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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdmin 25-84C4 JRATION OF THE TOWN OF NE' ASTLE 40 TEMPERANCE STREET BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1C3A6 TELEPHONE 623-3379 REPORT TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MEETING HELD FEBRUARY 20 1984 ADMIN. -K- 9 SUBJECT: MAYOR'S NEW YEAR SPEECH "AS ONE YEAR PASSES INTO HISTORY" RECOMMENDATION: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee receive this report for information. BACKGROUND AND COMMENT: Following the remarks made by His Worship at the January 9th 1984 Council meeting, Council requested staff to provide comment. On the first page of His Worship's remarks, the Mayor identifies a "Pay as you go" philosophy for the municipality. In addition, the Mayor has summarized the investments that the municipality has made over the first ten years in various services. Highlighted is the investment in fire protection services. It is suggested with the investment that has been made, the rate of investment should decline in future years. In commenting on this point, it is important to remember that the Town does plan to build a northern station and has provided for same in the Five -Year Capital forecast, which includes the acquisition of lands this year. The building of another station will add cost to the operation. However, it will dramatically improve the level of fire protection in the northern part of the municipality. The corporation may look to the Ontario Hydro Agreement to off -set some of the costs associated with establishing a northern station and equipping the fire department. It is hoped that a significant cash flow will result from the study of fire services in the Town under Supplementary Agreement #10 with Ontario Hydro. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that for each fire station built, it must be equipped and manned. .2 ADMIN. 24 - 84 -2- I think all members of Council can agree with the Mayor's remarks with respect to transfer payments from federal and provincial governments. Over the past number of years we have experienced a reduction in monies available through various conditional and unconditional grants. The reductions in the percentage received have a direct impact on the taxpayers of the Town of Newcastle. We should, as the Mayor suggests, try to make good use of special grants. In order to do so, however, it is important to provide some corporate planning and to have patience with senior bureaucrats at the provincial level as we establish our priorities with them. One of the most promising areas where municipalities can take advantage of conditional grants is with respect to community improvement monies. Such funds flow from the PRIDE program and provide monies for the improvement of both commercial and residential neighbourhoods. Over the next two years, the Corporation should strive to incorporate community improvement policies in our local planning documents which will provide access to these funds. This I would suggest, need not be a priority for this year in the Planning Department, but should be addressed in 1985. At the same time, the Town of Newcastle should lobby for greater latitude in community improvement funding. If we can solicit the support of other municipalities, combined with our own interest, I believe that the criteria under which community improvement funds are provided could be broadened to include industrial areas, as was originally contemplated when the PRIDE program was first considered by provincial officials. The industrial aspect was dropped from the program when there seemed to be a perceived lack of interest by municipalities. We should attempt to re -kindle this interest both at the provincial and local levels as it has direct benefits to the Corporation, i.e. improvement of Baseline Road East. The Mayor has suggested that we should develop a greater liaison between the Region and the Town with respect to industrial promotion. In this connection, it would seem appropriate to ask Mr. Gervais, the Industrial Development Commissioner for the Region, to attend a Council meeting to discuss what initiatives may be undertaken in this area and how Council can assist him at the local level in his effort to attract industries. I AMC 24 - 84 F{d Mlw i%i I�'Aiti w riFe fl 1 (leN: d�tilkliu' . R fl (IM E r� of ne arena fior the Bowmanvie area, and 'the ceebra"tion of to tenth anniversary of the Town as well as the Bicentennial of the Province of Ontario. The matter of Administrative Headquarters has been discussed on a nu ber of occasions. The current arrangements where we are working out of four buildings is extremely frustrating to members of the general public and difficult to cc -ordinate from a management perspective. The cc -ordination of Town activities, as well as the delivery of service to the taxpayers could be improved by centralizing services under one roof. This, however, is an expensive undertaking. The Mayor indicated that he feels the most appropriate site would be on the same block as the current Fire. Station. Certainly, the building of a new building for an Administrative Centre has certain advantages over the renovating of an older structure. Costs would be more edsil,y bbntrolled with the eventual building being more NktidHdl to Mat tdddyls heeds. the ditfiCuity hbsts with the bbst it would be necessary to engage consulting engineers to first advise on the cost of building administrative offices as an addition on to the current Fire and Police Building and secondly, to advise on the retrofit cost to the Town Hall as an Arts Centre. In addition, it would be worth- while to have the study look at the current Visual Arts Centre and advise as to what costs would be incurred to completely refurbish the Visual Arts Centre. If the Visual Arts Centre were able to move into a retrofitted Arts Centre in the Town Hall, the Town might be able to reduce its building inventory. The second major area identified by His Worship was with respect to the Bowmanville Arena. The arena has serviced community needs well but for some years now it has been generally acknowledged that it will have to be replaced. Council has agreed to provide twenty-five percent of the total cost of the project. The rest of the money being generated by Provincial grants or through community efforts. It has been estimated that the cost of building a new arena might be as high as 2.5 to 3 million dollars. I ADMIN. 24 - 84 -4- When Provincial dollars are subtracted, it would mean that approximately $700,000 to $800,000 will have to be generated through local fund-raising events. Such funds will not be generated if there is little community commitment towards the project. It is the Town's intention to conduct a feasibility study this year to identify more closely the cost associated with the building of such a structure and the functions that should be provided in the building. At the same time that this study is being undertaken in conjunction with provincial officials, local fund-raisers should be organizing as it is obvious that a one-year effort in fund raising will not likely yield the full amount that will be required to initiate the arena for the Bowmanville area. Both the new Administrative Centre and the Bowmanville Arena represent significant capital items and draw heavily upon the financial resources of the corporation. If Council agrees with these items as priorities, as suggested in the Five -Year Capital Forecast, then it will be necessary to budget accordingly. The Corporation could provide the necessary capital funds over a three year period for the Bowmanville Arena out of current revenue. However, the construction of new administrative facilities is likely to represent a financial burden that cannot be funded totally from current revenue. The Administrative Reserve is currently at a level of $531,464. Such reserves would be used to reduce the portion of cost to be levelled either through current or debenture monies. It would seem, however, that the only solution to provide such funds for the administrative centre would be through a debenture. The third major item mentioned in the Mayor's remarks was with respect to the Tenth Anniversary of the Town of Newcastle and the Ontario Bicentennial. The Mayor has suggested that the Town undertake a Bicentennial project, possibly the establishment of our own Town flag. The Bicentennial committee has met and considered a number of projects. The matter of a Town flag has been discussed and it was felt that such a project could be undertaken by the Town as a Bicentennial project as opposed to the Bicentennial Committee itself. The Bicentennial Committee has recommended to Council that Council undertake a project of establishing a Town flag, possibly by way of competition which would be open to all residents of the Town. -5 - ADMIN. 24 - 84 In summary, I think that we can all agree that we should utilize senior government fundings whenever possible to meet the community needs of our municipality, and that it would be appropriate to promote the Town of Newcastle in this our Tenth Anniversary and the Bicentennial Year. The major capital expenditures identified in the Mayor's remarks are the Administrative Centre and the Bowmanville Arena. In both instances detailed costing of the projects is unavailable and can only be reasonably provided through feasibility studies. DSJ;nof Respectfully submitted, O David S. Johnston, M.C.I.P., Chief Administrative Officer