Central Frontenac Council - Apr 13/10

Jeff Green | Apr 15, 2010

Central Frontenac Taxes to go up by 9%

Acting on the instructions of Council, Central Frontenac staff went back to the drawing board and found some budget savings after the presentation of a draft budget in late March that called for an increase of over 30% in the amount of money the township would be raising through taxes.

The net result still included an increase of $532,000 in the levy for local taxes, from $4.38 million in 2009 to $4.91 million in 2010.

The impact will be somewhat mitigated by the amount that will be required for county and education taxes, but the average Central Frontenac ratepayer will see an increase of 9% in their 2010 taxes.

In explaining the need for more money, township clerk John Duchene prepared a report outlining shortfalls in the budget that have come about because of charges and losses in revenue that are out of the township’s control.

Among those was a decrease of $195,000 in the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) allocation to the township from the Province of Ontario. The OMPF is designed to compensate municipalities for costs that at one time were covered by the province. In addition, policing costs are up by $41,000, insurance premiums by $25,500, legal costs $20,000.

The budget also increases the expenditures on road equipment by $110,000 and includes a $60,000 increase in the cost of loans to cover the required municipal contribution to matching grants that the township has received from federal/provincial stimulus programs.

All told, Duchene’s analysis accounted for $467,500 of the $532,000 increase in the levy for Central Frontenac services.

The decreases in the levy in the final draft of the budget from the more expensive previous draft were found mainly through putting off the purchase of a tandem truck for the roads department ($232,000) a cut in $54,000 from capital projects that were requested by local recreation committees, and the inclusion in the 2010 budget of $315,000 in monies that were collected in 2009 but were not spent. As well, the purchase of a pickup truck for the facilities co-ordinator was cancelled, saving $25,000.

The amount of money held in reserve funds by the township is slated to drop below $2 million in 2010 for the first time in several years.

Although there were some large allocations in the budget, Council spent a significant amount of time discussing a proposal by Olden District Councilor Norm Guntensperger to add $15,000 to the budget for the Olden Recreation Committee to go towards moving the Olden ball diamond from its current location near the dump to a site near the new fire hall that is being developed as a community park.

Noting that other recreation committees had between $50,000 and $85,000 in allocated projects approved for 2010 while Olden had only $20,000, Guntensperger asked “Are Olden residents second-class citizens?”

While the new Olden Park is the subject of a community planning process that is now focussed on three possible layouts, Guntensperger said the ball diamond could be relocated to the park this year at a cost of about $15,000.

After a long debate, Council rejected Guntensperger’s proposed amendment to the budget, but several indicated that if the Olden Park project progresses to the point where more money is needed this year, it can still be found.

At the end of the afternoon, Mayor Gutowski proposed that the budget be adopted as presented.

“In order to mitigate these tax increases we would have had to cut services dramatically,” she said. “I think this council, this community as a whole, has really pulled together; many people are more educated now about what our needs are. I know we are going to get phone calls from people when they get their final bill, but overall, I’m very satisfied with the work that’s been done.”

Deputy Mayor John Purdon was less satisfied.

“Somehow I think we could do better than a 10% increase,” he said.

Councilor Norm Guntensperger said, “People do not phone me about taxes. They phone me about not getting the services they expect. We have to protect our services at any cost.”

In the end Council voted unanimously to approve the budget in principle.

A budget bylaw will be presented at the Council meeting on April 27.

SHABOT OBAADJIWAN CULTURAL CENTRE

The Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation is planning to build a cultural centre on a piece of property that is managed by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) under an agreement with the publicly owned Ontario Realty Corporation. The land is located between Highway 7 and White Lake, several kilometres west of Sharbot Lake

The MNR intends to issue a land use permit to the Shabot Obaadjiwan.

Even though jurisdiction over the land resides with the province, the township’s planning consultant recommends that the township request that the “Ministry, in cooperation with the Shabot Obaadjiwan, file an application for rezoning the lands for the cultural centre.”

Township Clerk John Duchene said that in his conversations with ministry staff, it was indicated that the ministry intends to co-operate with the municipality where possible as this project develops.

“What about building permits?” asked Deputy Mayor John Purdon.

“Right now we are at the planning stage. We’ll have to consider building permits later,” said Duchene.

Council agreed to send the letter, which begins by stating that the township is “pleased that the Shabot Obaadjiwan is proposing to build a culture centre in the Township of Central Frontenac.”

RAILWAY HERITAGE SITE:

In response to a site plan submitted by Gary Cooke with regards to plans for the railway display site across from the township office, including placing a caboose on the run of track at the site, Council decided to approve the site plan in principle with the exception of the extension of the culvert and the addition of fill to the wetland area, which will require an engineer and a certificate from the Conservation Authority.

MALONEY OUT, BUT SMITH STILL IN:

A letter was received by council from Patrick Maloney in which he submitted his resignation from a committee that is looking at the possibility of constructing a multi-use building at the location of the original Sharbot Lake train station.

In his letter Maloney said that the committee’s focus on the development of a multi-use centre where cultural interests and activities “could also be accommodated” is “not what was proposed in the township advertising, web site or inaugural printed agenda”.

Council accepted Maloney’s resignation with regret.

Councilor Frances Smith pointed to the second half of Patrick Maloney’s letter of resignation, which asks for her resignation from the committee. He objected to the way the options that the committee had identified were presented to the township council by Smith when the committee sent her to Council in order to clarify their mandate.

He also wrote, “Ms. Smith is parochial in the extreme and appears to lack any vision beyond the borders of Oso.”

Frances Smith offered to resign from the committee and asked that another member of Council replace her.

None came forward. “You have ample experience and are well equipped to chair that committee. It would be tough to really replace the experience that you have,” said Mayor Gutowski in asking Smith to remain on the committee.

Frances Smith agreed to stick it out.

WASTE AMNESTY – Council agreed to continue the practice of allowing one free ½ ton load to be dumped by each property owner. The dump attendants will have a list of ratepayers and will cross each one off when they use up their free load. The amnesty can be claimed between May 15 and October 17 this year.

HALF LOADS COMING OFF EARLY – The weight restriction on township roads will be coming off early this year, on April 19 (next Monday) because of the easy winter and dry spring weather. This will make Central Frontenac consistent with South Frontenac and Stone Mills.

$5,800 FOR SIGN AT TOWNSHIP OFFICE – The township accepted the bid by Donna Larocque for a new sign at the township office. The sign will be two-sided, and includes masonry work. It will cost $5,800, but the township will be eligible for a 40% rebate from the Land O’Lakes Tourist Association.