Crossfieldís new reservoir project on Laut Ave. will required an additional $106,000 in reserve funds.
The project, which is slated to be completed Aug. 1 and cost approximately $6.7 million, requires extra work to be completed on the East end of Laut Ave. to rebuild the ground under the road.
The ìorganic matterî that was found under when the surface when it was dug up does not provide a suitable base for a roadway, according to a staff report.
ìIn order to put Laut Ave. back to the condition it was in, we have to do some upgrades,î said Councillor Jason Harvey.
Town staff allotted $250,000 in its budget for reserve funds, to be used if the project requires more funds than originally quoted.
ìWe select the best quotes for the project, but itís important for administration and operations to know that there is funds available if problems arise,î Harvey said. ìWe donít foresee any other major problems.î
Council voted to forego plans to build an outdoor rink in the next year, deciding other projects took precedence.
The money for the rink, which will be used year-round and include four basketball nets installed along the hockey boards, will be reserved in this yearís budget.
ìItís something that we would like to do for the town,î said Harvey. ìThe project has a lot of merit, but we have a lot of other capital projects on the go.î
Harvey added that keeping the funds in the budget doesnít rule out building the rink in the future.
ìClean water and infrastructure is more important to the daily lives of Crossfield residents,î he said.
Mayor Nathan Anderson, who joined the Feb. 21 meeting via Skype, proposed that the Town offer extended hours on the second Thursday of the month and invite residents to discuss issues.
Harvey questioned the costs of keeping the office open for an extended period of time, as the idea would require a keyholder on site for the duration of the evening.
ìThis is something we have been toying around with since before we were all elected, we want to offer more options to approach council,î said Harvey.
Council used to offer ìCoffee with Councilî at various coffee houses and restaurants in town, but residents didnít attend in the numbers they had hoped.
ìThere are a lot of opportunities for people to get a hold of us. We have a council meeting every two weeks. If we are doing a bad job, we would hope people would show up to those,î said Harvey.
ìThe idea has some merit, but there are some logistics that need to be worked out.î Council will reconsider the idea after hearing from staff.
The next council meeting is slated for March 6 at 7 p.m. at Town hall.
