Asphalt for Lakeshore, reconstruction for Jane

One of the worst parts of Lakeshore Drive will be resurfaced this year, as part of North Bay’s $10 million capital budget.

City council gave the go-ahead for the project at a budget meeting Thursday night.

Lakeshore will receive a new coating of asphalt between Gertrude and the overpass, as part of a $4,000,000 resurfacing program to be spread out over the next five years.

“It’s going to be done properly, not underground, but just resurfacing it,” said budget chief Peter Chirico.

“It will buy us about five to seven years because putting in new infrastructure is a huge project.”

Work needs to be done
Council spent about three hours looking over the budget, prepared and presented by city treasurer Brian Rogers, and then had to find about $1.2 million, or 10 per cent, in cuts to keep it in line with North Bay’s long-term capital funding policy.

The city was able to reduce its systems technology program by about $250,000 through a computer-leasing program.

As well Chirico dropped a $50,000 commitment to the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority with no discussion, and apparent glee.

Another major reduction came when the $1.7 million budget for this year to reconstruct Jane Street and Eloy Road was turned into a two-year project, with half shifted to 2005.

The work needs to be done so services can be installed in preparation for the new hospital.

“We’re going to oversize the services, and what we’re proposing is to redo all of Jane Street and Gormanville Road, which will give us the capacity to go up the hill, capacity to the west and the whole hospital area, and that’s really the area the expansion will be in,” Chirico said.

As well, $4.1 million will be spent over the next five years reconstructing College Drive and Gormanville, with $300,000 to be spent this year.

Dire need of repair
On the opposite end of the city, $1.2 million over two years has been allocated to the Riverbend Road bridge, which crosses the Lavasse River and is in dire need of repair.

Staff has been asked by Chirico to prepare a report looking at the best and most cost-effective solution.

City council passed its long-term capital funding policy last March.

It calls for $500,000 to be added to the capital budget a year until 2009, resulting in $3.5 million more being spent on infrastructure. As well the city will decrease the amount of money it borrows from $5.7 million this year to $5.6 million next, and continue to decrease it by $100,000 per year after that.

More work to go
It’s all part of a new philosophy adopted by council, Chirico said.

“We’re going to be doing these things on a pay as we go basis, increasing the pay as we go so we rely less on debt, debt, debt,” Chirico said.

Chirico also said he’ll go after the federal government, which has talked about a new deal for cities and providing extra infrastructure money to municipalities.

Chirico said the capital cuts represent a 1.2 per cent decrease in the overall budget.

“We still have a lot more work to go,” Chirico said, "but that’s all part and parcel of it.”

Other parts of the budget, such as a $200,000 capital request this year from the Capitol Centre, will be discussed at the Feb. 5 budget meeting.
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PHOTO Treasure Brian Rogers takes city council through a presentation of this year's capital budget.