- $20,000 in extra funding for SPCA/Humane Society build
- Tax Penalty Bylaw to return to council for further consideration
- No MD rep at Seed Cleaning Plant board meetings
- Water standpipe rate to increase
- Transportation Committee rep a no-go until more info
- New janitorial contract approved
- Final Mile grant agreement process extension granted
- Citizen concerned about Final Mile tower fencing costs
- Bobby Burns Fish Park funding increase
- $55,900 asset management software approved
- CAO to represent MD at CUPE negotiations
Council meeting November 25
Chris Davis
Council for the Municipal District of Pincher Creek met on Tuesday afternoon November 25. In attendance were Reeve Brian Hammond, councillors Terry Yagos, Garry Marchuk, and Grant McNab. Councillor Fred "Gone to Cancun" Schoening was absent. Also present were Chief Administrative Officer Wendy Kay, Director of Development and Community Services Roland Milligan, Director of Finance and Administration Mat Bonertz, Director of Operations Leo Reedyk, and Executive Assistant Tara Cryderman.
$20,000 in extra funding for SPCA/Humane Society build
Pincher Creek Humane Society/SPCA President Clara Yagos made a presentation to council on behalf of the organization. With her was Treasurer Bertha Yagos. They were asking for financial assistance to complete the new facility currently under construction. Clara Yagos made a similar appeal to council for the Town of Pincher Creek and on November 10 that body approved a $20,000 donation to the project. Click here for that story.
Yagos explained the situation to the MD council in person and via a letter which in part reads:
Yagos was candid in telling council that any monies they chose to give to the project would find a useful purpose. She also expressed how difficult it was to get volunteers.
During the in-camera of the November 4 meeting of council, Councillor Garry Marchuk moved that "Bylaw No. 1249-14, being the Tax Penalty Bylaw, be brought back for further consideration." Councillor Fred Schoening requested a recorded vote. Council voted 3-2 in favour. In favour were Reeve Hammond and councillors Marchuk and McNab. Against were councillors Yagos and Schoening.
"The construction of the new facility for the Pincher Creek Humane Society/SPCA is nearing completion based on the money that was raised and available for Sebring Construction LTD. Attached is an estimate by Sebring Construction for the Additional Scope of Work that should be sufficient to obtain the Occupancy Permit based on additional funds the PCHS/SPC was able to raise through fundraising."
An example of that fundraising effort was the successful Raise the Woof comedy event held September 11. Click here for that story. At that time the building project was short a projected $100,000 for completion.
In person Yagos handed out a summary of the financials on the project and explained them in brief.
Yagos explained that some important jobs weren't covered by the available funding, and emphasized that they should not be done by amateurs, however enthusiastic. Her letter states "However items as applying the epoxy paint on the cement in key areas (such as dog kennels) and taping/sanding of drywall other than on required walls is beyond the scope of the funds available. This type of work is necessary to have a functional facility and should not be done by volunteers."
"We are in need of additional funding to be able to have a facility that can be operational by the time the contractors have completed their work (hopefully with the next month)."
Yagos was candid in telling council that any monies they chose to give to the project would find a useful purpose. She also expressed how difficult it was to get volunteers.
Councillor Garry Marchuk expressed a number of concerns about the request, the primary of those seeming to be that the shortfalls were forseeable and preventable. Councillor Yagos remarked that the organization "worked hard for their money" and Reeve Hammond concurred, calling it a "key service in our community".
When the matter came to a vote as an action item later in the meeting, council decided to grant the Humane Society/SPCA the $20,000 they asked for. Councillor Garry Marchuk voted against the motion after expressing concern at the frequency of financial requests from the Humane Society/SPCA.
Tax Penalty Bylaw to return to council for further consideration
No MD rep at Seed Cleaning Plant board meetings
Water standpipe rate to increase
Director of Finance and Administration Mat Bonertz recommended to council that the water standpipe rate at the MD's Pincher Creek facility, located between the new Administration building and the Public Works building be changed. The rate there was increased in 2007 to $2.00 for 320 gallons. Bonertz told council the current rates are not recovering cost. He suggested the rate be increased to $2.00 for 200 gallons, explaining that would "cover all operating costs going into the future and in most years would have some left over to set aside for future capital requirements". The MD also recently assumed operation of the standpipe in Cowley, and Bonertz' recommendation to council was "it would be advisable to set the Cowley rates the same as Pincher Creek for consistency purposes".
Council passed the rate as recommended by Bonertz.
Transportation Committee rep a no-go until more info
New janitorial contract approved
Having no other bids except for the one proffered by their current janitorial service Full Circle Clean Green, and upon the opinion of Director of Operatins Leo Reedyk who said service was being done in an acceptable manner, council approved Full Circle Clean Green's bid. The company has been cleaning the MD's premises for 7 years, including a one year extension last year when this council was newly elected. The tendered price for the contract is $70,608 plus GST per year, and the contract is to run for three years, effective January 1, 2015.
Final Mile grant agreement process extension granted
Leo Reedyk informed council that an extension of the Final Mile Rural Community Program Grant Agreement to December 31, 2014 has been alllowed by the Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. According to Reedyk, the extension to the process had been requested after it became apparent in the summer that the deadline to have the infrastructure in place by October 30 was going to be missed.
Final Mile grant agreement process extension granted
Leo Reedyk informed council that an extension of the Final Mile Rural Community Program Grant Agreement to December 31, 2014 has been alllowed by the Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. According to Reedyk, the extension to the process had been requested after it became apparent in the summer that the deadline to have the infrastructure in place by October 30 was going to be missed.
Citizen concerned about internet tower fencing costs
Related story: Final Mile rural internet project nears completion
According to Reedyk, the cost of using a helicopter "at about $3000 per hour" significantly changed the total costs of the project significantly.
"Since the MD #9 has fencing equipment and excess employees in the fall, is the MD going to do the fencing?" asked the correspondent, who also expressed concerns such as "How many homes (not people) will be serviced initially for this $266,000 price tag?" what the monthly charges were going to be, and how effective the service will be.
Reedyk also explained the MD's level of ownership of the towers. "We have the ability to co-locate equipment on those towers forever," he said. "They are certainly our towers within five years," he said. He explained the five year contract was a requirement of the provincial grant but that there is some room to negotiate it built in.
Reedyk also clarified that the cost of the fencing was already factored into the final project costs, and will not cost the MD more than it already has.
After some discussion with itself and Reedyk, council accepted the letter as information.
Bobby Burns Fish Park funding increase
The Bobby Burns Fish Pond is owned by the MD, with the day to day management of the public park handled by the Pincher Creek Legion. The Legion has requested a funding increase for that task.
According to a report by Director of Finance and Administration Mat Bonertz "The Legion's out of pocket expenses for 2014 amount to $3,825.80. In addition to these expenses a new ride-on lawn mower was purchased as the old machine was constantly breaking down. The Legion is not requesting funding from the municipality for this purchase but they would like the M.D. to consider reimbursing them for the $3,825.80 rather than the budgeted amount of $2,500.00. The Legion is aware we budget an annual limit of $2,500.00 and they are prepared to absorb the difference. The amount spent in 2014 from what I can see did go towards the upkeep and repair of the park and so Council may wish to consider increasing their funding for 2014."
According to a letter to council from Bobby Burns Seniors Fish Pond Committee Chairperson Fred White "Along with the regular everyday maintaining of the grounds there were a number of projects that were undertaken this year."
"Rental of an aerial boom to trim dangerous limbs from the trees in the area. Built a new rail on the expanded deck of the trailer. Installation of a new sidewalk, 50% complete this year, the remainder to be finished next year."
"We would also like to thank the MD and their partners for the installation of the new water feed system. It appears to be working good at this time. The plan is to pull the old pump from the well at the creek and leaving the existing facility in place. The electrical will remain in place but will be shut off at the disconnect."
Council approved the additional funding.
At the recommendation of Director of Finance and Administration Mat Bonertz council approved the purchase of a new software system, to cost $55,900 plus a $9,970.00/yr maintenance fee, the first year of which is covered by the initial purchase. Councillor Marchuk was the lone dissenting vote.
According to Bonetz the software will allow the MD to better contemplate "What if" scenarios. In his recommendation he said the software was to assist in a plan for a "long term strategy forthe ongoing protection and replacement of our assets. As of our last Financial Statement the M.D.'s assets totaled $191,720,387.76 with an accumulated depreciation of $141,330,182.88 leaving a net asset value of $50,390,204.88. Our assets have lost nearly 75% of their value to depreciation and at some point replacement will be necessary."
In his background an comment section Bonertz says "Thanks to the Province of Ontario requiring their municipalities to produce an asset management plan software has been developed to accomplish this task. A data base is created and maintained that contains fixed asset information along with pertinent M.D. data regarding tax revenue, grants, loans and maintenance costing information that is used in the production of a multiyear asset management plan. The data base is quite extensive and is compatible with the Tangible Capital Asset being maintained in our Diamond accounting system. Once the data base is created the asset management plan is produced that makes maximum use of the data accumulated. A typical report is 150 plus pages."
CAO to represent MD at CUPE negotiations
CAO Wendy Kay was accorded the right to negotiate on the MD's behalf at upcoming CUPE negotiations.
Town committee appointments unchanged
The Town of Pincher Creek informed the MD that the "Town of Pincher Creek made no changes to the committee appointments for 2014/2015 at their organizational meeting held on October 27, 2014.
Town committee appointments remain as follows:
Mark Barber
Wayne Elliott
Emergency Services Committee
Don Anderberg
Doug Thornton
Intermunicipal Development Committee
Tammy Rubbelke
Wayne Elliott
Cemetery Committee
Wayne Elliott
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