(File photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Road upgrades

Town gives approval for two local improvement projects

May 19, 2022 | 9:51 AM

Town council gave the go ahead for two new proposed local improvement projects for 23rd and 25th Streets in Battleford.

Both projects, previously approved in the town’s 2022 budget, were discussed at this week’s council meeting.

Mayor Ames Leslie said as part of the town’s Local Improvement Act policy, the town pays 60 per cent of the cost, and the homeowners on their frontage pay 40 per cent of the cost on 50 per cent of the street.

“The Town of Battleford uses the local improvement [arrangement] for paving streets,” he said. “Other communities use just a flat fee, where you pay through taxation to pay for the roads.”

On 23rd Street, from the 200 to 299 block, crews will complete an asphalt upgrade overlay, including concrete curb and gutter work.

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The estimated cost of the project is $434,100, including taxes and engineering fees.

Leslie said no objections were received on this initiative.

Then, on 25th Street, from the zero to 100 block, workers will apply an asphalt overlay.

Leslie said this road runs beside the Queen’s Hotel, heading downwards, and butts up to the town hall road.

“Presently, it’s a gravel road,” he said. “Erosion is the big factor of why the town is focused on this one, as the cost of gravel and keeping the road up has been quite extensive the last couple of years.”

The estimated cost of the project is $181,000, including taxes and engineering fees.

A local improvement letter was sent to the property owners affected. The town received four appeals against the local improvement out of 11 property owners, but the project is still able to proceed.

“This one can still move on, as you need more than 50 per cent of the homeowners to appeal the project to stop it,” Leslie said. “But we did have four appeals. We will make sure we keep those four people apprised and have the conversations that need be.”

Council gave third readings to the respective bylaws to approve the 23rd and 25th Streets projects, as recommended by administration.

“That’s two pavement projects off,” Leslie said. “Council can expect a couple more to come down the path yet.”

He noted a separate proposed project for 29th Street will not proceed.

“[It] was petitioned out, so we will not move forward on 29th Street,” Leslie said. “Administration and the [Public] Works Department will find another project to spend the money, as it is grant money that was going to be used for that. So there will be another project coming forth to council in the future.”

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angela.brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW