South Frontenac Council - Sep 3/13

Wilma Kenny | Sep 04, 2013

On Second Thought...

Council voted 8-1 to temporarily suspend procedural rules, in order to bring back last month’s issue of the snow plowing contract for reconsideration. At that time, after a heated debate they had rejected the low bid, submitted by Mulroney Trucking, because it was not from a ‘local’ contractor. (Bids from Percy Snider of Sydenham and Scott’s snowplowing of Sharbot Lake had been rejected as incomplete.) At that time, Council gave no alternative direction for staff to follow.

In spite of voting against re-opening the motion, Councillor Robinson began the discussion with a strong plea to ‘look after our people and our territory...we were not right: we made a big mistake.”

Councillor York agreed: “When you have a workable solution in your own district, that’s where it should stay.”

Councillor Stowe said he had voted “with my heart’, but had come to realize that because Council had set the procurement policy, and had directed staff to follow it, they had no choice but to follow the policy. Otherwise, Council was risking legal repercussions, and possible difficulty in getting bids for future tender calls.

Councillor Naish agreed, adding that he would be in favour of changing the policy to show preference for local contractors (later, public Works Manager Mark Segsworth noted that agreeing on a definition of ‘local’ could be difficult.)

Councillors McDougal, McPhail and Vandewal agreed: Vandewal said that although he was in favour of hiring local contractors where possible, “If we don’t follow our own rules, there’s no point setting policies.”

Mayor Davison disagreed: “On a technicality, we have made a mistake.”

In the end, Council approved Mulroney Trucking’s bid for snow plowing and sanding/salting for the Township’s arterial roads, with Robinson, York and Davison opposed.

Garbage/Recycling Contracts Extended

Mark Segsworth proposed that the current waste collection contracts, which end this month, be extended until next May.

By that time, Township weigh scales will be in place at Portland waste disposal site, and collection can be tendered by weight, (considered a more accurate measure than the present one of tendering by number of households). Other changes will include moving to same-day collection of garbage and recycling for all households; readjusting the recycling mix to match Kingston’s, so the Township can make use of the city’s advertising and promotions; tendering waste disposal for the southern portion of Storrington, and for roll off bins at the township waste disposal sites. Noting that some of the changes could be accomplished before re-tendering, Council voted to extend the present contracts for longer, two years, until September 2015. By that time, there will be more information available about the actual weight of the waste to be collected.

Budget Direction

In order for staff to begin preparing the 2014 budget, CAO Orr asked Council for a target increase in the Township’s levy. Although the Township’s take from local ratepayers has gone from $10.9 M in 2011 to $12.9 M in 2013, up by over 12% over three years, thanks to property assessment increases the Township’s tax levy was down by -2.05% in ‘11, and up 3.74% last year, and 2.69% this year.

Consensus was to set goal of a 3% increase for 2014.

Wayne Orr listed some of the challenges facing the coming budget: OPP contract renewal and increased salaries, negotiated staff and Council costs/wages, continued reduction of OMPF grants and revenue from the city, deteriorating infrastructure and buildings, rising costs of fuel and materials, and provincial/regulatory pressures.