A lack of provincial grant funding has not stopped Canmore council from putting funds into tree thinning.
While administration had recommended a budgeted amount of $100,000 for the Firesmart thinning program be removed, Councillor Jim Ridley disagreed.
Ridley put forward a successful motion to include $50,000 for the program in the 2011 and 2013 budgets.
Deputy chief administrative officer Lisa de Soto told council grant funding for the program ended this year and the fire department identified it as something that could wait.
“It was brought to the table by the fire department,” she said.
Coun. Hans Helder was the only one to vote against the motion, noting that the savings was one identified by staff.
PEDESTRIAN CROSSING KEPT IN BUDGET
Coun. Helder went on during the same meeting to propose cutting a project for a pedestrian crossing near the new Multiplex.
Helder pointed to a project currently scheduled for 2012 and 2013 to realign the intersection at Railway Avenue and Main Street to allow two lanes to proceed along Railway.
The project is set to begin in 2012, with $175,000 for design and $1.2 million in 2013 for construction.
He said the future project may remove the benefit of an additional crosswalk.
“This would be a nice to have, not an essential, so I am proposing we delete it,” he said.
Council, however, did not vote to support the motion.
Mayor Ron Casey said without more information on the design of the intersection, he would prefer to leave both projects as is.
“I am cautious to pull it out at this point because we may not know enough about that intersection design,” he said.
MULTIPLEX VOTED ON SEPARATELY
As part of capital budget deliberations, Coun. John Borrowman made a successful motion for council to vote on the Multiplex separately.
“As I continue to struggle with the Multiplex budget, I would like to vote on it separately,” Borrowman said.
After postponing the majority of the capital budget until the beginning of January, council voted on the Multiplex.
Borrowman was the only councillor to vote against the project.
“I really do not think the project shows an effective use of MSI funds or is an effective response to the clear need of expanding our facilities,” he said.
WALK OF CHAMPIONS DISPLAYS TO STAY IN 2015
Coun. Jim Ridley proposed to move a 2015 budget item to develop displays for the Walk of Champions to the 2011 budget.
Ridley argued he does not want to see those display windows sit idle for four years and would like the Canmore Public Art Committee to direct the project.
Mayor Ron Casey expressed concern the $20,000 budget for the project was to come from taxes in 2015 and until then there are no funds.
Ridley amended his motion to raise taxes in 2011 by the $20,000.
But Casey went on to add that the budget item is not just for filling display boxes, but to create pageantry along the laneway beside the Civic Centre.
“If this was just for display boxes, we would not tax residents $20,000 to fill these,” he said.
The project summary in the budget identifies, in addition to developing panels for the display boxes, banners for the laneway.
It states the intent of the project is to develop something that would represent community champions for several years so the materials would not need frequent replacement.
The motion was defeated in a three to four vote with councillors Borrowman and Gordie Miskow voting with Ridley.
SKATEBOARD PARK PLAZA BACK IN THE BOOKS
After tenders for the completion of the skateboard park in Canmore came in over budget, council has voted to take another stab at the project.
Councillor Ed Russell put forward a successful motion to bring the project back to council for approval with a new scope and price for the plaza area of the popular park next to the Rec Centre.
Russell put the motion forward after a tender process failed to bring in bids from local companies within a $90,000 budget.
A cause for concern was the fact the original contractor that designed and constructed the skateboard park did not submit a bid in the project when it went to tender.
Council voted to take the project to tender earlier this year after receiving funds from a Municipal Sponsorship Program grant.
