Meghan Townsend, CAO, Clerk presented the Report - Draft 2025 Budget, stating that the report included information for Council's consideration, discussion and direction on changes to the proposed budget.
CAO Townsend lead Council through the various sections of the draft budget.
Council reviewed and discussed each section and provided their direction as follows:
Council requested the following:
- Striking a Tornado 40th Anniversary Committee including various community partners. Members of Council and CAO Townsend to be point person.
- Consolidation of Downtown Beautification accounts including flowers and maintenance costs into one section.
- Utilizing $10,000 of Hydro Dividend Reserves for the Grand Valley stone wall repairs.
- Bridge 7 "Structure Evaluation" be renamed "Design Work".
- Staff arrange a delegation regarding Community Centre sponsorship/naming.
- Deferring issuing of the tender for the Infiltration/Inflow (I&I) Projects to 2026 with design and agreement work to progress in 2025
- Medical Centre - Town to charge interest on unpaid 2024 levy payments
- Micro surfacing projects be funded through loans.
Council requested further information on the following budget sections:
- Administration - IT managed services, firewall and review of Bell and Rogers services.
- Downtown Improvement - gateway signage - clarification regarding reserve amount.
- West Back Alley - fees for service and additional charging stations.
- Recreation - repurposing GV Campground to a dog park and Town's costs under the GRCA Agreement
- Grass Mowing, Grounds keeping - breakdown on costs and services
- Recreation - breakdown on services and programs
- Recreation - Concession 2/3 Pavilion - breakdown on costs
- Winter Plowing - second shift for snowplowing and service level Winter Control Handbook
- Roads Department Overhead - breakdown of costs
- PW Vehicles - truck 45 - clarification regarding proposed budget amount
- Road Patrol - clarification regarding proposed budget amount
Council discussed removing and/or reducing the proposed budgeted amounts as follows:
- removing additional vehicle for recreation
- pausing 2025 Water Street chipping project
- removing downtown crosswalk
- removing East Luther Townline $70,000 gravel purchase, project to be funded from approved Gravel Road Operating Budget
- removing speed humps and using bollards on Taylor Drive
Mayor Soloman thanked CAO Townsend and Council for their discussions.