CALGARY – As flurries fell from the Calgary sky, snow was one of the many hot topics at City Hall Monday afternoon. Mayor Naheed Nenshi also weighed in on the Green Line LRT project and the controversial CalgaryNEXT proposal for a new arena and sports complex in the city.
Snow removal budget
First on the agenda was a report to councillors detailing how the city spent its budget last year, and how much snow was cleared.
In total, 140 centimetres of snow fell last year, and the city spent $37 million on snow clearing. The report said 84 per cent of Calgarians were satisfied with snow efforts.
City administration is recommending council receive the report and also that future reports continue to be provided to council and the public via Calgary.ca.
According to the Roads department, the mild winter saved money: Nenshi said the city stayed under budget but still completed over $3 million in winter pothole patrol, and put $5 million back into reserves.
Green Line LRT
Councillor Shane Keating put forth a motion requesting the city formally ask the province for a funding commitment when it comes to the Green Line LRT.
He referred to the southeast portion of the CTrain line, which would include 15 stations and a price tag of roughly $4.6 billion.
The Green Line LRT has received funding for one-third of its total construction cost from the incoming federal government.
READ MORE: Alberta budget doesn’t name Calgary LRT but could Green Line get funding?
Nenshi said the city could contribute $1.5 billion, and since funding commitment from the federal government, he suggested it’s now the province’s turn.
Keating suggested the province needs to “get in line with the Green Line” and said he’d love to see the full line open by 2023.
CalgaryNEXT hockey arena project
WATCH: The CalgaryNEXT project was on the agenda at Calgary City Council Monday, and the big topic was who was going to pay for the billion dollar project. Global’s Tony Tighe reports.
City council is also looking at who will pay for the a new sports complex proposed by Calgary Flames president Ken King in August.
Dubbed “CalgaryNEXT,” the project is a multi-million dollar sports complex which would include a new home for both the Flames and the Stampeders, and a new field house.
READ MORE: ‘It’s for everyone’: Calgary Flames announce new arena, sports complex
The Flames initially suggested a budget of $890 million if all components of the sports complex are built at the same time; the city is unconvinced.
The plan calls for the project to be funded through a $250-million ticket tax, a $240-million community levy, $200 million from team ownership and $200 million from city taxpayers for the fieldhouse.
The “ticket tax” listed in the graphic above is a user fee applicable to anyone buying tickets to events at the facility. The CalgaryNEXT website said “ticket prices may increase.”
On Monday, councillors discussed details of the project and whether or not those public dollars should be used.
Nenshi called the Flames’ proposal “not so much a half-baked cake…not even a well-mixed batter.” He said the document proposed Monday is meant to get things rolling and outlines his concerns.
“Let’s not forget that all in, this could be the most expensive public works project in Calgary history, and as such, Calgarians deserve to be able to really know their council has gone through this in a very methodical, very transparent and open way–which is frankly very different than the way other cities approach projects like this.”
READ MORE: Who will pay for Calgary’s new arena?
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