While residents weren't ready to speak directly to council on the proposed capital budget for this year, they had no problem writing in their thoughts on the budget to the city.

At a public input session held last week, no one spoke on the proposed nearly $21-million capital budget for 2011.

However, as city financial manager Valerie Anderson told council at its meeting this week, residents choose to express their concerns in writing, with a wide range of issues varying from road work to recreational opportunities.

Ten people wrote in before the report was written, with another submitted on Tuesday, Anderson said Wednesday.

There's only one project that came up though that the city is not planning to fund.

As Anderson reported, the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club called on the city to install a staircase linking the Canada Games Centre (CGC) to the Mount McIntyre Recreation Centre.

"Pedestrian safety concerns on icy trails or when crossing ski trails, the use of the Mount McIntyre parking lot by CGC patrons, as well as the destructive effect of pedestrian foot traffic on groomed ski trails were cited as reasons,” she noted in the report.

The ski club also urged council to make the staircase a priority so it would be ready before the 2012 Arctic Winter Games.

At an estimated cost of $450,000, the proposal didn't make it to the city's budget.

For it to go ahead, Anderson said, there would have to be new funding sources found or, if the city opted to, it could be split up from the recreation facility reserve (leaving $413,000 in that account) and recreation development cost charge reserve (leaving $320,499 in that reserve).

The resident who questioned the need for the roundabout proposed for the Nisutlin Drive and Lewes Boulevard intersection in Riverdale isn't likely to get what he or she asked for either.

Arguing collisions there are minimal, the resident suggested the only traffic remediation needed for the neighbourhood is a three-lane bridge that would alleviate congestion in the morning and evening.

A third lane could also serve as an alternate emergency vehicle lane and could serve a growing population in Riverdale if there is more development.

Another writer questioned the $2.5 million allocated for odour mitigation at the Livingstone Trail sewage lagoon, arguing the money should be spent on other priorities such as dealing with homelessness, Anderson said.

As she pointed out though, the mitigation is among the conditions set out for the development of Whistle Bend, the next major subdivision that will be built in the city, and is entirely funded by the Yukon government.

Still, another used the opportunity to state his or her concern over the local improvement charge proposed for Black Street property owners to make improvements from Fourth Avenue up to the escarpment.

The writer reiterated a number of issues that came up during public hearings on the matter, questioning the voting process, costs to residents and others.

The city, however, is standing by the LIC and has allocated $6.3 in this year's budget for the project, which will see new water and sewer mains installed along with improvements to the road. Third reading of the LIC was passed on last week.

Others who wrote to the city appear to stand a better chance of getting what they asked for.

The other project council heard back on that would see changes to the CGC is the $126,000 for new underlay in the fieldhouse, with $85,000 coming from the city and $41,000 from various soccer groups.

The Yukon Soccer Association, Whitehorse Minor Soccer Association, Whitehorse Coed Soccer, Whitehorse Rapids, Special Olympics Yukon and the Whitehorse Soccer Legends all wrote in expressing their support for the project.

While the original cost was estimated at $210,000, it is now down to $126,000 because the floor material the soccer groups have suggested using costs less though it is not expected to meet the needs of other groups using the fieldhouse, such as seniors' lawn bowling.

"CGC administration expects that replacing the underlay and the surface flooring will result in a total project cost of at least $180,000,” the report states.

"The $85,000 from city reserves has been identified to start the project and to allow user groups to leverage the city's contribution as they secure outside funding.”

Officials with Integra Tire at the corner of Industrial Road and Two Mile Hill wrote in to express their support for the bumpy Industrial Road to be redone from Two Mile Hill to Quartz Road.

The company also called for a sidewalk aimed at improving pedestrian safety, an improved bus stop so that traffic wouldn't be blocked, the removal of the ditch, the creation of a turning lane and installing a traffic light at Industrial Road and Two Mile Hill.

The city is planning to spend $2.4 million on the project this year, which will see improvements to the curbs and gutters, a new sidewalk on one side of the road, new asphalt along with new water mains, storm sewers and improved lighting.

"Engineering has confirmed that the upgrading of Industrial Road will address the need for a new sidewalk, improved bus stops and will also consider the traffic signals at Industrial Road which was installed in 1992 by the Yukon government but never fully activated,” reads the report.

(There had been fears when the lights were installed that traffic descending the hill in slippery conditions might collide with vehicles stopped at the lights.)

Council will vote next week on whether to move ahead with second and third readings of the bylaw governing the capital budget.