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10-year forecast shows $148 million in projects |
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December 12 2008 Posted By KAREN BEST, CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER |
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Haldimand County councillors had enough concerns with a draft capital budget to trigger preparation of an amended document. At their Dec. 8 session, chief administrative officer Don Boyle recognized that council members had fundamental concerns with the document but asked council to review its contents. Throughout, staff will note concerns and will review the budget with those in mind, he said. An amended draft capital budget for the period spanning 2009 to 2018 will be tabled in early January. Council members managed to finish talks on corporate services expenditures and made it through vehicles, gravel roads and urban road resurfacing in the public works section on Dec. 8. Deliberations will resume on Dec. 15 after council's committee meeting. For next year, $19 million in replacements, repairs and new structures or equipment were proposed by senior managers. The $20 million estimate for 2010 was the peak in the 10- year period in which a total of $148.3 million in costs were identified. In his opening comments, Boyle pointed out significant issues must be addressed including aging infrastructure. Before the draft budget was set, $1.7 million was removed to due to economic issues but enough was left to take care of capital assets, he said. Next year, as is typical, the bulk of capital investment, $16.7 million, will be spent in public works. Community services was next with just over $1 million. Programs and new computers contributed to the $579,500 for corporate services and $482,500 was identified for planning and economic development. Treasurer Mark Merritt said the fiscally responsible budget considered sustaining county buildings, roads and other assets in relation to available financing. On New Year's day, Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) or asset management begins for tangible capital assets. Technical reporting guidelines will eventually result in merging the capital and tax supported budgets, Merritt said. This will result in multiyear budgets extending over as much as a six-year period, he noted. Meanwhile the economic climate will have a significant impact on budgeting, he added. Long range tax levy impacts are anticipated. In Ontario, investment in infrastructure falls below the required level by $302 billion. Parks, arenas, social housing and long term care facilities are not included in the figure. Closing the gap is out of reach of all levels of government, pointed out the treasurer. As a result, the county must be very responsible with its capital assets, said Merritt. Earlier this year, council approved a 1.5 per cent increase in deposits into capital reserve fund. This will add $655,000 to the tax levy and $65 to the average house property tax bill. A long range view of infrastructure needs is more important to ensure affordable tax levy impacts, pointed out Merritt. To create sustainable budgeting, council members will have to decide what is needed and when and what it will cost. He cautioned council about delays that might result in more costly repairs or even replacements. By 2011, 34 per cent of the tax levy will be invested in infrastructure. To hold down costs, the county will focus on spending 80 per cent of capital funds on a state of good repair in assets. The remainder will be used for enhancements, noted Merritt. Long range planning will also require established financing principals, he added. In the 2009 10-year capital budget, items listed for 2009 to 2011 are the focus and are predictable needs but the following three years are less predictable. Projects listed for 2015 to 2018 are really just place holders, said Merritt. During discussions on the public works section, council members asked for a rationalization report for county vehicles, said physical services general manager Geoff Rae. Scheduled replacements listed for 2009 included a backhoe, grader, a few pick up trucks carried over from 2008 and two fire pumpers. Approved last year but not purchased were an $855,000 upgrade for the Dunnville aerial fire truck and two pumpers. They are now slotted for 2009. Road reconstruction and improvements plus municipal drain work added up to a $10 million expenditure for next year. A $1.7 million improvement to McClung Road will create a new truck route around Caledonia's downtown. While it was not identified for next year, Boyko asked for surface paving on Ramsey Drive next year. The budget shows $1.1 million in 2016 for that road extension. Next year, $440,000 is earmarked for Queen and Lock intersection road work and $164,000 for water and sewer pipes in this area. Based on the draft budget, the county will move ahead next year with resurfacing a Highway 3 connecting link but will ask the Ontario government to refund the $565,000 costs for work on their highway. The section in need of work is Main Street from Robinson Road to George Street. As well $710,000 is shown as a 2009 investment in improvements on the causeway to Byng. Expressing disappointment over resurfacing Dunnville streets this year, Boyko said only half the streets were completed and none were scheduled in town for 2009. Coun. Buck Sloat mentioned the deplorable conditions on Lakeshore Drive and asked that scheduling for it be revisited. This capital budget also set aside $40,000 toward new light poles for downtown Dunnville. In 2010, almost $1 million will be spent on new water and waste water pipes on Alder Street. In the same year, $125,000 is identified for lights in the Ramsey ball park plus $50,000 for a fence at the Dunnville soccer park. In 2011, the budget showed a $500,000 expenditure for a new water and waste water building. The existing building on the Alder Street side of the library will be removed to make way for a $600,000 expansion on the branch. Article ID# 1342490
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