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Council Highlights

May 1, 2018

Proposed New Depot

Bob Taylor-Vaisey, representing the Cavendish Ratepayers Association, made a presentation to council on Tuesday asking council:

1. To direct staff to provide a comprehensive business case that must include a full needs assessment, an identification of viable alternative solutions (to include, but not be and an assessment of risks associated with each option.
2. To direct staff to prepare a report confirming whether existing depots and the silo at repair, including any compliance requirements for OHS statutory and regulatory standards.
3. If no decision is made by this Council based on the reports requested in advance of the lame duck period commencing July 28 and ending with the installation of the incoming Council, then Council’s consideration and vote on this issue be deferred until the installation of the incoming council.

His presentation was supported in writing by the Galway Area Ratepayers Association, the Salmon Lake Cottagers Association, the Crystal Lake Cottagers Association and the Buckhorn Ratepayers Association.

Mr. Taylor-Vaisey told council that there are many reports on file that have been done on this issue but that none of them uses a common methodology.  He added that the options being assessed have been changing, and asked that the options contained in the latest Cambium report (presented at the public meeting April 13, 2018) be the ones that are considered.

Councillor Peter Raymond said that Mr. Taylor-Vaisey may not be aware that council will be updated on this issue by CAO Lois O’Neill-Jackson at the next council meeting on May 15^th, and that many of the points the association is asking for may be covered in that update.  Councillor Raymond suggested that council receive the information from Mr. Taylor-Vaisey’s presentation, and consider it after the staff reports are presented.

Mr. Taylor-Vaisey said that he believed the Cavendish Ratepayers Association Board would support Councillor Raymond’s motion.

High Water Concerns

Don Mitchell, Director of Emergency Services told council that both the Trent-Severn Waterway and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry are concerned about high water levels due to the snow still on the ground in northern Haliburton and in southern Algonquin Park

“With the heavy rain we are expecting over the next few days, and the melting snow, it’s all going to come this way,” he said.  “We’re not out of the woods yet.”

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Networking Session May 9

The topic of the fourth Trent Lakes Economic Development Committee free Business Networking Session will be How to Attract and Keep Great Employees.

The keynote speaker will be Employment Councillor John Hedderwick.  The session will be held in the council chambers, 760 County Road 36, from 7 to 9 p.m.

The fifth session will be held June 7, 2018, and the topic will be Small Business Startups.

Proposed New Depot

Council approved the scope of what will be included in the Cambium Inc. study of the proposed public works depot. Council asked staff at a meeting on December 12, 2017 to look into the best location for a proposed new centralized public works depot.

At a second meeting on February 6, 2018, council was asked to further define the scope of the project for Cambium Inc., who is doing the analysis.

Cambium provided a list of what will be covered in the study. Council approved the list with some additions that prompted some awkward exchanges between councillors and CAO Lois O’Neill-Jackson.

The additions include:

• A fourth option that explores if the Galway depot can be used (repaired or re-built) in combination with a new smaller central depot.

• A fifth option, leaving everything as it is (status quo) with the Galway depot being repaired.

The addition to the Scope of work was:

• Must take into account the additional costs (fuel, tire, maintenance and lifespan impact) which will be incurred for the extra travel to the starting point of each snow plow route and return from the endpoint of each snow plow route.

The CAO reacted very strongly and emotionally to the suggestion that the Galway depot continue to be used, and said it will be closed at the end of this month. She said she refuses to be responsible for having staff work in that facility.

“I have the full authority to shut it down and I wouldn’t let a dog work in that building,” she said. “”If council wants staff back in there, fine, they can do it but I refuse to allow it to be reopened.”

Councillor Dick Persson said he was not suggesting it be reopened without replacing or repairs, but just that he thinks it should be part of the study as all options should be on the table.

The other three councillors voted to include the three new additions to the study with Mayor Bev Mathews voting against it.

Mayor Mathews mentioned that so far more than $60,000 extra has been spent since council began questioning the location for building a new centralized depot. Possible locations include the 49 Yard, Hwys 507 and 36 or a new single depot across the road from the municipal office.

The addition of the a new depot across the road from the municipal office was added because if land has to be purchased, the municipal office is the most central location. She told council they could strike off this option if they wanted.

With the three additions made by the councillors, the Scope of Work will include:

• Complete full review of 2016 and 2017 annual operating costs -to establish baseline
• Develop a list of assumptions required to complete the analysis
• Confirm level of service expectations
• Estimate the breakdown of Public Works budget between snow plowing versus all other activities
• Estimate the current cost per kilometre for snow plowing
• Determine breakdown of annual Public Works operating costs by fixed costs (not location dependent) versus variable cost (location dependent)
• Besides snow plowing, determine what other Public Works activities would be significantly impacted by various location options
• Calculate the estimated cost per km for other Public Works activities
• Confirm the proposed use of the Buckhorn facility-calculate annual operating costs
• Estimate the fixed operating costs for a new public works depot
• Estimate the variable operating costs for the 3 facility options
• Estimate the total annual operating costs for each 3 facility options
• Determine value of redundancy by having Buckhorn facility

Click to view the PDF of the February 20, 2018 Trent Lakes council meeting highlights.

Click to view the PDF of the February 6, 2018 Trent Lakes council meeting highlights.