Stirling interim Capital budget approved

By Nikki Jamieson
Westwind Weekly News

Stirling village council has approved an interim capital budget for 2022.
The budget, approved during council’s regular Dec. 15 meeting, outlines capital expenses over the next 10 years and identifies sources of funding for them, such as grants and other programs. Council is required by the province to approve next year’s interim budgets by the end of this calendar year, and they will be finalized next spring once the province receives their mill rates.
Mayor Trevor Lewington said that the main focus for next year’s capital budget will be two projects: reopening the community pool that had been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the twinning of the force main from the village’s lift station to the sewage lagoon. Lewington said that the latter project would increase capacity in the force main, which would help reduce the risk of flooding and sewer back up during peak weather events and will allow for future growth of the community, noting that the village’s new housing development” cannot happen without this increase in system capacity.”

Additionally, the village is continuing their ongoing road rehabilitation program for a number of years into the future, and have a program of asset replacement for key equipment in public works and the fire department, where Lewington says they look at the life expectancy of vehicles and equipment to ensure they are planning for their replacements when the time comes. However, some projects relating to signage and wayfinding were pushed back a year.
While the village has a number of projects they will be starting, Lewington said the one he is most looking forward to is the pool.
“The reopening of the pool is going to be the most important project for the shorter residents of the Village,” said Lewington. “Council has not been very popular with our youth with the closure of the most popular summer community amenity. A new concession area will provide some much needed snacks for users of the facility. We are also hoping to make upgrades like solar pre-heating of water and replacement of lighting with LED fixtures to reduce our operating expenses.”

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