HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-06-081 - Request for additinal funds for Upper Blair Creek Functional Drainage Study
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Development &
Technical Services
Report To:
Date of Meeti ng :
Submitted By:
Prepared By:
Ward(s) Involved:
Date of Report:
Report No.:
Subject:
Chair Weylie and Members of DTS Committee
June 12, 2006
Rob Shamess, Director of Engineering
George MacDuff, Manager of Development Engineering
Ward 4
May 31,2006
DTS-06-081
Request for additional funds for Upper Blair Creek Functional
Drainage Study
RECOMMENDATION:
That staff be authorized to approve additional required funds relating to this project in the
amount of $29,325.57 (incl. GST) coming from the Engineering Study Component of the
Development Charges Fund. Further, that Council approve funding of long-term annual
monitoring for this development area, as set out in the attached correspondence from the Grand
River Conservation Authority.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Due to additional study requirements to complete the Upper Blair Creek Functional Drainage
Study, the study consultants Stantec, have advised that an additional $110,662.51 (including
GST) is required to complete the study. Fifty percent of this amount will be funded by property
owners/developers in the West Study area (west of Reidel Drive). The remaining fifty percent is
to be split between the owners in the East Study area and the City of Kitchener, in accordance
with land/cost allocations determined at the outset of the drainage study. Therefore, staff are
requesting approval to allocate $29,325.57 to complete the Upper Blair Functional Drainage
Study. A portion of these expenditures ($8,750.00) was previously approved in an earlier DTS
Report, however, those funds were never transferred due to additional changes to the study
scope. The total additional expenditures include this amount, in order to simplify administration
of the project.
In addition, development of this subwatershed area requires ongoing water quality monitoring,
which will be undertaken by the Grand River Conservation Authority. As this work relates
directly to development, it is appropriate that this expenditure be allocated to the Engineering
Studies Component of Development Charges.
REPORT:
In August 2003 Stantec Consulting Limited was hired to undertake the Upper Blair Creek
Functional Drainage Study and Doon South (Phase 2) Community Plan. The purpose of the
Functional Drainage Study is to establish an appropriate strategy, to be developed and
implemented on a subwatershed level, to achieve increased unit density within the Blair, Bechtel
and Bauman Creek watershed area of Kitchener. This study would assist in determining an
appropriate community planning strategy for this area. The initial cost for the study was
$99,935.00 plus GST and this cost was shared with property owners/developers in the area.
Due to the changing scope of the project, and increased expenditures, staff have consulted with
the area developers, and received their concurrence to undertake the Community Plan
component for this development area. This plan will be managed and reviewed by staff through
our standard practices, and ultimately be approved by Council. This document will guide the
ultimate development of the Upper Blair Creek watershed area. As the overall project
expenditures to date have considerably exceeded the original estimated cost, the additional
expenditures relating to completion of the Community Plan component should be assumed by
the benefiting land owners.
While Stantec Consulting Ltd. are working towards completing the Terms of Reference for the
project, there are several areas where additional work is required to address the comments
raised by various Steering Committee members, including additional detail on erosion
assessment, salt management, the traffic update, water supply background information, and
flood control/impact analysis. As well, changes to the study documentation are proposed which
will require additional time/effort to complete. Specifically, it was determined at the last Steering
Committee meeting that the report format exclude the Class EA documentation approach,
separating the Functional Drainage Plan and Community Plan into two individual documents,
and providing a risk analysis in the Functional Drainage Study as requested by the GRCA. In
order to accomplish these additional tasks and documentation additional technical meetings are
recommended/required to resolve specific issues.
Stantec has indicated that an additional $110,662.51 (including GST) is required in order to
complete the additional work required to finalize the Upper Blair Creek Functional Drainage
Study. Like the initial study costs, these additional costs will be shared by the land owners/
developers in the Blair Creek watershed area. The City's portion of the additional expenditures
is $29,325.57 (including GST). Staff are recommending that the funds be allocated to the
Engineering Study Component of the Development Charge Fund. The additional expenditures
include funds requested in a previous DTS Report (original $8,750.00). For purposes of
expediting the completion of this study, those funds are included in the overall additional project
expenditures.
It is expected that the drainage study will be completed by the end of June, and that the
Community Plan component will proceed immediately thereafter, such that development may
proceed in this area.
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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Part A (Upper Blair Expenditures)
Total Funding Required: $110,662.51 (including GST)
Funding Sources:
West Study Area Developers: $52,011.38 (including GST)
East Study Area Developers: $29,325.57 (including GST)
City (Engineering Study Component/Development Charges): $29,325.57 (including GST)
Funding Required from Development Charge Funds: $29,325.57
Part B (Upper Blair Monitoring Program)
Total Funding Required: $16,317.84 (including GST)
Funding Sources:
City (Engineering Study Component/Development Charges): Annual Expenditure, $16,317.84
(including GST)
Funding Required from Development Charge Funds: $16,317.84 (Annually)
CONCLUSION:
That funding as outlined, in the amount of $29,325.57 (including GST) be allocated from
Development Charges to complete the Upper Blair Functional Drainage Study, and, that
approval to allocate an additional annual expenditure (for ongoing water quality monitoring) of
$16,317.84 (including GST) from Development Charges (Engineering Studies Component) be
granted.
Rob Shamess, P. Eng.
Director of Engineering
George MacDuff, CET
Manager of Development Engineering
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