After being rejected at a finance meeting last month, Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier managed to convince his colleagues Tuesday to start the Whitson River Waterway trail this year.
A $1.845 million project, it was among the last items that didn't make it past the 2019 budget process, and was deferred to a finance meeting last month, where it was rejected again. Montpellier took at least part of the blame.
“I did a poor job representing this project,” Montpellier said.
He worked with city staff since the April meeting, he said, and found a way to break up the trail into phases.
He said there's $800,000 available in a capital reserve fund that could be used for Phase 1, Montpellier said, without affecting tax rates.
The 2.2-kilometre trail would connect hundreds of homes with downtown Chelmsford, and would be a combination of asphalt, gravel and boardwalks with benches every 200 metres. It's a community improvement project (CIP) that has been in the planning stages for decades.
Montpellier said if Phase 1 could be done this year, he will fight for the rest of the funding in future budgets.
“It's a great project for Chelmsford, and for the (whole) city,” he said. “Phase 2 will come when it comes.”
But Ward 8 Con. Al Sizer said it makes no sense to direct $800,000 to a “frivolous” project when residents are demanding more money be spent on roads. If there's capital money available, he said it should go to key infrastructure.
“It should be spent on priorities, not wishes,” Sizer said. “Now is not the time. We must pay attention to roads and infrastructure”
During the 2019 budget, he voted to kill the $250,000 Lasalle Boulevard corridor study to keep property taxes as low as possible.
With budget cuts coming from the provincial government, he said the city will need capital funds for emergencies.
“We know those surprises are coming,” from the province, he said.
But Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormier said Whitson was one of the last items not to make it past the budget vote. Montpellier was told to make his argument at the April meeting.
“The councillor did do that,” Cormier said, and now has “put water in the wine” and broke it down into more affordable phases. And when they adopted the CIP policy, they made a commitment to actually fund them.
“Otherwise, what's the point of having them?”
Ward 2 Coun, Michael Vagnini said it's outrageous Sizer called the project frivolous, yet voted in favour of spending tens of millions of dollars on The Junction downtown.
“This is a project for one of our other downtowns,” Vagnini said.
It's a huge deal to that community, he said, and it's only fair when so much money is “going into the old downtown core.”
But Sizer said he supports the project – just not now.
“We can't go on like this — you know that,” he said. “We need to make tough decisions.”
“Maybe we should start by (cancelling) the large projects in the downtown core,” Vagnini shot back.
“I fully understand where you're coming from,” Sizer replied. “Anytime you want to bring that motion forward, we'll look at it then.”
Mayor Brian Bigger said he understood both sides of the argument, but said they have to strike a balance between repairing infrastructure and improving quality of life for residents.
In the end, the approval passed easily, with only Sizer and Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc voting against.
