To: Mayor and Council and City Administration
Re: 2019 proposed Capital Budget Public Input Session
From: Keith Lay, Active Trails Whitehorse Association (ATWA)
Date: November 26, 2018 (Presentation before Mayor and Council)
I have a number of questions with regard to the 2019 proposed Capital Budget.
1. Under Building and Fleet Management (320c00619) there is an item for an additional snow machine ($20,000) for the use of Parks & Trails and Bylaw Services personnel. This seems to be a rather expensive snow machine given that research suggests that the most expensive gas powered snow machine available in Canada costs around $15,000.
Taiga Motors, a Canadian Company, (https://taigamotors.ca/snowmobiles/) sells an electric snowmobile (built from the ground up as an electric snowmobile) that requires much less maintenance than a gas-powered snowmobile. It also has a range of 100 km and will fast charge in 20 minutes. It can reach 100 kph in 3 seconds. At present it costs around $20,000, but its purchase could result in long-term savings to the City as well as helping the City improve its reputation in the area of environmental stewardship.
In light of what I have just said I have two questions:
a) Could Mayor and Council ask administration what makes this “additional snow machine” so expensive?
b) Could Mayor and Council ask administration (if the latter has not has not already done so) to look into the feasibility of purchasing a Canadian built (Taiga Motors) electric snow machine?
2. Under Planning Services $30,000 is being allocated in 2019 to Public Engagement Capacity Development (720c00119). My questions are as follows:
a) Could Mayor and Council ask administration if this allocation has anything to do with the Talking Together initiative undertaken by the Government of Yukon and the City of Whitehorse in order to learn what citizens see as meaningful engagement? As you know this initiative came to an end in late February of 2018, and ten recommendations have apparently been accepted by both governments as to “how to improve the way [they] do public engagement. (See https://talkingtogetheryukon.ca).
b) If this is not the case (see “a”), then could Mayor and Council ask administration as to how the money is to be used?
3. Under Parks and Trails there is an item for Trail Plan Implementation (740c00409). For each of the next four years $75,000 is to be allocated to Trail Plan Implementation.
The 2007 Trail Plan was a document developed to “give guidance to the City of Whitehorse for trail planning, development and programming over the coming decade.” That decade ended in 2017. The Implementation Chart (see p. 36) for the 2007 Trail Plan had an end date of 2016. A new Trail Plan has not as yet been developed or approved by Mayor & Council. Therefore, the City has not been given guidance by its citizens as to what they wish to see implemented over the next ten years (2018-2028) with regard to our City’s trails. My questions are as follows:
a) Could Mayor and Council ask administration how it can predict a figure of $75,000 over the next four years (2019-2022) for the implementation of a trail plan that does not as yet exist?
b) Could Mayor and Council ask administration when citizens can expect to see the start of the process that will lead to a new Trail Plan that will cover the next ten years?
4. Under Engineering Services there is an item for Asphalt Paths (240c02309). Apparently, $280,000 is to be spent in 2020 on such paths, and an additional $10,000 in 2021. As councillors know, many (but not all) of the City’s asphalt trails are built with the help of Federal Gas Tax Funds. My questions are as follows:
a) Does the money allocated in these two years come entirely from the Federal Gas Tax fund, or do the monies represent a combination of received Gas Tax Funds and the City’s own funds? If the latter, could administration provide a breakdown of the monies coming from the two sources?
b) When we do build asphalt paths with Gas Tax funding, does the funding cover the entire cost of the path built, or does the City on occasion have to put in some of its own money?
5. Under Parks and Trails $35,000 is allocated in 2019 to an item entitled, Trail Plan Update 2017 (740c00316). My question is as follows:
a) Could Mayor and Council ask administration if this money going towards the development of a new Trail Plan to which I referred in #3?
6. Under Parks and Trails $100,000 is allocated in each of the next four years (2019-2022) for Paved Trail Resurfacing (740c00610). My question is as follows:
a) Could Mayor and Council ask administration if the City can use gas tax funding to cover the cost of the maintenance of Gas Tax funded asphalt trails, or once the trails are built is the City required to maintain said asphalt trails entirely with its own funds?
The Public Input Report – 2019 to 2022 Capital Expenditure Plan found in the Council package for the Dec. 3, 2018 meeting, provided the answers and clarifications ATWA sought.
Public Engagement Capacity Development - The proposed project is directly tied to the Government of Yukon’s and City’s Talking Together project. This project entails training and skills development for City staff in proper engagement strategies and techniques that will help fulfill a number of top ten recommendations from the latest Talking Together report.
Snow machine for Bylaw & Parks – The proposed budget was established after receipt of estimates from supplier. Administration will consider the possibility of purchasing an electric snowmobile when developing the project specifications. Procurement will be conducted in accordance with the City’s procurement policy.
Trail Plan – An annual budget allocation of $75,000 relates to implementation of the 2007 Trail Plan; consistent with this plan, trail planning and trail development, will be completed over the next several years. A Trail Plan Update project is scheduled to begin in 2019.
Asphalt Paths - The 2020 Asphalt Paths project consists of paving the portion of the Riverfront Trail between Earls Restaurant and Walmart. The budgeted cost for this project is $280,000, funded entirely from Gas Tax. The 2021 Asphalt Paths project consists of a study to determine the best solution for connecting Two Mile Hill and the Riverfront Trail. The budgeted amount for this study is $10,000, funded entirely from General Reserves. Gas Tax funding does not require the municipality to contribute funding for a project; projects can be 100% funded by Gas Tax, provided the entire scope of the project meets the requirements of eligible expenditures under the Gas Tax funding agreement.
Paved Trail Resurfacing - The City can use Gas Tax funding for construction, renewal or material enhancements for projects in eligible categories including asphalt trails. However, for operating costs such as for snow clearing and sweeping the City would cover these costs through the operating budget.
To: Mayor and Council and City Administration
Re: 2019 proposed Capital Budget Public Input Session
From: Keith Lay, Active Trails Whitehorse Association (ATWA)
Date: November 26, 2018 (Presentation before Mayor and Council)
I have a number of questions with regard to the 2019 proposed Capital Budget.
1. Under Building and Fleet Management (320c00619) there is an item for an additional snow machine ($20,000) for the use of Parks & Trails and Bylaw Services personnel. This seems to be a rather expensive snow machine given that research suggests that the most expensive gas powered snow machine available in Canada costs around $15,000.
Taiga Motors, a Canadian Company, (https://taigamotors.ca/snowmobiles/) sells an electric snowmobile (built from the ground up as an electric snowmobile) that requires much less maintenance than a gas-powered snowmobile. It also has a range of 100 km and will fast charge in 20 minutes. It can reach 100 kph in 3 seconds. At present it costs around $20,000, but its purchase could result in long-term savings to the City as well as helping the City improve its reputation in the area of environmental stewardship.
In light of what I have just said I have two questions:
a) Could Mayor and Council ask administration what makes this “additional snow machine” so expensive?
b) Could Mayor and Council ask administration (if the latter has not has not already done so) to look into the feasibility of purchasing a Canadian built (Taiga Motors) electric snow machine?
2. Under Planning Services $30,000 is being allocated in 2019 to Public Engagement Capacity Development (720c00119). My questions are as follows:
a) Could Mayor and Council ask administration if this allocation has anything to do with the Talking Together initiative undertaken by the Government of Yukon and the City of Whitehorse in order to learn what citizens see as meaningful engagement? As you know this initiative came to an end in late February of 2018, and ten recommendations have apparently been accepted by both governments as to “how to improve the way [they] do public engagement. (See https://talkingtogetheryukon.ca).
b) If this is not the case (see “a”), then could Mayor and Council ask administration as to how the money is to be used?
3. Under Parks and Trails there is an item for Trail Plan Implementation (740c00409). For each of the next four years $75,000 is to be allocated to Trail Plan Implementation.
The 2007 Trail Plan was a document developed to “give guidance to the City of Whitehorse for trail planning, development and programming over the coming decade.” That decade ended in 2017. The Implementation Chart (see p. 36) for the 2007 Trail Plan had an end date of 2016. A new Trail Plan has not as yet been developed or approved by Mayor & Council. Therefore, the City has not been given guidance by its citizens as to what they wish to see implemented over the next ten years (2018-2028) with regard to our City’s trails. My questions are as follows:
a) Could Mayor and Council ask administration how it can predict a figure of $75,000 over the next four years (2019-2022) for the implementation of a trail plan that does not as yet exist?
b) Could Mayor and Council ask administration when citizens can expect to see the start of the process that will lead to a new Trail Plan that will cover the next ten years?
4. Under Engineering Services there is an item for Asphalt Paths (240c02309). Apparently, $280,000 is to be spent in 2020 on such paths, and an additional $10,000 in 2021. As councillors know, many (but not all) of the City’s asphalt trails are built with the help of Federal Gas Tax Funds. My questions are as follows:
a) Does the money allocated in these two years come entirely from the Federal Gas Tax fund, or do the monies represent a combination of received Gas Tax Funds and the City’s own funds? If the latter, could administration provide a breakdown of the monies coming from the two sources?
b) When we do build asphalt paths with Gas Tax funding, does the funding cover the entire cost of the path built, or does the City on occasion have to put in some of its own money?
5. Under Parks and Trails $35,000 is allocated in 2019 to an item entitled, Trail Plan Update 2017 (740c00316). My question is as follows:
a) Could Mayor and Council ask administration if this money going towards the development of a new Trail Plan to which I referred in #3?
6. Under Parks and Trails $100,000 is allocated in each of the next four years (2019-2022) for Paved Trail Resurfacing (740c00610). My question is as follows:
a) Could Mayor and Council ask administration if the City can use gas tax funding to cover the cost of the maintenance of Gas Tax funded asphalt trails, or once the trails are built is the City required to maintain said asphalt trails entirely with its own funds?
The Public Input Report – 2019 to 2022 Capital Expenditure Plan found in the Council package for the Dec. 3, 2018 meeting, provided the answers and clarifications ATWA sought.
Public Engagement Capacity Development - The proposed project is directly tied to the Government of Yukon’s and City’s Talking Together project. This project entails training and skills development for City staff in proper engagement strategies and techniques that will help fulfill a number of top ten recommendations from the latest Talking Together report.
Snow machine for Bylaw & Parks – The proposed budget was established after receipt of estimates from supplier. Administration will consider the possibility of purchasing an electric snowmobile when developing the project specifications. Procurement will be conducted in accordance with the City’s procurement policy.
Trail Plan – An annual budget allocation of $75,000 relates to implementation of the 2007 Trail Plan; consistent with this plan, trail planning and trail development, will be completed over the next several years. A Trail Plan Update project is scheduled to begin in 2019.
Asphalt Paths - The 2020 Asphalt Paths project consists of paving the portion of the Riverfront Trail between Earls Restaurant and Walmart. The budgeted cost for this project is $280,000, funded entirely from Gas Tax. The 2021 Asphalt Paths project consists of a study to determine the best solution for connecting Two Mile Hill and the Riverfront Trail. The budgeted amount for this study is $10,000, funded entirely from General Reserves. Gas Tax funding does not require the municipality to contribute funding for a project; projects can be 100% funded by Gas Tax, provided the entire scope of the project meets the requirements of eligible expenditures under the Gas Tax funding agreement.
Paved Trail Resurfacing - The City can use Gas Tax funding for construction, renewal or material enhancements for projects in eligible categories including asphalt trails. However, for operating costs such as for snow clearing and sweeping the City would cover these costs through the operating budget.