There are three areas of concern that I can see;- Seventh Street remains unpaved, many years after the petition was presented to stop that project.
- Part of every Avenue (except First Avenue and Fifth Avenue) are unpaved.
- Beacon Heights Road south from the entrance to Beacon Heights to the junction with First Avenue is full of potholes, washboard, and generates a huge amount of dust every summer despite the very best effort of our Public Works department.
With those figures in hand, we will be able to create a priority list for the improvements.
Our sidewalk rehabilitation program is almost complete, with very few sections left to replace. I would like to see a portion of our streets improvement program (which is funded by the provincial government) set aside for paving.
I will also propose council meet with the residents along Seventh Street to discuss their street, and the cost of that project. Nothing should be done to improve that street until the majority of folks who live there agree.
As a long term (ten plus years) resident of Seventh Street I believe that it will only be paved unless and until the residents are able to "buy in" to the process. Simply being told that your taxes will go up by over $7 per frontage foot to pay for the project, take it or leave it, is not the way to convince anyone. Other means of funding to mitigate this amount must be explored. Similarly, speaking as an engineer, I would appreciate a professional study of what the anticipated change in grade level would do to the drainage surrounding the area. As it is, many residents of the particular street allready have their back yards flooded every spring with water draining through from Eighth Street.
ReplyDeleteHi Anon; Good points. Local improvement taxes (AKA frontage taxes) are always a sticky issue. Most of our street improvements, including sidewalks in Beiseker have not included massive frontage taxes. I was not part of the ad hoc committee who proposed the $7.00 per frontage foot but it seems to me the issue should have been negotiated out to find an acceptable rate. It is a proven fact that a paved street in front of a home raises its value. On the other hand we don't want to raise taxes so high for those folks that they can't afford to live there anymore! it I'm re-elected and council decides to tackle the &th Street pavement issue again, I will urge us five to carry on meaningful negotiations with the residents first, before decisions are made.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the drainage goes, we have a elevation difference of less than 6 inches throughout 6th, 7th and 8th Streets. That means water does not flow quickly north from these streets and then east along fifth to our pumping station. In fact this summer we had water coming UP the catch basins at the Medical Building because it just couldn't move fast enough! Obviously before we improve some of those streets on the east side, we need to address that drainage problem first.
On the other hand we don't want to raise taxes so high for those folks that they can't afford to live there anymore! it I'm re-elected and council decides to tackle the &th Street pavement issue again, I will urge us five to carry on meaningful negotiations with the residents first, before decisions are made.
ReplyDeleteI don't see it as a matter of negotiation, the council simply has to make an honest effort to explore other means of helping to fund the local improvement, without putting a burden on the affected residents that they would perceive as being unfair.
With respect to the drainage issues, it appears to me that the village is playing catch up. In other words, as a street is paved or sidewalks replaced, the next year if drainage becomes a problem it is fixed then. I would suggest that the two problems go hand in hand and a more longer term comprehensive effort should be made.