City committee approves $95M more for flood repairs

A Calgary city council committee has approved spending an additional $95 million onflood repairs.

• Calgary flood recovery cost expands to $400M
• Council votes to put $52M tax surplus toward flood relief
• Flood-damaged Calgary roads cost city $25M

The city has already spent $87 million on repairs related to the June flood.

The money approved Tuesday includes $16.6 million forthe Calgary Zoo, $10 million for repairs at the Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant and $1 million to fix damaged pedestrian bridges.

Committee members approved the expenditure, although it's not clear yet where the money will come from, something Ald. Shane Keating admits is unusual.

"Today we have to accept their opinion that the $96 million is required and we trust them to do that. Tomorrow we have to make sure that was an accurate assumption."

Cityofficialsexpect to get most of the money back through insurance claims and the province.

"Today is all about expenses, not about how we're going to pay for them, but learning about what we need to pay for," saidMayor Naheed Nenshi. "Another discussion that council will have as we get into budget is which pot of money pays for which expense."

The city's final bill for repairing flood damage is expected to top $500 million.

The city hopes to rebuild all the damaged pedestrian bridges by the fall of 2014.