None of the items are life-threatening, but Infrastructure and Planning Director, Julian Lenhart, noted they should get priority ranking for funding from the $2.9 million allocation for the capital works portion of the 2020 municipal budget.

“The (final) capital project list cannot be developed without revising the city’s current asset management strategy and plan,” stated Lenhart in a report, during the December 16 committee of the whole council session. “Not all projects presented in the 2020 budget are related to the asset management plan. The infrastructure may be too deteriorated or potential safety risk too high to be deferred.”

Council members agreed with the report recommendation to create a Phase One priority list for the 2020 capital budget schedule, and dedicate $763,000 from the total capital works allocation in the budget, to deal with seven projects that need immediate attention. The committee of the whole recommends that council later approve a Phase Two list of projects, once staff have reviewed and revised the asset management strategy and plan, and then had a chance to determine what capital works proposals meet the priorities of the revised plan.

The seven projects on the Phase One priority list include paving and culvert replacement on Lacroix Road, in Hammond, along with culvert work needed at five other locations within Clarence-Rockland; replacement of part of the Laurier Street storm water drain in Rockland, to prevent a potential sinkhole situation; upgrading the St-Jean Street traffic lights in Rockland; a one-way traffic conversion proposal; geotechnical analysis for some other planned capital projects; a closed-circuit TV storm water drain inspection as preparation for future capital works projects.