By paNOW

Marquis Road ‘saga’ sees head shakes over landscape request

Oct 15, 2017 | 1:50 PM

The Marquis Road West extension project which has loomed over the city for nearly a decade will be a “lesson on how we as a corporation do business” for one city councillor.

As favourable construction weather was gifted to Prince Albert for most of the summer, the city is expecting to finish its long list of landscaping projects. But in order to do so, city crews need help to put the final touches on Marquis Road West as winter sits just around the corner.

In order to not risk a delay of the work until 2018, administration has requested funding to the tune of $127,380 for an outside party to complete the work. This did not sit well with some councillors despite a desire to get it done.

“This is the conversation that again has been going on since 2008, 2009,” Coun. Ted Zurakowski said. “This should have been done by now. I would like it done by city crews. If it can’t be done by city crews… I think we need to move forward on it as the money is in the reserve.”

A number of councillors shared this belief, including Mayor Greg Dionne, yet he was frustrated at another aspect of the project; light fixtures.

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Originally, plans were in place bury the power lines and erect street lamps. However, Dionne said he spoke with some residents who were informed by SaskPower the company now plans to keep the wooden poles standing and just bolt “farm lights” to the posts. This comes as the public utility, according to administration, now wants to run the lines further west, and this would be more difficult if they were buried.

“Does anyone even know what is going on with this project?” the mayor asked. “The neighbours are getting frustrated, as are we as elected officials because we haven’t been kept up to date.”

Hesitations over the budgetary impact of the move were brought forward by Coun. Terra Lennoz-Zepp. As just shy of $27,000 remains in the 2017 budget for landscaping purposes, the remainder of the funds would need to come from the Development Levies Reserve. She said there is a simple way to stay within budget.

“How do we do that?” she asked. “We take the time and we consider that we have more time than we do have money.”

Nevertheless, Coun. Dennis Ogrodnick did not want to be the council who delays everything.

“Let’s be the council that gets things done,” he said. “Yes, it is more than we anticipated, but let’s do things right. That neighbourhood deserves to have landscaping done properly.”

Before calling for a recorded vote, Zurakowski said the “saga” and “ten-year glacial move” of the project would be a lesson for him moving forward.

Councillors Zurakowski, Ogrodnick, Dionne, Don Cody, Dennis Nowoselsky and Blake Edwards voted in favour of awarding the tender, while Lennox-Zepp, Evert Botha and Charlene Miller opposed the proposal.

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr