council group pictureCity council is just about ready to learn where they can save money.

The core services review comes out with their first draft at tonight’s meeting.

Council will also look into increasing the rates in local taxi cabs, repairs to the Sportsplex and they will also get a forestry update.

Our council live blog starts at 6:00pm.

(Keep refreshing the page as the night goes along for updates!)

Black is giving an award to Tony Wells, who temporarily saved a contractors life on August 15th at the Wastewater Plant.

The contractor was having medical distress, and wasn’t breathing.  Turns out the man had a heart attack, but passed away a week later.

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The first presentation is on forestry, coming from EACOM Timber’s VP and Chief Forester Brian Nicks.

This is essentially an update on the industry in our area.

You can view Nicks’ presentation HERE.

Nicks says they have a good balance between log supply and consumption, but adds any kind of restrictions from the government will directly affect them.

Doody offers his thanks, while Campbell asks if the free-trade deal signed today would have any impact on the industry.

Nicks says he’s not too sure, but says it could be a good thing.

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On to the core services review rough draft (You can read the report HERE).

KPMG’s Oscar Poloni is here to walk council through it.  He points out there is some details that will come out during an in-camera session.

Poloni adds taxes might be too high in the city, and they could be going higher.  He cites the closure of Kidd Operations could send about $1-million of tax burden onto residents.

Taxes on average has gone up 4.7% per year on average since 2010, highest among big Northern centres (2nd was Sault Ste. Marie at 4.0%)

He says there are areas that the city does well in, including a modern library, a profitable airport, cost efficient fire and police services, partnerships with third parties for recreational services and preliminary conferences for facilitating planning applications.

Poloni says he has concerns over the structure of departments in city hall.

There are a few opportunities for the city to save some money, according to Poloni.

Two big ones are to stop giving grants to volunteer organizations, and to turn council representation to at-large instead of wards.

Other suggestions go as follows, with different departments highlighted.

Information Technology

  • Consider introduction of multi-functional printers
  • Consider introduction of virtual desktop environment
  • Consider reduction of travel, training and conference budget

Finance

  • Consider reviewing the business case for in-house legal counsel
  • Formalize appropriate policies for financial management
  • Consider the use of corporate procurement cards
  • Implement monthly budget to actual variance reporting
  • Address process inefficiencies identified through business process mapping
  • Consider establishing a uniform billing system for residential water customer as part of a broader water rate study

Fire Services

  • Consider the introduction of charges for false alarms

Planning

  • Consider reducing incentives under Community Improvement Plan to a level commensurate with actual expenditures

Building inspection

  • Consider structuring building inspection services to provide for full cost recovery
  • Consider increasing the focus on issuing occupancy permits during non- peak season

Bylaw enforcement

  • Consider undertaking expanded enforcement on private property

Public works (roads)

  • Implement maintenance management system
  • Consider a financial review of roads contracts
  • Consider reducing salt use on municipal highways
  • Consider reducing winter roads maintenance standards to Provincial maintenance standard on selected roads
  • Consider use of gravel as surface treatment for low traffic roads
  • Develop an appropriate vehicle and equipment strategy, including options for reducing the size of the municipal fleet
  • Establish a consolidated fleet management system
  • Implement appropriate controls over fuel
  • Consider implementing load limits on Connecting Link, with the designation of a truck route through the Northern portion of the City

Public works (solid waste)

  • Consider eliminating duplicate waste collection options in areas where curbside solid waste) collection and transfer stations are both available
  • Consider cessation of operations at secondary landfill sites
  • Consider alternative to MURF processing in Sudbury as a means of reducing transportation costs, including potential for Timmins to act as a regional MURF site
  • Consider increasing tipping fee revenues through fee adjustments and revisions to residential exemption

Water and wastewater

  • Consider establishing a consistent work order system for treatment facilities
  • Consider higher user fees for water main breaks, septic receiving and other services
  • Consider undertaking liner integrity and leak location testing for the municipal water distribution system

Transit

  • Consider rationalization of routes with lower ridership
  • Consider increasing transit user fees

Parks and recreation

  • Implement master recreation plan recommendations with respect to rationalization of sports fields, parks and playgrounds
  • Consider increasing user fee recovery for parks and recreation facilities
  • Consider discontinuing the City’ s involvement in tent rentals
  • Consider contracting out special events set-up
  • Consider alternative flower bed maintenance arrangements

Cemeteries

  • Increase cemetery user fees to provide for full cost recovery
  • Discontinue use of third party backhoe rentals in favour of municipal backhoes

Tourism Timmins

  • Consider introduction of destination marketing fee for tourism development activities

Going forward, KPMG will review the report with council and management, interview council members individually and then present a final report on October 19th.

Poloni says there are points that he admits he’s “been a jerk,” but says he’s had to be for the sake of the review.

Campbell says there’s some stuff in there that they’ll agree and disagree with.

A lot of the projects won’t happen overnight, or even in the next few months.  Many of the changes could take an upwards of 18 months to implement.

Dubeau says he’ll take his time going through the report, as it is quite thorough.

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Next is a report to put a plaque to honour Bradley Bondar on MacLean Drive.

It is approved.

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Now to approve Luc Duval as an OGRA Director.

It is approved.

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Next is the Santa Claus Parade, which goes November 7th at 6:30pm (yes, we’re talking Santa Claus Parade already :S)

They’ll ban on-street parking along the parade route.

It’s passed.

The parade route can be seen HERE.

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Next is a donation of $9,645 for the 2016 Snowcross event.

Bamford says this is a worthwhile project.

Campbell says he has trouble donating money, and will vote it down.  He won’t vote down the in-kind services the city would provide however.

Doody is in support of this resolution.

Dubeau is also voting down the money donation, and points out how KPMG identified donations as an issue.

It looks like we’re going to see a vote on this.

Bamford, Marks, Rinaldo, Grzela, Doody and Black all vote in favour of it, and it passes.

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Now to upgrades to washrooms at the airport.

They are looking to hire FBMC for just over $197,000

This will come back in by-laws, as well as the replacement of tennis courts in Porcupine.

That replacement will cost $52,000.

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and now it’s BY-LAW time!!

Agreement with BK Marketing for Transit Advertising is passed.

Purchase of a new handy-transit bus is passed.

Agreement to purchase a new fuel vehicle system for the Timmins Transit Maintenance Yard is passed.

Agreement with Gorf Manufacturing for the repairs to the entranceway at the Sportsplex is passed.

Taxi-rate increase and amendments to by-law is passed.

Appointment of a municipal law enforcement officer for animal control is passed.

Appointment of parking enforcement officers is passed.

Upgrades to the washrooms at the Victor M. Power Airport is passed.

Replacement of tennis courts in Porcupine is passed.

and council is going in-camera with Poloni, so on that note for the public, COUNCIL IS ADJOURNED!