REPORT ON COUNCIL
March 9, 2009
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9.03 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. and 1:23 p.m. – 6:53 p.m.
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:19 p.m. – 7:36 p.m.
All members of Council present.
CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 5:33 p.m. – 6:53 p.m.
A CONSERVATION AUTHORITY FOR TINY: Council authorized the signing of an agreement between The Corporation of the Township of Tiny and the Severn Sound Environmental Association. This is part of a regional move creating a Joint Municipal Service Board whereby the Severn Sound Environmental Association is authorized to perform the functions of a conservation authority for the Towns of Midland and Penetanguishene, and the Townships of Tay, Tiny, Oro-Medonte, Severn, Georgian Bay, and Springwater, and the City of Orillia. The SSEA is to address water quality issues in the Great Lakes, to implement its long-term sustainability plan, to coordinate environmental services, to administer the Province’s Clean Water Act, and to follow its strategic and business plan.
INTENSE DISCUSSION ABOUT PROPOSED NEW STAFF POSITIONS:
1. Steve Harvey, Chief By-law Enforcement Officer, asked that a second, full-time, year round By-law Officer, be hired, and that all summer positions commence in May, rather than some in May and some at the beginning of July.
Members of Council asked why two officers were often present in a car and queried the need for a May start date when there is little activity at the beach. Out of the discussion came a clearer understanding of the way by-law staff is deployed.
In the end, Council agreed to the full time position, but kept the beginning of July as the commencement date for many summer By-law positions.
2. The Treasury Department asked that a new full time Financial/Accounting Analyst be hired to replace a contractual one, at a cost of an additional $30,000. The discussion about this took place in camera. Council agreed to the new position.
3. The Public Works Department asked that an Assistant Road Superintendent be hired. The Report supporting this request did not convince Council that the new position was justified. Instead, Council agreed to the hiring of a contract (34 weeks) Assistant Roads Superintendent.
POLICING SERVICES REFUND: As has been the case for many years, the OPP overbilled the Township in 2007. Treasurer Doug Taylor had budgeted for a refund of $150,000. The actual amount returned was $440,719. The question was what to do with the amount in excess of that budgeted – namely $290,719. Councillor Warren felt that at least some of the refund should go into a Policing Reserve. Mr. Taylor recommended that it go into the Equipment Replacement Reserve fund. In the end, it was decided to follow his advice with half of the refund but to put the balance into the Township’s Working Funds Reserve.
2009 BUDGET APPROVED:
ASSESSMENT INCREASE: Across the Township, assessments increased in 2009 by 6.5%. Many waterfront properties experienced increases considerably greater than that and will thus pay a larger share of the Township’s tax load. A mitigating factor is thatTiny Township’s assessment per $100,000 of current value continues to be among the lowest in Simcoe County.
The budget includes monies for Council’s STRATEGIC PLANNING PRIORITIES.
WATER OPERATING FEES are to increase by $37.20 per year due to mandated tests for lead and a required audit of Drinking Water Quality Management Systems.
The number of GRANTS that the Township has managed to attract is up, substantially.
RESERVES AND RESERVE FUNDS are to increase by $1,189,655. Roughly half of this is accounted for by an Ontario Potable Water Grant of $624,830.
OVERALL, TINY TOWNSHIP BUDGETARY SPENDING WILL INCREASE BY 2.5%. Tiny accounts for about a third of overall municipal taxes. The County’s share (roughly a third) of municipal taxes is expected to be up by 3.4%, while education’s share (roughly another third) is expected to be the same as last year.
See the Spring/Summer issue of The Tiny Cottager for a more detailed discussion of how your tax dollars will be spent this year.
