Council mulls over snowstorm recovery option that calls for an additional $35 million
Posted Nov 17, 2014 2:44 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was a costly and devastating event that knocked out power to 74,000 Enmax customers and left some roads and communities impassable.
Recovery efforts are continuing in the wake of September’s massive snowstorm and three options presented to City Council could bring the total costs to more than $70 million.
Staff have recommended that council approve the more expensive of the three and have requested an additional $35.5 million to pay for it.
It calls for a $47.5 million budget in total, with $11.2 million of it to be supplemented by the Parks budget.
Over the next four years, it would call for the planting of trees, pruning those that were damaged in the storm and a community engagement program.
It quotes the 2015-2018 Action Plan citizen engagement, that found 90 per cent of those surveyed believe a healthy urban forest contributes to a world class city.
Parks Manager Nico Bernard told councillors, it’s believed an estimated half of all city trees on boulevards or on public parks have been damaged.
$22 million has already been spent on the city’s initial response and Calgary’s Emergency Management Agency has filled out an application to the province’s Disaster Recovery Program to pay for $18 million of it.
On Monday, Bernard told council the plan they’d like to see approved has untold benefits for Calgarians.
“Property values go up, if they have mature trees in front of their properties, it also includes things like people will linger longer at a business and it improves business profits,” he said.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi had some serious questions as to whether $35 million is actually needed.
“It’s just a very big number and as always I want to make sure that we’re being very rigorous in our development of those numbers,” he said.
“We knew the number would be big, hearing that a million trees had been damaged by this snow event, but I suppose I’m not surprised because it was just so devastating,” said Ward 7 Councillor Druh Farrell.
Farrell’s ward in particular was hard hit by the three-day event.
The decision for funding and a plan of action has been deferred until next week for budget deliberations.
