High River council's decided to dip into reserves to keep the flood gate project at the Centre Street bridge on track.

The project is funded through a grant that requires the municipality to pay a portion.

According to a report to council at its meeting Tuesday: The cost share is based on 10% for the first $3 million dollars and 30% funding for costs in excess of $3 million. Based on the full utilization of the available grant funds ($4.1 million dollars), the municipal share would be $630,000 dollars. However, the project is projected to cost $3.65 Million which would require a municipal share of $495,000.

The Provincial government denied the Town 's bid to pay for it's portion of the project with money from the Long Term Recovery Grant, something Mayor Craig Snodgrass doesn't understand.

"All of our mitigation to protect this town is over $200 million spent, including the southwest berm and everything else," he says. "All of that has been funded by the Alberta Government, all of it. I'm curious as to why this little component of $500,000, $600,000 it might be depending on the end cost of it, why this is a sticking point for them."

He says the Town is appealing the decision and is confident they'll win the appeal.

In the meantime the Town will come up with the $630,000 from Infrastructure Capital Reserves.

The Mayor says the town is very thankful and fortunate to have had the support it's had since 2013 to get the town protected from any future high water event.

 

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