Fraser council receives stormwater asset plan, urged to fund televising and repairs

The Fraser City Council on June 11 received an updated stormwater asset management plan that recommends a shift from reactive repairs to a multi-year program of televising, condition assessments and prioritized rehabilitation.

Consultants from engineering firm AW told the council their update built on a 2018 baseline and used probability-of-failure and consequence-of-failure scoring to produce a Business Risk Exposure (BRE) prioritization. “BRE greater than 16 are identified as critical,” the presenter said, explaining that score helps pick which assets to fix first.

Why it matters: Council members and residents described recurring local flooding and blocked ditches in older neighborhoods, and councilors were asked to decide whether to fund more investigation and a sustained capital plan. The plan recommends an ongoing CCTV inspection program, routine maintenance and establishment of a dedicated stormwater revenue source (one example given was a $500,000 annual commitment) so the city can move from emergency fixes to planned replacements.

Key findings and numbers: AW said roughly 55% of the city’s storm sewer footage has been televised, while structure inspections cover an estimated 87% of manholes and catch basins; because nearly half of the system lacks CCTV video, consultants said their cost projections are placeholders. They estimated roughly $7 million in construction-level cost for sewer rehabilitation (subject to change after televising the remainder) and about $1.1 million for structure rehabilitation. The consultant cautioned these are working estimates: “The 7 million is for the whole system but without knowing that 45% that’s not been televised… it’s a placeholder,” he said.

What council asked for: Council members pressed for a map showing what has and has not been televised, more precise televising cost estimates, and an understanding of how many feet of corrugated metal pipe the city has. Staff said they would provide the remaining CCTV map and additional cost estimates; DPW and consultant staff recommended starting with a phased televising program to refine priorities.

Public reaction: Multiple residents described chronic neighborhood flooding—some condo associations reported repeated jetting expenses and sump-pump stress—and asked for a faster response on problem streets. One condo board member said his association had spent thousands on repeated emergency jetting until DPW staff intervened.

Next steps: Council voted to receive and file the plan and directed staff to return with more detailed televising costs and proposed funding options. The consultant recommended starting a phased CCTV program, building a five-year CIP around BRE>16 assets, and considering either a dedicated stormwater utility or defined annual transfers from the general fund to support long-term maintenance.

Reporting note: Numbers and quotations above are taken from consultant slides and council discussion recorded in the June 11 meeting transcript; cost figures are preliminary and were repeatedly identified in the meeting as subject to change after additional televising and design work.