District of Squamish of Council have decided to put a hold on moving ahead on a joint project with the School District 48 that would see a redevelopment of the field between Howe Sound Secondary School and Squamish Elementary School, due to this year's budget crunch.The council was approached by the school board following a December board meeting where trustees decided to move ahead with this development.
The project would cost an estimated $600,000, and the school district has already been able to get $175,000 towards that total. They were looking to council to help them with the remainder, or a portion thereof, for the 2008 fiscal year.
"This is not the best time," said Mayor Ian Sutherland before council agreed to delay moving ahead with any action on the issue until the next budget season.
Mamquam Diversion project didn't influence November floods
A study by Maria Lau and Adrian Chantler of Hayco & Company engineering, which was presented to council last week, shows that work being done on the Mamquam Diversion project did not play a role in the flood that hit Squamish on Nov. 6 and Nov. 15 of 2006. "In fact the diversion project helped speed up drainage of the system," said Lau.
The worst storm was on Nov. 15.
Ït was a 40-year event," said Lau noting the rarity of such ferocious rains hitting the Squamish area.
"One hundred and forty-six mm of rain came down in the span of 24 hours," said Lau, who noted that a 100-year storm would contain 168 mm over the same time period.
"However, the majority of those rains, the fiercest portion of the storm occurred during the tidal crest."
Council was shown how most of the rain on that day fell while the tide was at its highest peak, with nearly 80 mm of precipitation while the tides were at their highest.
"The chances of storms of that magnitude occurring at that point in time is rare," said Lau.
Lau said that one of the contributing factors was a blockage in a drainage pipe. However, compared to 2001 models, which are based on the system prior to most of the work that has been done on the diversion project that has been completed to date was done, the system still drained faster than before.
Both Chantler and Lau addressed what could be part of this year's works on the diversion project. However, council declined to discuss the specifics and the costs.
"We will hold of on looking at the work on this for this year until we can do it in conjunction with budget discussions," said Sutherland.
