While the developer of the Iron Bridge subdivision chose not to install irrigation in the park there 10 years ago, this city council has decided to take responsibility to address that deficiency.
Installation of a complete irrigation system in that park will take place in 2020 for $51,000, with funding to come from the parks dedication reserve account. The expansion will ensure the turf can be properly seeded and maintained.
The lack of irrigation has led to continuous weed control issues for the parks and recreation department and has not allowed the turf to properly develop.
Council voted 6-1 to approve the funding during its 2020 budget discussions. Coun. Brian Swanson was opposed.
This neighbourhood is on the radar of the parks and recreation department for future upgrades. There are two unfunded projects that the parks department wants to complete in the next two years: landscaping upgrades for $120,000 and pathway lights for $44,500. These projects will occur once funding is secured.
Council discussion
The cost to install irrigation in the park would have been paid for by off-site development levies or a subdivision reserve when the subdivision was created, Swanson said. Instead, it will now be Moose Jaw taxpayers who foot the bill for the installation.
The Iron Bridge Park is the most expensive green space in the city to maintain, “by a significant degree,” as last year’s budget showed, he added.
It was a poor decision to not charge development levies when this subdivision came online, agreed Coun. Heather Eby. However, other than just never approving anything for that subdivision since there is no money, she wondered what options council had to make things better there.
“The easy answer is to say no. But these are families that live there,” she added. “I’m not really comfortable saying no because of bad decisions (past councils and the developer) made nine or 10 years ago.”
This issue should be addressed and work should be done there since this subdivision is part of the overall community, said Coun. Dawn Luhning. She wondered if there was money in other subdivision reserve accounts that could be used as an “equalization payment” to correct this mistake since it’s really all just residents’ money.
“We do have to do something out there. We can’t just fall on the sword and say, ‘Sorry, too bad, you are paying the highest taxes and we can’t do anything for you,’” she added.
There is $448,000 in the parks dedication reserve account, said city administration, which is not dedicated to a specific subdivision and could be allocated to the Iron Bridge Park irrigation project.
“I’m tired of the penalty-box scenario that we’re always going through with trying to move the city forward,” said Mayor Fraser Tolmie. This council, he noted, has made decisions that have been progressive and helpful, while it has learned from past mistakes.
Council also wants to ensure the safety of kids in that subdivision by potentially looking at installing a crosswalk across Thatcher Drive, he continued. Children might attempt to cross the road to reach the Iron Bridge Park or to go hang out with friends. They shouldn’t be punished for the development that happened in the past.
This motion is not about developing a green space but about correcting a design deficiency, said Swanson. Now council has to spend taxpayers’ money to fix it. He would rather focus on installing a crosswalk for safety than correcting a design flaw that council had no control over.
“There is insufficient water to keep the grass (at the park) going. We have to look after things as we can,” said Coun. Crystal Froese. “If we don’t correct it, it will get worse.”
