Photo: Chelsea Powrie

The Garnet Dam spillway

Summerland council has made some minor changes to its 2018 budget to pay for a pair of capital projects.

An emergency bridge being installed at the Garnet Dam will cost another $20,000 than initially expected. When council approved the bridge in March to replace the culverts beneath the dam spillway, it allocated $100,000.

The smallest bid that came in was $120,000, according to CFO David Svetlichny.

“This project is an emergent need due to the possibility of flooding and, as such, the contract has been awarded,” he said.

The Garnet Dam began spilling into Aeneas Creek on April 19, several weeks earlier than expected, and the district is working quickly to get the bridge installed before the full freshet.

Council also approved $30,000 be spent to replace an 80-year-old water main near Summerland Secondary.

Svetlichny explained the school district is moving forward with installing a geothermal system at the school and it wouldn’t make sense to wait and have to work around the system to replace the pipe later.

Both projects are being funded out of the water capital reserve fund.