The municipal government is still seeking funding for the upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant.
On Monday, council approved an application made to the Alberta Municipal Water and Wastewater Partnership. The application is one of two currently prepared by the City of Lloydminster to get funding for the plant, with the other being sent to federal authorities.
According to Lloydminster mayor Rob Saunders, both applications are now ready to be sent as soon as the windows from both levels of government open. He also said the City has been getting encouragement to apply for funding.
“Those two have different intake times, as far as the ability to make applications, so we’re waiting for the Alberta government and the federal government to allow us to make applications,” said Saunders.
“We’re being encouraged to have our applications ready to go, which they are, and we have all our applications, engineering studies, all our motions in council, and all the information that we require for both our capital projects, ready for funding. Once the gate opens, and we’re able to apply, we’ll be there.”
Saunders also said administration is exploring multiple options for funding, after the proposed Lloydminster Utility Corporation deal with EPCOR was placed on hold.
“They’ve been charged with being creative and going out and looking at all different options,” said Saunders.
“There is probably a lot of work being done behind the scenes, on all different fronts.”
The current price of the project is set at $80 million, according to the council agenda from Monday’s meeting. Funding for the project is expected to come through the Building Canada Fund, the general revenue of the city, borrowing, and offsite levies.
The deadline to have a new plant in place falls in July of 2017.