Having Bill Gaal running this project does not inspire confidence. Look at the fiasco with snow removal this past winter for an example of his ability to manage a work crew. What was it, half the crew had Christmas holidays at the same time the snow arrived?

His plan here is to use idle city crews to do the work and pull them off the contract every time a water main breaks elsewhere in the city. This has costs and one would hope the cost allocations are audited when all is said and done. If the city was going to do the work in house they should have capped the cost to home owners, rather than leaving it a open ended contractual obligation.

Then we have the city cost estimates in the 4th avenue project and the city is off by 133% on their budget estimates. If the city estimate on the sewer upgrade is also off by 133%, then this becomes a $5.825 million dollar project or nearly $60,000 per house for the city portion of the project.

The city says $10,000 to get the house hooked up to the city sewer line… others have said $15,000. Again city estimates are suspect and they don’t back those estimates up with anything.

If we go by the cities own estimate variances and get a hook up cost of $23,300, plus $60,000 for the project, then a home owner paying cash will pay $83,300… but since most home owners will be on the 20-year payment plan, and this increases the cost by another 50%, then the grand total for each house is more likely to come in around $125,000 per home.

That is potentially half the assessed value in most of these homes, and more than some of them were even worth 10 years ago.

Hi Eagleone,

Thank you for your insightful wisdom and making all of in the area impacted feel so wonderful about where we live. Those in the impacted area have enough to worry about in their own lives without your comments. I am not sure whether you are correct or not but crossing that bridge is something we will do when we get there.

I may not have been in favour of this project, but many in my areas sewers were beginning to fail. The fact that mine has not is likely good luck than anything else. If my sewer was beginning to fail which they all do at some point, I am sure I would have worked to get the sewer.

The cost overruns by the city are all of our concern but grandstanding at the expense of your neighbours, well let just say it is not neighbourly.

I suspect this will have no impact on you but at least I am speaking to the source of my concern. My question to is, are you?

“His plan here is to use idle city crews to do the work and pull them off the contract every time a water main breaks elsewhere in the city.”
That is completely false. Once again Eagleone has spouted off without know facts. His rant, as usual, is pure conjecture and not based on anything solid. Don’t worry Lives, its not all doom and gloom.
Eagleone, find out why the 4th Avenue budget is lower than the bid. It has already been explained but you only pay attention a fraction of the time.
Bottom line here:
1. The city is not shoving this down our throats. Residents asked for the process and the majority voted in favour AFTER hearing the cost.
2. The crew IS dedicated to this project and will remain with it until its finished.
3. All the subjects such as:
– no cap
– cost to owners for their hook up
– decommissioning of septic
– pavement cost sharing
– how they estimated the cost.
where all discussed openly and repeatedly at the preliminary meetings BEFORE the official vote and NOTHING as far as I can see has changed.
4. Keep in mind this wasn’t just a yes/no vote. Residents who where in favour had to fill out the form and deliver it to city hall. If you did not do this, you were considered a NO vote.
5. Phazes 2 and 3 will have their say. They have not yet gone through the full process they don’t have to vote if they don’t like it.
6. Don’t pay any attention to Eagleone, as he has proven over and over again that he types before he knows the facts.

“The city says $10,000 to get the house hooked up to the city sewer line… others have said $15,000. Again city estimates are suspect and they don’t back those estimates up with anything.” Wrong again
The city would not and did not specify a number for that.
They did say however, that every home owner should get an estimated from multiple contractors for an accurate cost. (Again, BEFORE the vote was taken) As every household would be different.
If the city screws up, sure, put the screws to them. But all this BS about how they are making the residents do this against their will and how they’ve screwed this up already is unfounded.

The project did not even go out to tender- Gaal’s response – economy in the North is so BUSY that no one would be even consider it. And the housewowners are paying the wages of the worker seven though the wages have been budgeted for – so the savings will go into the surplus slush fund.
There are many questions that were never answered — where did the $6 million disappear after the amalagation?

The project did not even go out to tender- Gaal’s response – economy in the North is so BUSY that no one would even consider it. And the houseowners are paying the wages of the worker even though the wages have been budgeted for – so the savings will go into the surplus slush fund.
There are many questions that were never answered — where did the $6 million disappear after the amalagation?

The city will not let the public know where the $6 mill went as those that are left in city hall do not know. The 6 mill was given to the city for ALL the areas that amalgamated at the time in the 1970’s.

Perhaps those that really need to know go ask the province. This city does not have the sufficient records from that era.

Heck they cannot even find the papers of surveys done on Landsowne Road back in the 80’s. There is a law suit waiting for the courts that could cost this city $900,000 because they did and do not keep good records.

There needs to be more accountability with this city’s administration big time. I do have to agree with Eagleone’s the lack of confidence with Gaal especially after the snow removal fiasco.

That’s OK ‘Lives Here’ don’t take it personally. Believe me I would be more than happy if I was completely wrong this time. I hope I am wrong. I cut my losses already, but yes the way this whole fiasco was handled by the city cost me a lot already in assessed values. This whole process is viewed by the city as about what the home owners can do for the city, and not what the city can do for the home owners.

For me my septic field was perfectly fine. Three to four years between having it pumped and no problems. The area has sand for drainage so anyone that takes care of their septic field should never have a problem. This city sewer is for those that have to large a home on too small of a property, or more than likely those that don’t watch what they flush down the toilet and don’t give regular maintenance to the system. I am convinced any septic system up there would work if it was pumped once a year, treated properly, and home owners watched what went down the drain. $200 a year is a lot better than even the best case estimates under city sewer… from my perspective, but obviously others have their own perspective as well and time will tell.

Good luck anyways, and I hope it all works out for you….

Vester Interest who is the one here talking conjecture?

You stated that people voted for this after they were made aware of the costs. What? The costs are estimated and we all know how good the city estimations are on major civic works projects like 4th avenue. All cost over runs are paid 100% by the home owners that will not know what the full cost is until the project is complete.

So a more accurate statement should say that 60% voted for this based on a best estimate of the cost. Not a 100% voting on a fixed cost as you suggest.

For the record Vested Interest I have never claimed this project is being done against the residents will. You made that up as the basis of your argument and rant. I have however said the city is giving the residents a snow job and pulling a fast one with the funding for the project and I believe how the costs will be allocated.

Fact of the matter is the city could not give a fixed estimate of the final cost and did not put this out to tender choosing instead to award it to itself as a make work project to pad department budgets.

Time Will Tell