For the second year in a row the City of Selkirk is inviting citizens to take an advance look at what infrastructure projects will be taking place this summer.
Last year only those living on streets that were going to be affected were invited but this year everyone is welcome to attend and see when work will start and why at an open house held in council chambers April 10 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
City’s asset management program aids in making wise decisions
More than $8 million will be spent on infrastructure projects that have been identified through the city’s Capital Asset Management Program (CAMP) as being at the right time in their lifecycle for cost effective upgrades. The work will begin in April and continue through to the fall.
Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson said thanks to CAMP, the city knows what streets need repaired and what infrastructure under the streets needs work or replacement as well.
“We did this last year and I think it was appreciated. It’s nice to know when your street is going to be worked on, so it doesn’t catch you off guard,” Johannson said.
“City council along with management really believes that good communication with residents is crucial. And we want them to know, that through good capital asset management, there’s a reason why their street was selected. It’s the same as being a good neighbour, we want to keep our neighbours informed.”
City staff will be on hand to answer questions and storyboards will provide details of all the projects.
Chief Administrative Officer Duane Nicol said everyone is welcome to attend and home and business owners who will be directly affected by the work have been invited to come see the scope of the work and have a chance to ask questions of city staff about what will be happening on their street.
Residents can subscribe to an email list that will keep them informed as the work date gets closer and about any potential changes.
“This year we’ve opened this up to all citizens and we’ve still invited those living on streets where work is going to take place so we can give them a very specific understanding of how this is going to impact them. We will encourage them to subscribe to receive emails so that as the project affecting them progresses we can give them a heads up, and say ‘hey, this is when it’s going to happen, this is what it’s going to look like,” Nicol said.
“It’s a higher level of communication so people have a better sense of the work that’s being done and why.”
Nicol said it’s important for people to understand that CAMP helps the city determine what work gets done and when, and it’s a strategic decision that puts city dollars to work in the most effective way.
“We want people to understand why we selected their street, so we’re talking about capital asset management, and the processes that we’re following to make better decisions. Our goal is best quality services with lower long-term costs,” he said.
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