How Kelowna city hall plans to spend a billion dollars

CENTRAL OKANAGAN – A billion dollars and change — that’s how much the City of Kelowna is estimating it will spend over the next 15 years on infrastructure — roads, sewers, buildings, vehicles — but also such things as waste water treatment and domestic water supply.

Infrastructure planning manager Joel Shaw broke down the draft 2030 infrastructure plan for council Monday, showing just where that money to is going.

He told councillors the plan catagorizes infrastructure spending as either renewal, growth or new projects.

Renewal projects are aimed at replacing or renovating existing infrastructure, growth projects are aimed at population growth and demand, while new spending supports increased or improved service levels.

Renewal projects will take up $383 million over the next 15 years with growth projects costing $456 million and new capital demands adding a further $204 million.

Examples of top priority renewal projects include the estimated $50 million replacement or renovation of Parkinson Recreation Centre and $97 million to be spent on waste water and domestic water delivery.

Growth projects include the $8 million Mission activity centre and $85 million to be spend on parkland acquisition.

New capital projects include $20 million to add two new ice sheets and a indoor soccer pitch plus almost $8 million for the land under yet another downtown parkade.

The largest single funding source for the $1 billion in projects will come from taxation which will provide $274 million.

City staff provided the early draft of the 2030 capital plan to council as a prelude to a public consultation process to be held over the next four weeks. It starts Friday, Nov. 12 with the opening of a 2030 online calculation tool and includes a public information booth at Orchard Park Mall this weekend, Nov. 13 and 14.

To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.