The King Street project pricetag keeps climbing.
At tonight's council meeting, staff will bring forward an application for a preliminary loan application for $14 million to be submitted to Infrastructure Ontario. The loan would be paid off over the next 25 years.
On May 7, council approved a plan to use up to $10.5 million from the community-wide initiatives' reserve as short-term construction financing for the Big Dig. The overall project spend as of June 30, sits at approximately $3.9 million, and staff estimates it's growing at a spending rate of $2 million per month.
The total cost of the project so far is just a tad bit over the money requested in the loan application, however, staff adds in the report that final project costs are not known at this time. The project is on schedule "for substantial completion" by Nov. 30.
Staff have also brought forward a report listing the operating and capital projects taken up and completed by the town in the last two years. The purpose of the report is to provide the 2018 and 2019 year-end results for operating and the 2019 year-end results for capital projects and dispose of any surplus or deficit. The report will also help establish capital carry-over projects.
Staff are also seeking support from council to submit an application to Bee City Canada to designate Midland as a Bee City. Under that plan, staff are proposing that the town implement a program to manage no-mow areas and naturalize sites to improve the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing pollinator species.
The approved Parks and Trail Master Plan has identified some town parks for naturalization, such as Tiffin Park, Edgehill Park, Carpenter Park, Bayview Park, David Onley and Little Lake Park.
It is proposed that a naturalization/no-mow pilot be implemented at Edgehill, Gawley, Little Lake, Midland Bay Landing and Bayview Parks for the remaining part of 2020 and throughout 2021 and into 2023 to evaluate the opportunity and effectiveness of the program.
The initial proposal is to cut areas to be naturalized twice a year and later to assess the need for more work and planting of native species and wildflowers.
In addition, council will be looking at a request from resident Howie Major asking that the lane between the town dock office and the Boathouse Restaurant be named Rick Leaney Way. He made a deputation to the effect last year and staff is bringing a report forward a year later, recommending that council deny the request. The reason given in the report is that the naming of a street after a former employee is not in compliance with the town's street-naming policy.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and can be viewed online.
