West Kelowna still dealing with costly damage from last year’s flooding
Report by city staff says cost of projects planned this summer now estimated at $2.2 million
Far from subsiding, cleanup and recovery costs associated with last year’s flooding are rising in West Kelowna.
It had been projected that flood-recovery projects to be undertaken this summer would carry expenses of about $500,000. But the revised estimate is $2.2 million, city council will hear today.
To cover the $1.7-million shortfall, the province is expected to provide $1.4 million while $300,000 will be taken from municipal reserves.
City staff say the initial cost projections for such things as repairing reservoirs and weirs, hauling away gravel and rebuilding retaining walls were high-level estimates only when they were devised last December.
“Those projects, and associated recovery cost estimates, were based on rough work plans that were developed, where engineering and permitting costs were not fully designed or understood at the time,” reads part of a staff report to council.
For example, flood-recovery work along Powers Creek was projected to cost $400,000, but the actual amount is $1 million. And repairs to the Gellatly boat launch initially believed to cost $15,000 will in fact require the spending of $166,000, the staff report states.
However, some flood-recovery projects will now be done entirely by the province rather than involve cost-sharing by the municipality.
In total, 45 flood-recovery projects are required in West Kelowna, 34 of which have already been completed, most at the projected cost.
However, with the higher-thanexpected works still to come, total flood-recovery costs are now put at $6.9 million rather than $5.2 million. Typically, the province funds 80 per cent of such expenses.