SOME of the city’s planned — but slashed from the 2019 budget — residential street rehabilitation work appears to be back on track.

Mayor Brian Bowman and members of his executive policy committee (EPC) Tuesday voted 6-1 in favour of spending almost $20 million — from an anticipated $40-million-plus windfall from the federal government — to restore street work.

“We’re thinking about roads, first and foremost,” Bowman told reporters. “Our first priority is to fix the roads. That’s what Winnipeggers have asked me to do.”

Council shocked many city residents when it passed its 2019 budget in March and decided to cancel the bulk of residential street work this year and next and use that money instead to pay for $40 million worth of work carried out last year that city hall expected the provincial government to cover. As a result, the public works department eliminated $45 million of local street work it had planned this year.

But the federal government announced in its March 19 budget it would be doubling the gas tax revenue provided to municipalities. Winnipeg receives about $44 million in federal gas tax revenue annually.

A similar plan to allocate much of the bonus federal dollars was proposed last week at the public works committee by Coun. Jeff Browaty, who said he would have liked to have seen the entire amount spent on local streets and active-transportation projects.

“If roads are really our No. 1 priority, we should be doing everything possible to continue tackling the road infrastructure deficit that is all too obvious almost anywhere you look in this city,” Browaty told the Free Press in an email exchange.

“We have been investing significantly in recreation and social infrastructure in recent years and I believe it’s time to redouble our commitment to roads. At this point, anything else would literally be the equivalent of putting in a swimming pool while the roof of your house is leaking.”

Tuesday’s EPC motion proposes:

• $19.25 million to be spent on residential streets, as determined by the public works department.

• $2.5 million be spent this year on unspecified road-safety measures.

• $750,000 for three active-transportation network studies.

• Up to $20 million allocated to local streets and active transportation in 2020.

• Any remaining dollars be allocated to projects to be determined in the 2020 multi-year budget process.

Coun. Brian Mayes, chairman of the city’s property and development committee, cast the lone vote against the proposal.

Mayes (St. Vital) said he believes the local MPs want the additional federal gas tax monies spent on parks, community centres and other recreational and leisure facilities.

“I have some concern about the focus being exclusively on the roads,” he said.

Mayes said he hopes any disagreement with area MPs can be resolved before council votes on the issue at its April 25 meeting.

However, Bowman told EPC that MP Jim Carr, the federal government’s senior minister for Manitoba, had assured him that council is free to spend the funds as it wishes.

City officials told councillors last week that how much work, and which portions of the original plan, can be done depends on when the money is available. Federal officials said municipalities can expect to receive the funding shortly after the budget is passed, which is expected before Parliament begins its summer recess in June.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca