A preliminary version of the 10-year capital plan lays out spending of $61.3 million in 2012. Much of that would depend on funding sources beyond the city.
Council got its first glimpse at the updated plan this week but didn't get into any debates.
Two big-ticket items dominate the list in 2012: $17.1 million for the third stage of Ray Gibbon Drive and $30 million for a south transit/park and ride station.
The Ray Gibbon Drive spending would require either outside funding or borrowing, and the park and ride depends on $20 million in provincial Green Trip money. Neither is guaranteed to happen in time for 2012.
"All that is is a laundry list," said Mayor Nolan Crouse of the plan. "It's a little bit awkward at this point because there's no funding strategy."
At this early juncture it's difficult for councillors to have informed opinions as the line items are simply dollar amounts without an explanation of their source, Crouse said.
However, he and some councillors have already identified areas they think are ripe for tweaking.
Crouse wants to add $30,000 to the 2012 budget for web streaming.
Coun. Malcolm Parker thinks $175,000 for a new mountain bike skills park can be deferred for a year or more because its proponents haven't yet found a suitable location, according to city manager Bill Holtby. He also wonders about $400,000 earmarked for two separate train whistle cessation projects.
Parker thinks council has to test the plan against council's goals and priorities.
"The question is, how much can we afford? That's just going to force us to look at priorities," he said.
Coun. Cam MacKay has been driving around looking at park benches, wondering whether the city needs to spend $100,000 on bench replacement next year.
He would like to defer $500,000 for remediation of a former public works yard in Riel Park where salt contamination has occurred. At this point it's looking like the city could satisfy the authorities by continuing to monitor the site, he said.
MacKay also wants to fund $17,500 to plant trees along Bellerose Drive.
"It's going to be challenging for us to find some room to pay for all the things we have to and we'd like to do," he said.
The funded list includes $405,000 for bag dispensers for dog waste.
The 10-year plan is a document used to guide the three-year capital budget and provide a roadmap for future capital expenditures. Councillors will spend the next three weeks digging into the details before discussing it again at the next meeting of the standing committee on finance next month.
DARP
The unfunded list contains several large expenditures related to the Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan (DARP), which is a new vision to reshape downtown that council passed last fall. Council is expecting to see an implementation plan on May 24.
But according to the 10-year capital plan, implementing DARP would require spending $5.4 million in 2012 and an average of $19.2 million per year for the following four years.
Crouse isn't expecting to see any DARP projects funded next year.
"I'd be surprised if any got moved above the line for 2012. I think we've got too many competing priorities," he said.
