Windsor's sewer master plan is the top priority of city council heading into 2019 budget deliberations this spring.
Priorities were laid out during a recent strategy session as members of council debated what they feel should get support in the 2019 budget.
Mayor Drew Dilkens says many other ideas came out during the session, some based on calls for service to the city.
"Some of the top concerns that we've seen at 3-1-1 including increasing tree coverage and tree removal, and the length of time that it takes to do tree trimming and tree removal," he says. These are all things that rose to the top amongst many, many other priorities announced by council."
Dilkens says solving the city's flooding issues may not be sexy, but it is essential.
"I know that 50 years from now, or 75 years from now, people won't remember my name because we put a lot of money in upgrading sewer infrastructure for the City of Windsor," he says. "But I know, at the end of the day, they'll be very happy that we did as we deal with the effects of climate change that we're seeing in our community and, frankly, around the world."
Dilkens says there was also support for another event similar to the Bright Lights festival.
"Free, fun, family-oriented entertainment. Something that's available to everybody in the city and something that only the city could do," he says "And I don't tell you that I have a pre-conceived idea of what that is at this moment, but there was widespread support among city council to say yeah, let's look at something else that perhaps uses our water front or another amenity in the city."
One of the big concerns as the city heads prepares the 2019 budget is whether the province will come through with it full $23-million in funding.
Dilkens says they've received the first $6-million in funding from the Ontario Municipal Partnership fund but there's no commitment to the balance.
He says that funding will determine whether there's a tax increase or service cuts.
Budget deliberations are scheduled to begin in April.