Asphalt path work will go ahead as planned instead of the $20,000 cut it had faced.

At Monday evening's city council meeting, members approved budget amendments that will see $120,000 worth of improvements to the city's compost site.

Originally, the city proposed $20,000 of that would come out of the work planned for asphalt paths this year.

When the recommendation came back to council Monday night, however, administration had changed the proposal so the path work wouldn't be affected and the $20,000 would be added to the amount coming from landfill infrastructure work.

That budget on landfill work will shrink from $150,000 to $30,000, with the remainder going to the compost site work. Initially, it was proposed that budget be brought down to $50,000.

The city had planned to excavate new landfill cells, but will instead only do the more immediate work needed, putting the additional cash towards composting.

Coun. Doug Graham said he appreciated administration coming back with a recommendation that would not see path work cut.

"That's very positive," he said.

At a meeting earlier this month, Graham suggested city staff find an area other than the asphalt paths for the $20,000 to come out of.

Pointing out how well-used the paved trails are, he said he'd hate to see any cuts to the project.

The compost site improvements will see the city purchase a windrow turner, tractor, screener and a bagging machine as it expands its garbage and compost cart collection program.

While the city is set to receive $24,000 in June on a bill owed by the Raven Recycling Society, councillors learned last night that money will simply be added to the city's general revenues rather than being directly tied to composting.

"It will go just towards our balance sheet," Rob Fendrick, the city's director of administrative services, said after being questioned about the bill by Coun. Florence Roberts.

Council also learned, as Roberts continued her questions, that canvas bags will be used for the compost that's sold at the site with the bagging machine set to be used for the work.

Along with voting to move money around in the budget to pay for the compost site work, council also voted that operating revenues would be increased by $34,000 coming from the sale of compost and expenses at the site go up by $120,360, with compost contract obligations dropping by $63,400.

While Raven Recycling originally had the contract to operate the compost site, it withdrew from it last August.

Coun. Dave Stockdale was absent from Monday's meeting while Coun. Dave Austin attended by conference call.