children, people come flying over the hill. An accident waiting to happen! Lots of trucks,dump trucks use this road instead of main street.
Concession 4&5 Road West, Brunel, has been falling apart and undermined by water, vehicle passing inhibited by encroaching trees, and patched only in excess of the original light float for twenty years, with no ditching or culverts ever. Please consider our smaller road.
I own a business on Lindgren Road West and pay substantial taxes. Our road is a disgrace due to heavy truck traffic, as well as lack of measurable maintenance. When do yo think we will get some consideration beyond haphazard patching?