Huge road
rebuilding ©
plan eyed

CITY COUNCILLOR — Rich
McDaniel wants to revive a plan
to allocalc a sel amount of moncy
each year to repave city streets.

McDaniel, chairman of coun-
cil’s public works commiltec,
Said there are too many strecis
needing too much work for what
money the city now has available.

And while that means raising
taxes, McDaniel said he thinks
residents will agree.

“There are some extremely
serious strects that need to be
done,”” McDaniel commented Last
week.

He suggested that $1 million a,
year over 20 years is a target
worth investigating.

“The previous council talked
about it and I think it’s something
that should be looked at again,’
McDaniel added of a comprehen-
sive paving plan.

“Tt could come to $100 a yeara
household. But over 20 years, I
wouldn’! mind paying $825 a
month to sec that my roads were
kept up in shape,’’ he said.

“We need a long term plan.
Something has to be donc. If we
want this town to grow we have
to have roads for people to go
back and -forth,?? McDaniel
added.

At the very least, McDanicl
wants investigated a plan to simp-
ly put a layer of asphalt on top of
some city sirects.

“T undersiand that was the case
years ago. The surface was lo last
10 years and they’ve lasted much
longer than thal.”’

“TF we find costs astronomical
for a rebuild, perhaps that’s the
way to go, but this is all hearsay.
It needs to-be researched,’’ said
McDaniel.

A similar plan to McDaniel’s
was proposed several ycars ago
but died. before city residents
could give their opinion in a
referendum.

The idea then was to spend $50
million over 25 years with $1

ied
ys

million committed the first year

and rising five per cent each suc-
ceeding year.
City officials at the time said

$400,000 of ‘the annual amount’ ~

would come from general
revenue wilh the balance raised
by a new tax,

‘The current system of Local
Improvement Projects, those con-
structed in a specific area and
paid for by residents of that area,
would be'eliminated in favour of
the new tax.

City officials said having a set
budget cach year would permit
better planning, reduce long
range maintenance costs and even
help do away with the cily’s
numerous potholes.

’ They said all unpaved streets

would be paved and that ditches
eliminated under {he plan.

But some councillors opposed
the plan, saying they didn’! want
to create a specific pool of money
which wouldn’t be subject to
normal annual budget delibera-
tions.

McDaniel said raising taxes
would be difficult because the
cily is heavily dependent upon
homeowners for its tax base,

“We don’t have the luxury of
Kitimat with its industrial base. In
Terrace you have a couple of
sawmills. and whatever else
people put up in the way of
businesses,’” he said.

The plan of a couple of years
ago estimated a tax increase of 13
per cent was needed to provide
enough money.

Representatives from the city’s
two large mills, Skeena Cellulose
and Skeena Sawmills, opposed
the plan at the lime,

They said the two mills already
pay 18 per cent of all city taxes.

Kkkke

A city survey of residents two
years ago discovered mosi want
at least 3km of paving done each
year.

But some residents were
worried about the costs.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 6, 1994 - A3

Costly
list

IT’S PROBABLY one of
the more expensive lists the
three city councillors on the
public works committee will
ever ponder.

With a price tag of just un-
der $2.5 million, il’s the Job
of the councillors to
determine how many of the
15 possible road rebullding

_ projects make the final cut.

“*We’ve been meeting the
last couple of months, and it
will probably be another
month yet before it will be
Teady,”’ public works com-
mittee chairman Rich
McDaniel said last week.

‘What he does know is that
the city doesn’t have the
kind of money to cover all
of the items on the list.

Leading ihe ist in order of
priority is $271,000 fo
rebuild Keith Ave. from
Kenney to Braun.

There's also a suggested
price tag of $303,000. for
Kenney Street from Graham
to Keith and $152,000 for
the 4900 Block of Lazelle
Ave,

Making up spois 14 and
15 are $63,000 for Eby
Street-Christy North and
$71,000 to work on the road
access leading from the city
to Kitselas.

The tough part, sald
McDaziel, is not yet know-
ing the amount of the capital
budget so the committee can
start setting out a _Fealistic
list.

City engineering director
Stew Christensen noted that
the projected costs are rough
estimates.

He said the work on each
item involves redoing the
subgrade of cach sireich of
road as well putting on a top
layer of asphalt.

kkk

Last year council held the
line on capital spending —
and taxes.

"There was no major road

IT LOOKS as if city councillor Rich McDaniel is in the middle of a sunbaked desert. But he’s actual-

ly looking at a severely cracked portion of the 4900 Block Lazella. The public works chairman 100,000 ea temete ae
wants to revive a plan that will increase taxes but result in a massive road rebuilding and paving re one Kilometre of

schedule for city streets,

* Based on cn overage root
of 20 square yards.
Dlfer applies on selacte
Anmstony floors, _,

a
a

ss oon

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