Aside from utility rates, the 2017 budget for North Battleford has been adopted by city council.
Council unanimously passed a motion adopting the 2017 budget at their meeting Monday, with the utilities portion to come back for a final discussion and vote Jan. 23.
The resolution that passed unanimously Monday covers the general operating fund, UPAR (Underground Parks and Roads) fund and five-year capital plan and includes the following:
• An increase of three per cent in general taxation;
• An increase of $1 per month per bin for garbage collection;
• An increase of 60 cents per month per bin for recycling collection;
• An increase in the Waste Management Facility tipping fees to $125 per tonne;
• Removal of the 30 per cent commercial discount (excluding waste haulers) at the Waste Management Facility.
Not included in the resolution were the final rate increases for water and sewer, which is the last piece of unfinished business to be decided on the budget.
Council must still make a decision on whether to stick with the original proposal to raise water and sewer base and consumption rates by three per cent, or to go with a proposal from Councillor Greg Lightfoot to increase the rates by another 1.5 per cent, to 4.5 per cent.
The rationale for the higher increase was so the City could get away from using debt for the maintenance of City utilities.
“I have such a tough time using debt for maintenance of a utility that’s going to have some huge, huge projects coming forward in the next three to five years,” said Lightfoot.
He proposed using the additional 1.5 per cent increase to cover off the maintenance costs instead of using debt. The impact would be an additional $10 to the average household bill per year, for an overall utility increase of $30.
As of now, council is leaning heavily towards going with the 4.5 per cent utility increase, with at least five councillors and Mayor Ryan Bater in favor.
But councillors Don Buglas and Len Taylor said they believe more time is needed to consider the increase. Buglas was the one councillor who was undecided on the issue, and he expressed the most discomfort about rushing ahead with a decision that evening.
“In principle I agree,” Buglas said of the proposal. “Right this second, I don’t know that that’s the direction I would vote. I just need some time to digest a little more.”
On the other hand, administration officials made clear they needed budget decisions right away so bylaws could be prepared and projects could go out to tender.
“More time would start to be problematic,” said Director of Finance David Gillan, who urged council to approve “what we can approve” that evening.
There was a suggestion by Bater that a special meeting could be called on the utilities issue, but it was decided that won’t be necessary. Utilities will be dealt with at the next council meeting in two weeks, at the same time that bylaws are presented.
City Manager Jim Puffalt indicated bylaw documents could be prepared and be ready for the Jan. 23 meeting, taking into account either the three per cent increase or 4.5 per cent increase options.
A number of decisions were finalized Monday with respect to capital projects and third-party grants.
The first items dealt with were the grants, and council passed two resolutions. The first approved the following third-party grants: transit expansion continuation $259,280; handi bus $92,865; Humane Society $72,000; Lakeland Library $350,186; North Battleford Library $138,505; Dekker Centre $220,000; and North Battleford Golf and Country Club $50,000, subject to presentation of five-year capital plan and approved by council.
The City also approved grants under the Community Development Financial Assistance Program in the following amounts for 2017: Battlefords Boys and Girls Club $25,000, plus an additional $5,000 towards assisting them in finding core funding; Battlefords Concern for Youth $25,000; Battlefords Sexual Assault Centre $8,607; Battlefords Empty Stocking Fund $6,000; Battlefords Catholic Family Services $2,500; and Battlefords Allied Arts Council $8,450.
There is also approval for the North Battleford Golf and Country Club for $2,000 for a specific children’s golf program, but that is conditional upon the outcome of their application for lotteries funding through the community grant program. If lotteries funding is unavailable, that $2,000 grant would go through.
Afterwards council moved into discussion of the budget as a whole. The utility rate issue was discussed, but council also finalized a number of decisions they had previously agreed to in December with respect to several capital projects.
Gillan reported a number of capital items had been moved into the “unfunded” category, which allowed the City to come in under the $45 million debt limit for 2017.
As well, it meant an amount between $200,000 to $300,000 could be set aside for debt repayment.
The items moved into the “unfunded” category for 2017 include the east entry and north entry features and a sewer jet machine. Unfunded for 2020 is the Don Ross Arena heating system project (which Puffalt said will likely be presented again at the next budget cycle), as well as the F.E. Holliday riverbank stabilization project, which will be further reviewed.
Also moved into the “unfunded” column for 2017 is a $170,000 bike park project.
This does not mean the project is dead. Instead, the plan is for the City to kick in $40,000 in funds already in reserves and to offer the land and long-term maintenance to an interested community group, who would then raise funds for the balance of the project.
Director of Leisure Services Bill Samborski said that plan had been presented to the bike park proponents and he reported to council the “resolve was still there” to go forward with it.
With adoption of most of the 2017 budget Monday, the finish line is finally in sight for the budget process at City Hall, with a final decision on the increase in utility rates to happen at the next meeting in two weeks.
