A city committee wants council to delay its cleanup of the old public works yard for another three years.
The standing committee on finance recommended Monday to delay the city’s cleanup of the old public works yard in the Riel Business Park until 2015. The $500,000 item had originally been budgeted for 2012.
The city moved out of the old yard in 1999, but left behind soil contaminated by years of salt and sand storage. Alberta Environment asked the city to prepare a remediation plan for the site about 2004 out of concern the salt could contaminate groundwater and the Sturgeon River.
Monitoring wells have found little movement in the salt since 1999, says environmental manager Leah Jackson, on account of the region’s thick clay. Staffers had moved the date for the remediation several times, and most recently settled on 2012. “If we have to do anything about it, it would have to be next year.”
The city sold the old yard to a private company, notes Coun. Cam MacKay, who made the recommendation, and has a lot of negotiating to do with the new owner before it can attempt a cleanup. “Even if it was on the books right now, we wouldn’t be able to remediate it for two years anyway.”
Moving the cleanup frees up $500,000 the city can use for other capital projects.
The city may have to put the money back in the budget if Alberta Environment orders a cleanup before 2015, Jackson says. The city would continue to monitor the site through several wells.
Council will debate this recommendation during this fall’s budget talks.
The city will draw up plans for the White Spruce Forest next year if council follows through on another recommendation.
The finance committee recommended that $25,000 be added to the 2012 capital budget to develop a concept plan for the White Spruce Forest. The forest, likely the oldest in the city, was acquired by the city from Genstar Development last year and is now zoned as environmental reserve.
The city plans to strike a committee and hire a consultant this fall to create a concept plan for the forest, which would direct how the forest would fit into Red Willow Park, says Monique St. Louis, director of recreation services. Plans are vague right now, but would likely include interpretive signs and some sort of trail.
Coun. Wes Brodhead says he had originally recommended $50,000 based on administration’s recommendations, but the committee decided to cut that in half. “If the project needs a few extra dollars when the quotes come in, we’ll take a look at it at that time.”
Brodhead says he hoped to see the forest fully integrated into the Red Willow Park trail system, complete with paths and seating areas. “It would become another jewel in St. Albert.”
Council will readdress this recommendation come budget time.
