ST. PAUL - Council gave the go-ahead to Town of St. Paul administration to proceed with a grant application for raw water supply system upgrades.
The project is estimated to cost $2.6 million, and if successful, the Water for Life grant could fund nearly 47 per cent of the total cost. The recommendation was put before council on March 14,
In 2021, the municipality hired an engineer to conduct a raw water supply system study that includes detailed designs and cost models, to help with future planning. The same engineering company - MPE Engineering - is now helping with a detailed analysis of the potential raw water supply system upgrade project, heard council.
According to information presented by Town of St. Paul CAO Steve Jeffery, the system requires updates due to some components having reached their life expectancy. The system is also undersized to meet future demands.
"An assessment of the existing system recommends replacing the existing raw water intake, pumping system, standby power generation and and expansion of the raw water reservoir with a new HDPE liner," said the CAO.
When speaking to the financials, Jeffery said it appears evident that the province will be allocating less dollars in the water and waste water sector in coming years.
But, 2022/23 shows $61.7 million in funding available "therefore, I am recommending we pursue this opportunity at this time. If awarded the grant, many steps are necessary prior to beginning the project including engineering which would take the summer and fall of 2022 pushing any construction plans into 2023 at the earliest," said Jeffery.
Mayor Maureen Miller acknowledged that infrastructure around water is a challenge for municipalities.
While diverging slightly from the topic at hand, Coun. Nathan Taylor used the opportunity to ask if the Town has considered looking at other water supplies for the Town, since the North Saskatchewan River likely won't always be an option.
Miller acknowledged that the topic of water supply is something that should be looked at, and described the raw water reservoir project as "another bridge to the next opportunity."
Taylor said he believed the Town should be planning for the future. "Not for my retirement, but my children's retirement."
A motion to proceed with the grant application was carried. The St. Paul/Elk Point Water Commission will also need to be consulted on the project, heard council.
Community grant requests
A number of community groups will get financial support from the Town of St. Paul. On March 14, council reviewed a list of requests to the municipality's Community Grant program.
Total grant funding requests so far in 2022 total $7,055, heard council, as administration presented a list that fell within the Town's policy.
The St. Paul 4-H Multi Club requested $400 to be put toward its annual highway clean-up, which is scheduled for May 7.
The St. Paul Desna Ukrainian Dance Club asked for $300, to be put toward its upcoming dance festival. The 29th annual event is set for April 9.
The St. Paul Figure Skating Club requested $970, in the form of a facility booking for the Clancy Richard Arena. The arena was used for a Canskate Fun Meet held on March 12.
St. Paul Fish and Game Association is in the midst of planning its annual supper and auction, and requested an in-kind donation to help with fundraising efforts. The donation will include a golf package made up of four passes and two carts to be used at the St. Paul Golf Course.
A facility booking worth $1,540 was also requested for the event which is scheduled to take place at the Rec. Centre on May 7.
The St. Paul Jr. B Canadiens have asked for $500, as they prepare to attend the 2022 Jr. B provincial tournament March 31 to April 3 in Wainwright.
The final request was from St. Paul Regional High School. The school requested $1,000 to help cover costs associated with sending the school's mixed and girls' curling teams to ASAA provincials in Lethbridge, March 2 to 5.
