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Lantzville council adopts multi-year spending plan

NANAIMO – Lantzville councillors approved the 2016-20 financial plan, which includes spending money for pipeline construction.
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Lantzville District Hall shown above

Lantzville councillors have approved a multi-year financial plan.

At its Nov. 14 council meeting, District of Lantzville councillors approved a 2016-20 financial plan bylaw, which had undergone amendments this year before being adopted.

The plan sets the financial framework for the district over the next five years. Among the notable items included in the financial plan is $800,000 construction cost for the water pipeline to Nanaimo.

Jeannie Beauchamp, director of financial services, said it is doubtful that construction for the pipeline would begin this year and that money allocated for 2016 will likely carried over to next year.

“It is unlikely that work would start before the end of the year,” she said. “Only the amount of work that gets done until Dec. 31 that would show up in 2016. Anything that gets done in 2017 would end up in that budget year.”

The district anticipates spending $1.25 million on water capital expenditures for 2016. Beauchamp said that figure mostly includes the construction costs for the pipeline, as well as some well upgrades to district wells.

“There were a few wells done this year,” she said. “It includes $250,000 for well No. 6, $25,000 for well No. 12, $50,000 for well No. 9 and $50,000 for well No. 4.”

Other notable upcoming expenses for 2017 include $5 million in capital expenditures for Phase 3 of the district’s sewer system project. However, Beauchamp said the district is anticipating receiving grants, including a $3.3 million grant, to recover those costs.

Coun. Will Geselbracht told the News Bulletin he’s happy that the pipeline money is now included in the district’s financial plan.

“We’ve got the water issue well on its way to being solved,” he said.

“We are trying to secure [water] for the next 50 years.”

Coun. John Coulson said he felt the decision to approve the pipeline spending was done far too soon.

“We have a water master plan underway,” he said. “We have amendments requested to Nanaimo under the Lantzville-Nanaimo water agreement and I think it is wise to wait for those process to unfold before spending a significant amount of money on the water interconnection.”