CAO withheld Sterling Lyon extension estimate because figure is 'completely not credible': Morantz

Winnipeg's chief administrative officer declined to tell council about a $160-million cost estimate for extending Sterling Lyon Parkway because he didn't believe the figure was credible enough for public consumption, Coun. Marty Morantz said Tuesday.

On Wednesday, city council's executive policy committee will consider a motion authored by Morantz to ensure Sterling Lyon is extended west alongside Wilkes instead of to the south, where property owners are opposed to a new freeway.

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In an email to all members of council on Monday, Winnipeg CAO Doug McNeil said there are no credible, reliable cost estimates for the route proposed by Morantz and further study is required.

On Tuesday, Morantz said transportation planner Scott Suderman — who resigned from his position on Friday — actually pegged the cost at $160 million to $165 million and gave the CAO this information.

"That number, in the view of the CAO, who reviewed it with [consulting firm WSP], is not credible enough to put into the public realm," Morantz said in a scrum at city hall, explaining he was divulging the number in order to be transparent.

"I want it to be clear that this number is completely not credible," Morantz said. "It has really no legitimate class attached to it. So it was not something we wanted to put out into the public realm because it was simply not credible."

The city uses a five-class system to evaluate how reliable cost estimates are.

The only reliable cost estimate the city has for the Sterling Lyon extension is an $85-million projected cost for the southern route opposed by Morantz, Mayor Brian Bowman and the South Wilkes property owners, the councillor said.

The CAO's office has been asked to comment on McNeil's decision to withhold the $160-million projection for the Wilkes route from his letter to city council.

In that letter, he said it would be ideal if council approved the Wilkes alignment and the city then went out and studied the cost.

Morantz said he agrees.

"What we need to do is pass the motion to clarify that the route will be along Wilkes. After that, the engineers can go back to work and show us different options for that around the alignment of Wilkes and then we can have that cost engineered," he said. "Right now, we don't have any credible cost estimates, that's true."

Morantz said the $160-million projection was attached to preliminary drawings presented by Suderman, who resigned on Friday for reasons the city has not disclosed.

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On Oct. 31, Morantz demanded Suderman be stripped of his responsibilities on the Sterling Lyon file over consulting firm WSP's choice of a route that was not presented to property owners during public consultations.

That route, which would have required the city to expropriate all or part of 48 farms and residential properties south of Wilkes Avenue, caused anguish among residents and led property values to plummet in the area, Morantz said.

Morantz said he doesn't know why Suderman left and declined to surmise the resignation had anything to do with his own criticism.

"It was unexpected. I was quite surprised to hear that he had resigned," Morantz said. 

"I wish he hadn't resigned, frankly, because I worked with him on a number of other projects. I think he's a good engineer, a smart young guy and wish him the best."

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Morantz also said he is not concerned the public works department has now lost its director, transportation manager and transportation planner within the space of six months. 

"At the end of the day, we need to have new people come in with a different perspective, people we can work with," he said, adding people come and people go.

"I think the city's on a much better footing today than it was under the last administration."