District of Clearwater plans to purchase a safety boat for its new sewage lagoon.
It might sound funny but only until you consider the consequences of someone falling into the lagoon and being unable to get out.
The boat was just one highlight of the district's five-year financial plan presented by director of finance Scott Coulson during a public information meeting last Tuesday.
Cost of the safety boat and its deployment method is projected to cost $10,000 and will be installed this year, Coulson reported.
"We need to be able to get it into the lagoon without tearing the liner," he said. "It's going down a very slippery slope ... and we want to make sure our guys aren't going in, believe me."
Also being budgeted for is $1.56 million to extend the district's sewer system to Dutch Lake subdivision in 2015. The project is one of several that would depend on getting grants from other levels of government.
"They are capital projects that are reliant on getting grants," said Coulson. "If we don't get the grants then we don't do them."
Another major capital project would be an ultraviolet disinfection system for the town's water supply. A Towns for Tomorrow grant of $400,000 has been applied for. The municipality's share would be $176,000. If the grant is received the project should go ahead this year.
The plan includes $10,000 to decide whether to construct a new firehall or put additions on the existing hall.
"Will this building suffice for the future or will we need to look at a new one?" Coulson asked.
Overall spending by the district, including transfers to other governments, is projected to drop from $8.6 million this year to $6.7 million next year. Major reason for the decrease is the end of the forest fuel reduction programs funded by the provincial and federal governments, said Coulson.
In this year's budget, property taxes brought in $1.2 million, government grants and transfers brought in $2.6 million, and sales of services another $850,000.
Overall tax income will remain about the same as last year, with minor changes due to fluctuations in assessments.