Stormwater plan coming

PRINCE GEORGE – Crews are working away at the base of Shane Creek in Ginter’s Meadow. That’s the location of a detention pond that controls the flow of water as it makes its way through the City’s stormwater system. There are 25 such detention ponds around the city. It costs about $100,000 to keep it is maintained. But, as Council has learned recently, the City doesn’t spend as much as it needs.

“On average, over the past five years, we’ve been spending about four and a half million dollars. That’s operating, maintenance, replacements and upgrades,” explains Kristy Bobbie, the Manager of Asset Management. “We need to basically double that in order to be sustainable, which means to provide the service in the long term.”

That means Council is being asked to create a reserve fund for stormwater management much as there is for snow clearing. And there is a plan to create an Integrated Stormwater Plan.