City Council had a closer look at what its Yorkton West Drainage Plan might cost.

“Associated Engineering (AE) outlined several solutions to deal with flooding in the City. These solutions were wrapped into one large scenario. This scenario envisioned upgrading pipe diameters along certain roadways, improving the Victoria Avenue ditch and installation of box culverts at key locations in the community,” detailed the report circulated to Council.

AE has now completed more detailed engineering on this scenario. Their cost estimate of this work is $12,939,000, noted Gord Shaw Director of Planning and Engineering with the City.

Given the amount of infrastructure requirements needed by the city in the next five to ten years, undertaking storm improvements on the west side will be extremely difficult.

Shaw added there is opportunity to do some of the work sooner.

“There could be some improvements across Broadway Street when that road is upgraded in 2014. Some of the pipe network could be improved from the south side of Broadway to Victoria Avenue during this upgrading. This would allow some of the infrastructure to be implemented in a phased manner. This may mean the storm water infrastructure is upgraded from York Road to Broadway Street in order to obtain the maximum benefit from it,” detailed his report.

The recommendation from Administration was “that Engineering Services is authorized to proceed with a review of installing an improved pipe network across Broadway Street to the Victoria Avenue ditch and improvements to this ditch to York Road in isolation of upstream improvements. Furthermore, that Engineering Services is authorized to proceed with a review of a different alignment to divert storm water from the Silver Heights subdivision and the hospital to Logan Green.”

Councillor Chris Wyatt opposed the motion questioning why the work would not be tendered.

Shaw said it was deemed that since AE has created the model for the overall plan there are “economies of scale” in keeping with them.