Jasper Town Council will spend $13.09 million in capital projects as part of the 2010 capital budget, including major funds for the Municipal Library, pedestrian underpass and Activity/Aquatics centre.

Uncertainty around provincial grant funding however has already pushed two projects back to 2011, as $300,000 for the transfer station composting program and $633,000 for the bike share program have been deferred. The town hasn’t received final approval for a an FCM loan that was going to cover the bike share program.

Town Manager George Krefting said uncertainty around funding means it would not be fiscally prudent to begin those projects now. The newly-minted capital budget is $3 million less than the proposed capital budget that council first saw in November 2009.

“With new finance and municipal affairs ministers, I’m less confident. The promises of funding came from the previous ministers,” Krefting warned.

About $8 million worth of projects that weren’t completed during 2009 have carried over to the 2010 budget. That includes $2.14 million to finish the pedestrian underpass. Council also decided to nix a proposal to place mosaic artwork on the underpass during construction. That plan would have cost about $11,000, which would have come from the capital reserve.

The Activity Centre will receive $5.2 million as it will see major changes in 2010, and $270,000 for public washrooms at Hazel and Connaught. Lane paving and improvements to Colin and Bonhomme will also go forward to the tune of $10,000 and $60,000 respectively.

The town will also finish paying for the mobile equipment truck for the deputy fire chief and a new garbage truck, which will cost $150,000.

Council voted for the carry-over projects as a whole, and passed them unanimously. However council voted individually on new capital projects for 2010.

The library will be the largest project in 2010. The town received numerous tenders for the $4.5 million renovation to the library, most of which will come from MSI funding, Building Canada grants and fundraising.

The operating budget will also contribute $62,000 to the capital budget. Administration and the fire department will receive boosts from the operations budget.

Environmental Services will spend $170,000 on a dump truck and a half ton truck, and a new facility at Centennial park will receive $250,000.

About $50,000 will also be spent on boulevard replacement. Coun. Rico Damota voted against the initiative, as he stated it was from a previous council.

The town has also agreed to spend $40,000 from the Environmental Stewardship capital budget to purchase compost bins for the community. The bins will cost about $2,500 each, and will help the community achieve its goal of adding 50 compost bins.