By Lexi McFarlane, Times Chronicle
A clear path for funding an assessment and economic impact study of the Town of Oliver’s irrigation systems has been given the green light, with half of the estimated cost being approved upfront.
The funding approval comes as part of the Town’s application to the Agriculture Water Infrastructure Program (AWP), through a Stream 3 option dedicated to assessments and economic planning.
If successful, the application can net the Town a grant worth up to $100,000, which would fund half of the estimated overall cost, of “no more than $200,000” according to Stephanie Moore, Grants Coordinator, for the assessment and impact study.
In advance of a May 28 deadline for submitting the application, Moore sought Council’s final approval. Previously, the application was mentioned as an action item resulting from discussions around the water system’s budget. Stream 3 grants cover the assessments that are legally required for things such as infrastructure upgrades, and ensuring upgrades funded can endure over time.
Staff recommended in the late-April meeting to move forward with the assessment, which Moore said would provide the Town with “information on the priority in which these assets need to be upgraded or addressed more urgently”, along with how much those improvements would cost.
“We do believe this is an eligible project, based on the category for Stream 3 grants,” Moore said.
One question not addressed by Moore’s report was how long an assessment and impact study would be valid for. This was something Water Councillor Bhupinder Dhaliwal sought clarification on, to ensure that the results would last longer than “12 months”.
“Even though this is big infrastructure, and nothing’s changed, is there a line item in grants that says this needs to be re-stamped? Is there an expiry date?” Dhaliwal asked.
Moore, along with Kelly Mercer, the Director of Operations, confirmed that there’s no concrete expiration date, and that generally those only need revisions to the cost estimate after a period of time.
“In my experience, the studies and reports that are newer than ten years old are still very much valid,” Moore said. “I would imagine it would have at least a ten-year life span, if not longer.”
Council unanimously voted in favour of approving the application, along with authorizing their $100,000 share of the costs for the assessment and impact study.
