SUNDRE – The bill to complete the Town of Sundre's major overhaul of underground infrastructure along the Highway 27-Main Avenue corridor last year came in well under budget.
Council carried on June 23 during the last regular meeting before the summer break a motion transferring $405,089 in unspent funding back into the utilities lifecycling restricted surplus account for the project to upgrade water and wastewater services that had been budgeted at an estimated $2.9 million.
By the time the dust had settled, the expense came it at closer to $2.5 million.
However, the cost of the project had previously increased in 2023 by more than $1 million over an original estimate of a little more than $1.8 million.
Council at the time had heard during a special meeting called in August 2023 to discuss the substantial increase that a variety of reasons had resulted in the price hike to nearly $3 million.
Among the factors cited in an administrative report prepared for that meeting were the limited availability of contractors – only one bid had been received – as well as the work occurring on a high-load corridor and busy highway with limited options for detours as well as timing the completion of the redesigned overlay project with Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors that required the removal the temporary roundabouts.
Although Highway 27 and the project currently underway that in part involves the installation of permanent mini-roundabouts is under provincial jurisdiction, the underground infrastructure for water and wastewater services along the road is a municipal responsibility.
During the June 23 meeting, council also carried five other motions approving the transfer of unspent funds to restricted surplus accounts as well as one motion to approve drawing from a reserve to cover a minor overage of $1,693 after a gas line heater project that had been budgeted at $80,000 ended up coming in at $81,693.
The five transfers of unspent funds reallocated back into the projects’ respective restricted surplus accounts were:
• $8,286 for a Superior pumper unit replacement that had been budgeted at $1 million and came in at $983,428 with the remaining balance being from third party funding.
• $12,833 for a smaller unit for the Sundre Fire Department that was budgeted at $67,000 but came in at $54,167.
• $2,156 for confined space entry equipment that had been budgeted at $17,981 but came in at $15,825.
• $6,877 for sewer flushing equipment that was budgeted at $85,000 and came in at $78,123.
• and $1,203 for a swale project at 1st Avenue NW that was budgeted at $100,000 but came in at $98,797.
“They work really well; I watched them on Saturday,” said Coun. Connie Anderson about the swales, referring to heavy rainfall that came down June 20-21 during the Sundre Pro Rodeo and parade weekend, eliciting laughter from his colleagues.
