Post by Max on Feb 15, 2007 20:52:13 GMT -3
I told you peeps about this incompetence on my website in September, and yet you're only hearing about it now in the media. Mayor Dumb new this information before the election, just like I did, yet he didn't tell the public about it because he knew it would harm his re-election bid.
Costs may sink Kingsway project; City must spend $8 million or risk losing $6.7 million in federal, provincial funding
www.thesudburystar.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=405286&catname=Local%20News&classif=
Denis St. Pierre / The Sudbury Star
Local News - Thursday, February 15, 2007 @ 11:00
The City of Greater Sudbury stands to lose $6.7 million in provincial and federal funding due to its plan to cancel a major road-upgrading project.
Last year, the city was awarded $6.7 million from the senior levels of government to fund two-thirds of the $10-million cost of improving Kingsway Boulevard, between Brady Street and Laking Toyota.
The funding came from the Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund, a three-way cost-sharing program. Under the COMRIF terms, the city was required to pay one-third of the Kingsway project's cost, or $3.3 million.
However, the project's cost has now risen to about $15 million - a 50-per-cent increase over the original pricetag.
The increase is due to rising costs for private property acquisition and for construction-related work, city council has been told.
Since the level of provincial and federal funding is etched in stone under the terms of COMRIF, if the city proceeds with the Kingsway project, it will have to absorb the entire increase, raising its costs to more than $8 million.
As a result, many city councillors say the municipality can't proceed with the Kingsway upgrading.
That means the city will lose the $6.7 million in provincial and federal funding, unless there is political intervention in Ottawa and at Queen's Park.
The city has been informed by administrators of the COMRIF program that the $6.7 million can't be diverted to other infrastructure projects in the community.
The only option left for council is to lobby the federal and provincial governments to intervene and override the COMRIF rules in this case.
Ideally, the federal/provincial funding would be used to fund more than $9.7 million in "critical" work on 39 culverts that need to be replaced or repaired, city staff have informed council.
"We are suggesting to the provincial and federal governments that perhaps they could see themselves funding it this way," said Greg Clausen, the city's acting general manager of infrastructure.
"We're suggesting a way for them to do it," Clausen said of the proposed diversion of COMRIF infrastructure funds.
Following city council's meeting Wednesday, Ward 2 Coun. Jacques Barbeau said it's frustrating to have to deal with significant increases in the cost of infrastructure projects.
The city simply can't afford to proceed with the Kingsway project due to the recent cost increases, Barbeau said.
"I don't think it's a feasible project at this time ... But if you don't do the project, you don't get that money; it's gone. It is frustrating."
Council also is awaiting a report from city staff, requested by Barbeau, on the current cost status of the south end sewer tunnel. The tunnel, which is under construction, initially was projected to cost $23 million, but the pricetag was later increased to more than $31 million.
Barbeau said he requested a cost update because he has been hearing rumours the pricetag has increased again.
Last summer, city council approved a $7-million cost increase for an expansion of an eastern section of The Kingsway, from Falconbridge Road to the Highway 17 East Bypass.
The project's cost initially was set at $6 million, then council approved a $2.4-million increase due to rising construction costs.
Another cost increase of about $4.5 million was approved by council after city staff took it upon themselves to call for tenders for a more elaborate version of the project.
Costs may sink Kingsway project; City must spend $8 million or risk losing $6.7 million in federal, provincial funding
www.thesudburystar.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=405286&catname=Local%20News&classif=
Denis St. Pierre / The Sudbury Star
Local News - Thursday, February 15, 2007 @ 11:00
The City of Greater Sudbury stands to lose $6.7 million in provincial and federal funding due to its plan to cancel a major road-upgrading project.
Last year, the city was awarded $6.7 million from the senior levels of government to fund two-thirds of the $10-million cost of improving Kingsway Boulevard, between Brady Street and Laking Toyota.
The funding came from the Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund, a three-way cost-sharing program. Under the COMRIF terms, the city was required to pay one-third of the Kingsway project's cost, or $3.3 million.
However, the project's cost has now risen to about $15 million - a 50-per-cent increase over the original pricetag.
The increase is due to rising costs for private property acquisition and for construction-related work, city council has been told.
Since the level of provincial and federal funding is etched in stone under the terms of COMRIF, if the city proceeds with the Kingsway project, it will have to absorb the entire increase, raising its costs to more than $8 million.
As a result, many city councillors say the municipality can't proceed with the Kingsway upgrading.
That means the city will lose the $6.7 million in provincial and federal funding, unless there is political intervention in Ottawa and at Queen's Park.
The city has been informed by administrators of the COMRIF program that the $6.7 million can't be diverted to other infrastructure projects in the community.
The only option left for council is to lobby the federal and provincial governments to intervene and override the COMRIF rules in this case.
Ideally, the federal/provincial funding would be used to fund more than $9.7 million in "critical" work on 39 culverts that need to be replaced or repaired, city staff have informed council.
"We are suggesting to the provincial and federal governments that perhaps they could see themselves funding it this way," said Greg Clausen, the city's acting general manager of infrastructure.
"We're suggesting a way for them to do it," Clausen said of the proposed diversion of COMRIF infrastructure funds.
Following city council's meeting Wednesday, Ward 2 Coun. Jacques Barbeau said it's frustrating to have to deal with significant increases in the cost of infrastructure projects.
The city simply can't afford to proceed with the Kingsway project due to the recent cost increases, Barbeau said.
"I don't think it's a feasible project at this time ... But if you don't do the project, you don't get that money; it's gone. It is frustrating."
Council also is awaiting a report from city staff, requested by Barbeau, on the current cost status of the south end sewer tunnel. The tunnel, which is under construction, initially was projected to cost $23 million, but the pricetag was later increased to more than $31 million.
Barbeau said he requested a cost update because he has been hearing rumours the pricetag has increased again.
Last summer, city council approved a $7-million cost increase for an expansion of an eastern section of The Kingsway, from Falconbridge Road to the Highway 17 East Bypass.
The project's cost initially was set at $6 million, then council approved a $2.4-million increase due to rising construction costs.
Another cost increase of about $4.5 million was approved by council after city staff took it upon themselves to call for tenders for a more elaborate version of the project.