The city will spend up to $20 million next year after passing third reading – thus adopting – the 2018 capital budget at Monday’s city council meeting.

The spending plans set out how the city will spend $10.8 million from its own accounts.

There are also plans for another nearly $9.3 million in work that would only go ahead if external funding from federal and territorial sources are approved.

The six members of council at Monday’s meeting (Coun. Rob Fendrick was absent) all voted in favour of the budget. That vote, however, did not come without some concerns over the purchase of city buses expressed by Coun. Betty Irwin.

The provisional spending plans for 2019 to 2021 highlight the intent to spend about $2.1 million on new buses, subject to external funding.

As Irwin pointed out, it’s planned that these buses would be diesel vehicles, which the city currently has. She argued that instead, the city should consider beginning to phase in electric buses.

“The phasing-in of electric buses can be planned for,” she said, emphasizing that a move to the electric buses doesn’t have to happen all at once.

Electric buses, she said, would save the city a considerable amount of money. She has found figures showing electric buses cost about nine cents per kilometre to run, while diesel buses require about 45 cents per kilometre.

Whistle Bend continues to expand in the coming years, and long-range plans could see other areas developed.

It’s anticipated the city’s transit system will also see changes and more buses will be needed.

Given all these factors, it’s time to start thinking about electrically-powered vehicles, Irwin said.

Meanwhile, questions also came forward on another planned purchase from a delegate who spoke at the beginning of last night’s meeting.

Marianne Darragh reiterated her arguments made at an earlier session that the city should be purchasing bear-resistant waste and compost carts for its waste collection program rather than the standard carts.

The city plans to spend $100,000 on the standard carts next year (provided external funding is approved).

A record-high number of bears – at 62 – were euthanized in the territory over the past summer.

Those included a black bear in Valleyview after efforts failed to discourage it from feeding on garbage.

“I just want to remind city council that there has been a great deal of interest from the public in bear-proof carts as an important measure in reducing bear/human interaction, as noted in the Bear Hazard Assessment Study (done by WildWise Yukon in 2015) and requests that the capital budget should be amended to accommodate the purchase of bearproof carts,” Darragh said.

Elaine Carlyle has also previously addressed council, speaking in favour of the bear-resistant carts.

Carlyle was not able to attend last night’s meeting, but sent comments via Darragh.

If the cost of the bear-resistant carts is not known, Carlyle said, a “placeholder” could be put in place that would show the intention to make the purchase and budget for it into the future.

Darragh also highlighted plans by WildWise Yukon to bring up some sample carts that are certified as bear-resistant and are compatible with the city’s collection trucks.

They open with a latch, so there would not be any clips for residents to deal with. The carts are planned to be tested in the cold weather.

With the capital budget now adopted, the spending plan will see the city continue to focus on the construction of its new operations building throughout 2018.

That project will see city staff and equipment move from several sites around town to the new building under construction off Range Road south of Two Mile Hill. It’s budgeted at $55 million over several years.

“The relocation and consolidation of nine downtown buildings will help us become more efficient in offering services to Whitehorse residents, and will free up prime real estate in the downtown and industrial areas,” Mayor Dan Curtis said in the five-page speech he presented when the budget was brought forward.

“The city is also in the early stages and planning the demolition of Fire Hall #1, located next to city hall, as well as the Municipal Services Building on Fourth Avenue.

“We are investing $260,000 in 2018 towards environmental assessments that will inform the plan for the future dismantling, demolition and cleaning up of both sites,” Curtis said.

“Fire Hall #1 has run its course, and we are in the early stages of planning for the future services building that will eventually take its place.

“We are also investing $250,000 next year for the design and construction contracts to redevelop the Motorways property on Black Street to meet the needs of a downtown fire station for at least the next 20 years,” the mayor said.

Another major focus for the capital spending plan is on infrastructure.

A total of $3.2 million proposed in 2018 is identified for the reconstruction of Alexander Street east of Fourth Avenue, as well as $80,000 to finish up landscaping on Black Street.

“In keeping with our commitment to address safety concerns and improve traffic flow, we are investing $33,000 to add a protected left-turn signal at the busy intersection of the Alaska Highway and Robert Service Way,” Curtis said.

“Solutions for this location were suggested by the public, council and city transportation crews.”

A further $25,000 will see the purchase of materials like curbing, traffic posts, speed humps and other such items for calming traffic in an effort to reduce collisions and complaints about speeding.

In his speech, Curtis acknowledged the importance of parks and trails to Whitehorse residents.

“As the Wilderness City, we hold dear active lifestyles and our proximity to the great outdoors,” he said.

“We are committing $375,000 to improve our trails, parks and playgrounds.”

A total of $80,000 will go to park and trail amenities in Whistle Bend – dog bag dispensers, benches and signs, picnic tables and the like; with $65,000 identified for upgrades to playground equipment in Cowley Creek and Hidden Valley.

“After consulting with the Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee to identify accessibility issues and existing hazards in our downtown parks, we set aside $25,000 to carry out repair work such as eliminating tripping hazards on our curbs,” Curtis said.

Among the long list of projects dependent on external funding are:

• odour mitigation work at the Livingstone Trail Lagoon;

• a replacement of software for fire and bylaw computer-aided dispatch;

• bus repairs;

• the addition of new transit shelters and benches;

• upgrades to the landfill fencing and signage;

• a new stock of compost and waste carts; and;

• planning work for the expansion of Grey Mountain Cemetery.