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Photo by Gavin Young / Calgary Herald

“This is actually a very good news story, that without increasing taxes or taking on more debt, we’re actually able to get more people working and more stuff built in this lower construction cost market,” Nenshi told reporters Monday.

Discussions about money and details on the infrastructure list took place behind closed doors, and no dollar figure was made public on the one-time capital funds found for the infrastructure projects.

The funds were found from a variety of sources, said Nenshi, including asking every business unit to “sharpen their pencils and free up capital funding,” leftovers from projects that have come in under budget amid the economic downturn and dipping into several different reserve funds.

Photo by Gavin Young / Postmedia

Council also voted 7-4 in favour of a pitch from Ward 8 Coun. Evan Woolley to explore creating an economic development fund for future infrastructure projects in the city’s core.

While Monday’s strategic council meeting was not initially open to public presentations, council voted to allow members of the public to speak around 11 a.m., despite some councillors arguing the sudden decision was unfair to citizens who weren’t in council chambers.

Council heard from representatives of the Haskayne School of Business, Calgary Economic Development, Brookfield Residential, Tourism Calgary and BILD Calgary Region, all of whom urged council to move ahead with needed infrastructure projects.

“The report before you is positive in the sense it encourages the city’s investment in infrastructure. We believe this is particularly key now, in a slower economic time,” said Beverly Jarvis with BILD Calgary Region.