Gas tax fuels sewer plan

by Darren Handschuh - CASTANET Feb 18, 2016 / 5:00 am
Filling up your car has provided money to help take care of the city's sewer system. The Province of British Columbia announced the City of Vernon will receive $46,500 from the Gas Tax Strategic Priorities Fund. The money will be used for the long-term sanitary sewer utility plan. City staff will begin a request for proposal process shortly for the delivery of a risk assessment of the sanitary sewer system. The information from the assessment will be used to create a prioritized list of replacements, which consider both condition and capacity. According to the city, after road infrastructure, the sanitary sewer system has the second-largest replacement value, and an analysis of ways to strategically reduce renewal costs to match available long-term funding needs to be completed. The goal of this project is to reduce the annual renewal budget while optimizing the city’s infrastructure investment to support the sustainable delivery of services to the community. The Union of BC Municipalities administers the Federal Gas Tax Fund in British Columbia in partnership with the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia. Each year, the Government of Canada provides more than $253 million in indexed funding for local government infrastructure projects across British Columbia through the federal Gas Tax Fund.
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Click to Enlarge:
http://www.ubcm.ca/EN/main/funding/renewed-gas-tax-agreement/strategic-priorities-fund.html

http://www.ubcm.ca/assets/Funding~Programs/Renewed~Gas~Tax~Agreement/Strategic~Priorities~Fund/SPF-
Approved-Projects-January-18-2016.pdf

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Prior Years Funding Grants for selected Areas:

Massive grant for Lumby

by Kate Bouey - CASTANET Feb 12, 2016 / 5:04 pm
The Village of Lumby has been awarded $1,711,938 for a sustainable water plan aimed at revitalization. Mayor Kevin Acton believes the funds could help the community get back on its feet. The massive sum for the village comes from the federal Gas Tax Fund. “This project will renew aging and undersized water infrastructure in our downtown core as well as the southern component of industrial park lands,” stated a village press release Friday. “The benefits to Lumby are significant. Increased fire flows, right-sized water lines, and significant improvements to the integrity of the water utility.” The Village of Lumby is also contributing $120,000 to the project, estimated at $1,831,938. “This project will create jobs,” Acton said, adding he was excited and grateful for the funds. “This could put the community back on its feet.” The village held public consultations recently to find ways to improve the local economy which has been hit by a general slowdown in the forestry sector leading to job losses. Village officials are hopeful revitalization projects, such as this, will encourage new businesses to locate their operations in Lumby. “This will not only replace old pipes that are probably leaking into the ground but will provide fire flows to the industrial park,” said Acton. “And industrial land in the North Okanagan is very, very scarce.”

Project details include:
1,830 metres of 300 mm water main to be replaced
Well head protection improvements
Intrusion alarms and communication upgrades at all facilities
Leblanc Street pressure zone change
Backup generator for the lower reservoir.
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GVAC AND RDNO Applied for a Grant re Aberdeen Dam: (Denied) 
http://vernonblog.blogspot.ca/2015/03/aberdeen-dam-grant-application.html

Click to Enlarge:
http://www.ubcm.ca/EN/main/funding/renewed-gas-tax-agreement/strategic-priorities-fund.html

http://www.ubcm.ca/assets/Funding~Programs/Renewed~Gas~Tax~Agreement/Strategic~Priorities~Fund/SPF-
Approved-Projects-January-18-2016.pdf

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Prior Years Funding Grants for selected Areas:

Federal funding now available for British Columbia communities Canada’s Gas Tax Fund supports local infrastructure priorities throughout British Columbia

Quick Facts

• Canada's Gas Tax Fund transfer has provided $13 billion to Canadian communities to date. Over the 10-year life of the New Building Canada Plan from 2014 to 2024, the Gas Tax Fund will provide close to $22 billion in funding for local governments.
• In total, the New Building Canada Fund will provide $53 billion in funding to communities across the country over the next decade. For British Columbia, this represents almost $3.9 billion in dedicated federal funding, including almost $1.1 billion under the New Building Canada Fund and an estimated $2.76 billion under the federal Gas Tax Fund*. British Columbia also stands to benefit from the Government of Canada’s following national funding programs:
• $4 billion available across the country for projects of national significance, $1.25 billion in additional funding available for public-private partnerships (P3) projects, $10.4 billion via the GST Rebate, which provides local governments across the country with additional resources to address their infrastructure priorities
• Eligible investment categories under this Fund include: drinking water; wastewater; solid waste; public transit community energy systems; local roads and bridges; capacity building; disaster mitigation; broadbandconnectivity; highways; short-line rail; short-sea shipping; brownfield redevelopment; regional and local airports; and projects supporting culture, tourism, sport and recreation.

A funding table is now available for all local governments in British Columbia receiving allocated funds: http://www.ubcm.ca/assets/Funding~Programs/Renewed~Gas~Tax~Agreement/Community~Works~Fund/1.%202014-GTA-Allocation-Web-Final.pdf

Learn more about the federal Gas Tax Fund: www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/gtf-fte-eng.html

Read the new Canada–British Columbia federal Gas Tax Fund agreement:www.infrastructure.gc.ca/prog/agreements-ententes/gtf-fte/2014-bc-eng.htmle/2014-bc-eng.html

*NOTE: GTF funding by jurisdiction for the first five years (2014-2019) is based on 2011 Census data. GTF funding for 2019-2024 will be based on 2016 Census data. For illustrative purposes, Census 2011 data has been used for all 10 years. Due to the indexation of the GTF, funding for 2019-2024 is expected to be at least equal to GTF funding for the first five years.

Some of the Local Projections from B.C. Table:

CWF Payment information is based on current census data. Boundary changes, incorporations of new local governments may also vary the available funding in subsequent years. Funds are subject to Federal transfer of Gas Tax.

Gas-tax rules change gives city another funding option

Kamloops This Week: By: Andrea Klassen in Municipal Government, News April 28, 2014
A change to the rules surrounding the $3-million in gas-tax money the city receives each year will give Kamloops council another place to look for performing-arts centre funding. Previously, municipalities could use the federal funds only for public infrastructure programs, but a new agreement has opened up the field to include arts and sports facilities, airport improvements and a host of other project types. Most of this year’s gas-tax funds are already earmarked in Kamloops for pedestrian improvements on Todd Road in Barnhartvale and for an upgrade of Windbreak Street in Brocklehurst. The city also used gas-tax revenue to create a reserve fund that will fund cycling and pedestrian projects. Mayor Peter Milobar said it is promising the federal government has relaxed the rules around the money but, at this point, he said it’s anyone’s guess whether gas-tax funds will be used to fund a performing-arts centre. “That’s for the council, if and when we get to the numbers stages, to start figuring out,” he said. “It’s an option in the tool box, but it doesn’t mean it will be acted upon for that project. It may be that we may want to use those funds for other projects.” If council did choose to use gas-tax funds to build a centre, it would have the option of setting some or all of the funds aside in a reserve designated to the project. Municipalities can also borrow against the funds. Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod said the changes will give communities more flexibility while still encouraging them to revitalize their infrastructure. The city will take the next step on the performing-arts centre later this year when it hires a consultant to fine-tune its plans, including the centre’s location and design. Once that work is complete, the city will likely hold a referendum to seek permission to borrow the funds for the project.
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Where Vernon is using its Gas Tax Funding in 2014: (P.59)
29 ST SAN / STM / ROAD RECONSTRUCTION - 41 AVE TO 43 AVE $797,658
PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD REHAB - 41 AVENUE TO BX CREEK $220,174
Total to be used from Gas Tax Community Works Fund Reserve : $1,017,831

Federal Gas Tax Fund Calculator

ca/home/issues/infrastructure/federal-gas-tax-fund-calculator.htm
The federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) is much more than another infrastructure program. It is a permanent federal transfer that provides predictable, long-term funding for municipalities to build and revitalize public infrastructure - our roads and bridges as well as water, energy, public transit and solid waste management systems.

Vernon B.C.

District of Coldstream

North Okanagan Regional District

Federal cash for roads, sewers to continue, minister pledges

The Canadian Press Posted: Jun 2, 2012 10:47 AM PT
 The president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities says mayors across the country are relieved that the federal government has committed to extending a major infrastructure fund. Infrastructure Minister Denis Lebel announced at the federation's annual convention in Saskatoon Friday that the seven-year, $33-billion fund begun in 2007 will continue past 2014. Federation president Berry Vrbanovic says there was anxiety among the mayors over how the program was coming along. Lebel said he will chair a series of roundtable discussions across the country over the summer to gather views from municipalities, corporations and the public on Canada's infrastructure needs.
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Don Quixote Note:
Below is a table of the last 3 years of the present Gas Tax  plan. As you can see Vernon's share in 2011 was $1,018,000.(actually $1,017,830.73) That same yearly amount will also be given to Vernon in  the 2012/13 and 2013/14 fiscal year. (March 31 end date)

Figures rounded

City Submits List For Gas Tax Grants

107.5 KISSFM Wednesday, 16 May 2012 09:22 
The city of Vernon will seek funding for three projects from the federal-provincial Gas Tax fund. Councillor Patrick Nicol says a sustainable infrastructure investment plan (SUP)--costing $336,000--is the number one priority. Nicol tells Kiss FM, "It's to do with the liquid waste management plan, which this Wednesday the public will have a opportunity to take a look at. There's a lot associated with that." A staff report says the SUP would have several components including asset management (gap analysis, investment plan, financial plan, outreach), integrated transportation framework (ITF) for clean air/GHG), and storm water utility feasibility/framework (clean water). The city will also apply for $1.6 million for the Kal Lake Road Multi-Use Path, providing a 1.3 km walking-biking trail from 11th Avenue, to the Coldstream boundary by Alpine Centre. Staff had recommended seeking 53% funding ($849,230) from the government fund, and using $753,090 from the city's DCC transportation reserves. "If the project proceeds, the transportation DCC reserve could be reduced close to zero", stated Greg Thompson, municipal financial technician. Councillor Bob Spiers successfully argued his colleagues to seek all 1.6 million from the fund. He tells Kiss FM, "There are more important DCC projects that we've supposedly been building up funds for years and years. We asked for the one hundred percent grant last year for the same project. Let's ask for the hundred percent this year, and that's what council did." Number three on the list is the Willow Park Sewer Project. Thompson says in his report, "The project includes a new sewer collector pipe and services to the Willow Park area (Okanagan Landing) as well as upgrades to the old irrigation water system. Willow Park is one of the highest priority areas for sewer extension in the city. The estimated cost of the project is $619,000 with 100% funding proposed from the General Strategic Priorities Fund." The Gas Tax Agreement is a federal/provincial agreement that transfers federal funds in support of municipal infrastructure projects that contribute to cleaner air, cleaner water and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.