HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-001-14 Clarington REPORT
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
Date: January 20, 2014 Resolution #: 641017,-0 Y7-// By-law#:
Report#: CAO-001-14 File #:
Subject: LONG-TERM POTENTIAL OF A BOAT LAUNCH IN BOWMANVILLE
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee
recommend to Council the following:
1. THAT Council either,
a) receive Report CAO-001-14 for information;
OR
b) consider allocating in the 2014 Budget the suggested funding of$35,000
to $45,000 to study the long-term potential of a boat launch in
Bowmanville.
Submitted by: -
Franklin Wu,
Chief Administrative Officer
CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON
40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1C 3A6 T 905-623-3379
REPORT NO.: CAO- 001-14 PAGE 2
1. PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to respond to Council's direction on the matter of
reporting on the long-term potential of a boat launch in Bowmanville.
2. BACKGROUND
2.1 At the January 7, 2013 GPA meeting the following resolution was passed:
"THAT Staff be requested to report on the long-term potential of a boat
launch in Bowmanville."
2.2 This followed several earlier reports on the related but narrower matters of
dredging the Bowmanville Creek (the most recent of which was LGL-004-12 on
September 10, 2012 which summarized several earlier reports) and parking
control at boat launches (Report CLD- 035-12 on December 10, 2012).
3. KEY ACTIONS REQUIRED TO RESPOND TO COUNCIL REQUEST
3.1 Relevant experience elsewhere suggests that the examination of the long term
potential of a boat launch in Bowmanville requires five key actions:
• A market study to determine the scale of the short and long-term demand
for a boat launch in Bowmanville, what specific features and benefits that
market would desire and be willing to pay for and the price they would be
willing to pay
• Identification of potential locations of a boat launch in Bowmanville that
would meet the identified market needs
• Estimation of the cost of developing each site based on meeting the
market needs. Key development costs would be expected to include: an
engineering study, environmental assessment, construction of a boat
launch and other features required to make the launch feasible (e.g.,
potential dredging, developing space for the safe parking of vehicles and
boat trailers and putting effective means in place to manage parking
demand). As well, analysis should show the likely life cycle of such work,
e.g., if the existing boat launch was dredged, how quickly the creek may
fill with silt again. Finally the expected annual operating and maintenance
costs, including allocations for asset replacement reserves, would need to
be determined
REPORT NO.: CAO- 001-14 PAGE 3
• Analysis of the range and type of economic activity and other benefits
likely to be generated by a specific boat launch
• A review of the options for distributing the costs, e.g., how much of the
cost should be financed from users vs. benefitting landowners vs. the
Municipality
3.2 While staff have not incurred municipal expenditures to determine the cost of
undertaking these five steps, experience elsewhere would suggest that a study
of this nature would likely cost between $35,000 and $45,000.
4. CONCLUSION
4.1 Determining the long-term potential of a boat launch in Bowmanville is a matter
requiring answering a range of questions, including: the scale and nature of the
short and long-term market for such a service, the best location for a boat
launch, the capital and operating costs of developing a boat launch and ancillary
services and the life cycle of these, the economic and other benefits likely to be
generated and how the costs of such an undertaking should be distributed
among the benefitting parties, including the Municipality.
4.2 It would likely cost the Municipality between $35,000 and $45,000 to obtain clear
answers to these questions including having a clearer understanding of the scale
of investment required to realize the long-term potential of a boat launch in
Bowmanville.
4.3 Council will need to decide whether it wishes to undertake such a study and if it
does, provide for it in the 2014 Budget.
CONFORMITY WITH STRATEGIC PLAN — The recommendations contained in this
report conform to the following priorities of the Strategic Plan:
X Promoting economic development
Maintaining financial stability
Connecting Clarington
Promoting green initiatives
X Investing in infrastructure
X Showcasing our community
Not in conformity with Strategic Plan
Staff Contact: Curry Clifford, MPA, CMO, Corporate Initiatives Officer