(Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)

By Mat Barrett

Funding Changes

Melfort Council approves changes to MEEP, capital projects

May 28, 2021 | 11:55 AM

The City of Melfort has approved a few changes to some local projects.

At a Special Council Meeting on Friday, council approved the re-allocation of some funds to the Windsor Pond Walking Path overlay project that originally had $30,000 set aside in the Capital Budget.

The project came in over budget at $61,435 and Councilor Trent Mitchell said they needed to find a way to fund that. A total of $19,096 was taken from the gas tax, while $12,339 was re-allocated from the Municipal Economic Enhancement Program that comes from the province.

“The remaining overrun is being covered between a re-allocation of the MEEP funding, and an allocation from the gas tax,” Mitchell told northeastNOW. “That gas tax was previously unallocated.”

Originally, that MEEP funding was earmarked for a backup power project for the Kerry Vickar Centre, but that project came in well over budget, as well. Mitchell said with these two projects coming in over budget, as well as a few others, the numbers need to be vetted better to make sure the cost estimates are better.

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“I guess I’ll take it as a lesson learned through the budgeting process,” Mitchell said. “That we need to ensure we’re getting better cost estimates for these projects.”

As for the backup power project at the KVC, Mitchell said the option for that project still remains, however it will likely happen further in the future.

“We’ll have to address, or look at the options that administration brings back to us during the next budget cycle,” he said.

Options include some electrical work that would allow for the City to rent a generator and plug in into the KVC.

The re-allocation of the MEEP funding needs to be officially approved by the provincial government but Mitchell said they don’t expect any issues with that.

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mat.barrett@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @matbarrett6