City council approves 100% subsidy program
City council has approved a 100 per cent subsidy program with a fast-track option, so people fearing more catastrophic floods can quickly install up to $2,800 worth of flood prevention devices.
“In the short term, this gives people a fighting chance as the rains are falling,” Mayor Drew Dilkens said after the unanimous council vote Monday for a beefedup Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program that had been funded at 80 per cent.
Following the Aug. 29 flood that damaged more than 6,000 basements, the city has now set aside about $7.2 million to fund the program, which offers 100 per cent subsidies for sump pumps, backflow valves and other anti-flood measures.
It’s the first component of the mayor’s eight-point plan introduced two weeks ago after two major floods in less than a year. Some of the recommendations call for major infrastructure projects that will take years to happen, said Dilkens.
“This is, in my mind, of that eight-point plan, the most fundamental part people can tap into immediately.”
City staff were warning it could take many months — eight to nine months based on current staffing — before city inspectors arrive at people’s homes to start the process, after 1,500 people applied for the program following the Aug. 29 flood. So part of the program includes a “fast-track” option for people who don’t want to wait for an inspector to arrive before installing the devices.
The city approval would be dependent on a final inspection after the work is done, but Dilkens said people won’t risk spending the money and not getting the subsidy as long as they follow the instructions.
“I would suggest you’re not at risk if you get a building permit before you get the work done, and you use a reputable plumbing contractor,” he told reporters after the council meeting. “Once you get your building permit and have the work done, you will definitely get your money back.”
He said people can still use the traditional process and wait, but the fast-track program will help people who are anxious to get moving on repairing their homes. It’s best to install these devices now, he suggested.
“The carpets are out, the floors are exposed in their basement and they want to get going with getting their lives back together in their home,” he said.
“Now is the time ... to get the work done.”
The cost to provide 80 per cent of the cost for the several thousand households that have already received the subsidy — prior to the August flood — averaged $2,054. Staff expect the cost with the 100 per cent subsidy will average $2,567. The $2,800 cap has not changed.
“This program and programs like it are things you can do immediately, right now, to mitigate the potential of basement flooding,” said city engineer Mark Winterton, adding that “there is no guarantee, there is no silver bullet.”
Dilkens said the money set aside will pay for about 2,800 homes. If more money is needed (the city has about 70,000 homes), council will evaluate the situation, he said.
“I hope more people come on board and use this program,” he said, noting that only seven per cent of homes so far have taken advantage.
Many who have used it following last year’s flood have said “Thank god,” he said, because it helped prevent more problems in the Aug. 29 flood.
“So we want more people to subscribe to it and we’ll worry about finding more money once these funds gets close to being expired.”
The city will pay: 100 per cent of the cost to install a backwater valve to a maximum of $1,000; 100 per cent for a sump pump with sump pump overflow to a maximum of $1,750; 100 per cent for a sump pump overflow for existing sump pumps to a maximum of $300; 100 per cent for disconnecting foundation drains from floor drains to a maximum of $400; and 100 per cent for a combined backwater valve, sump pump and sump pump overflow to a maximum of $2,800.
People who received the 80 per cent subsidy aren’t eligible to come back for the remaining 20 per cent. An amendment called for by Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac means homes without basements are eligible for the program.