EDMONTON – Utility fees are proposed to increase just over $52 for 2014, as the City aims to upgrade parts of its overburdened drainage system.
For the past couple of summers, people in several Edmonton neighbourhoods have lived in anxiety every time rain has fallen; fearful their basements will flood. City staff are now estimating $162 million will be needed for an expanded flood prevention program – work that would start in the next capital budget cycle starting in 2015.
In the interim, $4.7 million is being requested to expedite the work. The money could come from projected increases in sanitary and storm water rates next year.
“What the citizens need to understand is that this is massive public work,” explained Edmonton’s new mayor, Don Iveson. “We’ve been doing ten years worth of work on flood prevention from the 2004 storm. We’ve got ten years worth of work ahead of us to deal with issues that became apparent with the 2012 storm, and we’re ramping up for that.”
For those whose homes have been continuously impacted by drainage issues, the flood prevention can’t come soon enough.
“The amount of insurance issues, property damages, that kind of stuff in 2012, was horrendous. And I do know, there will be a number of people who will lose their insurance if that does happen again,” said Kathy Brower, a Tweddle Place resident.
“Enough’s, enough,” said Ward 11 Councillor, Mike Nickel, speaking for his constituents. “They’re at the risk of losing their houses because they can’t get insurance. This is a catastrophic problem. We have to fix it. The problem is, it’s going to take some time.”
“If there’s savings on other infrastructure,” Iveson said, “I think there’s a desire on council to looking at shifting those over into flood prevention.”
In the meantime, residents impacted by flooding can only wait.
Council will continue to debate what should be done going forward during budget deliberations.
With files from Vinesh Pratap, Global News
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