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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMarch 21, 2002 Budget Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 21, 2002 9:00 a.m. A meeting of the Committee of the Whole of the Council of the Corporation of the City of Pickering was held on March 21, 2002 at 9:00 a.m. in the Main Committee Room to consider the Proposed 2002 Budget. PRESENT: Mayor Wayne Arthurs COUNCILLORS: M. Brenner M. Holland R. Johnson B. McLean D. Pickles D. Ryan ALSO PRESENT: T. 1. Quinn G. Paterson N. Carroll E. Buntsma S. Karwowski A. Greentree - Chief Administrative Officer - Director, Corporate Services & Treasurer - Director, Planning & Development - Director, Operations and Emergency Services - Manager, Finance & Taxation - Supervisor, Legislative Services On behalf of Council, the Mayor extended his appreciation to staff for all their work and efforts on producing a quality budget. The CAO accepted the Mayor's comments and thanked Council for their support during the budget preparation process. The CAO reported that earlier this week the City received a POA payment from the Region in the amount of$252,000. This revenue has been reflected in the budget presented. For information purposes, Councillor Holland provided a brief update on various activities currently being considered at the Region. The Director, Corporate Services & Treasurer introduced the budget with a presentation summarizing the proposed 2002 Current and Capital Budgets, as presented in the Recommendations and Analysis which was previously distributed. D EP AR TMENT AL CURRENT BUDGETS Moved by Councillor Ryan that the Proposed 2002 Current Budget be approved with the following amendments: CARRIED 2125 LEGAL SERVICES Councillor Johnson declared an interest in this bud2et account due to a liti2ation matter and left the meetin2. Budget Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 21, 2002 9:00 a.m. Council moved In-Camera to discuss a personnel and litigation matter. Council rose from In-Camera. Councillor Johnson re-entered the meeting. 2325 STREET LIGHTS Moved by Councillor Brenner that Account 2478 (Misc. Equipment Repairs & Maintenance) be reduced to $125,000. LOST 2712 PROGRAMS Councillor Brenner declared an interest in these bud2et Accounts 1100. 1200. and 1400 as a family member works at the Recreation Complex. 2611 PLANNING Moved by Councillor Pickles that Account 2392 (Consulting & Professional) be increased by $20,000 to provide for support of the TRCA Duffins & Carruther's Creek initiative. LOST DEPARTMENTAL CAPITAL BUDGETS Moved by Councillor Ryan that the Proposed 2002 Capital Budget be approved with the following amendments: CARRIED 2127 FINANCE Moved by Councillor Brenner that Account 6181 (Other Fixed Assets) be reduced to $40,000. Council moved In-Camera to discuss a litigation matter. Council rose from In-Camera. WITHDRAWN 2240 FIRE PROTECTION Moved by Councillor Holland that Account 6157 (Vehicles), line item 02-2240-001-08 (Conversion of existing Rescue Vehicle to Community Services), in the amount of $100,000, be deleted. CARRIED Budget Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 21, 2002 9:00 a.m. COST -SHARING AGREEMENTS FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENTS Moved by Councillor Johnson to allocate $100,000 in the budget to allow the City the flexibility to enter cost-sharing agreements for road improvements, and, staff shall seek Council approval for the expenditure prior to entering into an agreement. CARRIED CONSUL TING & PROFESSIONAL EXPENDITURES SUMMARY Moved by Councillor Pickles that a new line item be added to Consulting & Professional Expenditures in the amount of $20,000 to be applied to Duffins and Carruther's Creek initiative and that staff review all other line items applied to Consulting & Professional Expenditures, with the exception of2125 Legal Services, to off-set this addition in an equal amount. CARRIED Moved by Councillor Pickles that Account 2125 Legal Services, Consulting & Professional Expenditures be reviewed by staff to reduce line items to offset the addition of Duffins Creek and Carruther's Creek project. CARRIED Councillor Johnson declared an interest in this bud2et account due to a liti2ation matter and left the meetin2. Councillor Johnson re-entered the meeting. In considering the budget and supporting documentation, Council requested staff address the following action items: 1. Councillor Ryan requested staff to provide Council with a comparative analysis of tax rates with municipalities to the west of Pickering within the 905 area. 2. Councillor Holland advised staff to notify him in writing of any comments or concerns they may have regarding POA revenues and he will raise the issues at the Regional Finance Committee meeting. 3. In response to Councillor Holland's concerns regarding the difficulty in tracking budget items which may be "deferred by TJQ" or "referred by Council", staff were requested to ensure, in future budget documents, that all deferred and referred items be included in the budget documentation to ensure ease of tracking. 4. Councillor Johnson requested that staff develop a Roads Needs Inventory and assign priorities to identified needs. The CAO confirmed that the inventory is underway. 5. Councillor Brenner requested that staff review the previous 3 to 4 years' budgets when preparing up-coming budgets to ensure that spending patterns are considered in an effort to more accurately budget funding requirements. 6. Councillor Johnson requested that staff consider including any corporate records currently stored at the Archives of Ontario in any electronic database that may be developed. Budget Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 21, 2002 9:00 a.m. 7. Councillor Pickles recommended that staff contact Go Transit to discuss the possibility of City Parking Control Officers patrolling their property. 8. Councillor Brenner requested the Director, Operations & Emergency Services to follow-up with staff concerning a computerized approach to salt disbursement. 9. The Director, Operations & Emergency Services was requested to provide Council with 2002 actuals for Account 2325 - 2478 (Street Lights, Miscellaneous Equipment Repairs & Maintenance). 10. In response to Councillor Johnson's enquiry, the CAO committed to investigating opportunities for the City to allow for private companies to re-use our waste oil products. 11. The Director, Corporate Services & Treasurer was requested to employ a more appropriate method of reporting on-going consultative expenditures which are currently included in the Capital Budget, Account 2127-6181, 02-2127-005-01 (OPG Appeal, Professional Services: Engineers, Assessment Consultants for OPG Appeal). 12. Councillor Holland noted that a line item, which was deferred in the 2001 budget respecting Progress Park, was not included in either the 2002 budget or the 2003 and 2004 projected budgets. Staff were requested to amend the 2003 Capital Forecast to include the Progress Beach Front Park development item in the amount of$800,000. 13. Councillor Johnson recommended that staff re-visit service alternatives for the lands at Squires Beach / Bayly with a view to developing soccer fields and an in-door soccer facility. 14. Councillor Brenner introduced the concept of entering into a private sector partnership at the Don Beer Arena to offset construction costs. Staff were requested to contact the Town of Markham to research their existing partnership at their recreation facility on Kennedy Road, and staff are to initiate discussions with local businesses to determine if there is an interest. 15. Councillor Johnson advised that the Lions Club is looking for storage space at Petticoat Creek Community Centre. The Director, Operations & Emergency Services committed to following up on this request. 16. Page 87 of the 2002 Capital Budget, Account 2745 Libraries, to be updated to delete line item 02-2745-005-04 Central Lobby Re-Design to reflect the CAO's memo dated March 8, 2002 which was considered by the Library Board at it's March 1ih meeting. 17. Councillor Holland requested staff to consider moving the line item in the General Government Account 2910 City Image to a more appropriate account. The CAO confirmed that this account would be eliminated for the 2003 budget. 18. Councillor Brenner requested staff to prepare a "profile of the City's financial portfolio" to be presented at a future strategy meeting. 19. Staff were requested to review the General Government Account 2195 Grants and remove any items, which are no longer applicable for the 2003 budget. 20. Councillor Johnson noted that the budget for the Community page is significant and requested staff to conduct a review of this advertising policy to ensure it is of value. The CAO advised that a review has already been initiated and a report will come forth to Council. Budget Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 21, 2002 9:00 a.m. CONSIDERATION OF REPORT CS 05-02 - 2002 CURRENT & CAPITAL BUDGETS CORPORATE SERVICES REPORT CS 05-02 2002 CURRENT AND CAPITAL BUDGETS 1. Approved as amended See Recommendation #1 The meeting adjourned at 2:40 p.m. Appendix I Committee of the Whole Report cow -2002-4 That the Committee of the Whole of the City of Pickering having met on March 21, 2002, to review the 2002 Current and Capital Budgets, presents its fourth report to Council and recommends: 1. CORPORATE SERVICES REPORT CS 05-02 2002 CURRENT & CAPITAL BUDGETS The Budget Committee recommend to Council for adoption: 1. a) That the 2002 Gross Current (Operating) Budget of $47,115,816, including capital expenditures from current revenues in the amount of$1,307,018, with estimated revenues of $20,969,206, Special Capital Levies of $369,000 and a net levy of $26,515,610 resulting in an increase of 7.66 per cent over 2001 be adopted as amended; and b) That the Director, Corporate Services & Treasurer present the 2002 Property Tax Rates for adoption by Council when further information from the Region of Durham and the Province of Ontario is available; and c) That the two year Current (Operating) Budget Forecast (2003 - 2004) be received as preliminary estimates for financial planning purposes. 2. a) That the 2002 Capital Budget with a Gross Expenditure of $12,296,959 be adopted as presented; and b) That the following capital financing sources be received as presented in the 2002 Capital Budget: Transfer from Current Fund to Capital Fund $ 1,307,018 Transfers from Reserves: - Capital Equipment - Contingency (Assessment Appeals) 965,541 75,000 Transfers from Reserve Funds - Community Facilities - Development Charges - Parkland Development - Public Works Services - City Share Development Charges Proj ects 35,540 723,460 682,600 82,800 753,400 Debt Lease Donations Superbuild Other 5,012,000 45,000 1,345,600 1,174,000 95,000 $12296,959 c) That the Two-Year Capital Budget Forecast (2003-2004) be received for financial planning purposes and that it be reviewed by all parties with a view towards reducing the level of projected debt in these years; and Appendix I Committee of the Whole Report cow -2002-4 d) That total debt financing of $5,012,000 for the projects identified in the 2002 Capital Budget in the amount of $100,000 for a period not to exceed 5 years; $3,574,000 for a period not to exceed 10 years and, $1,338,000 for a period not to exceed 20 years be approved; and e) That projects identified in the 2002 Capital Budget as being financed through the issuance of debt be subject to additional, specific approval by Council of the expenditure and the financing before proceeding; 3. That the 2002 Current & Capital Budgets for the Ajax Pickering Transit Authority (APT A) be supported in principal as follows: a) Current Capital $2,697,502 1.209,500 $3,907,002 The "Transit Tax Levy" to be transferred from the Region of Durham in the amount of $1,621,000 be applied towards: Capital expenditures in the amount of $1,209,500; the Transitional Core Current (Operating) Budget in the amount of $124,401 and, the balance of $287,099 be transferred to the Transit Reserve to be established by the Treasurer. b) That any grant funding received by the City of Pickering or APT A go towards the applicable capital or current expenditure with any resultant surplus City of Pickering budget funding being transferred to the Transit Reserve to assist in funding future year's APT A Budgets. c) That the Director, Corporate Services & Treasurer is authorized to establish a Reserve to be known as the "Transit Reserve" and this reserve shall consist of funds raised for transit purposes and not immediately required and such other funds as Council may approve from time to time. 4. That future tax increases be recommended at a minimum of the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index; and 5. That the Director, Corporate Services &Treasurer be authorized to make any changes or undertake any actions necessary, in order to ensure the budget, the increase in taxes and the tax billing process is proper and complete; and 6. That any surplus current operating funds at year end 2002, in excess of $110,000 be transferred equally to the Rate Stabilization Reserve and the Community Facilities Reserve Fund; and 7. That the appropriate staff of the City of Pickering be given authority to give effect thereto.