2023 Municipal Budget - Join the Conversation

Hi there and thank you for your question.

This property had been included in numerous conditional sales over the past 4 years however these sales never completed and thus the property was made available for sale again.   The Town sees this as a strategic land acquisition and there are many future uses that will be assessed and evaluated.  It is anticipated that a visioning exercise along with public consultation will occur over the next few years.  In the meantime the BIA has committed some funds to assist the Town in renovating the lands for public use until the future use is determined.

Thank you,

Monica

Hi there and thank you for your question.

The mission of the Collingwood Fire Department is to serve the community by providing protection from fire, life threatening emergencies and dangerous conditions through education, prevention, rescue, suppression and basic life support services.

The Collingwood Fire Department receives its authority through Provincial legislation and the Fire Chief is ultimately responsible to Town Council for the delivery of fire protection services.

Local fire departments are responsible for Protection, Prevention and Public Education under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act (FPPA).  To provide these services, staff are also required to be certified as per the Ontario Fire Marshall (OFM).   

I hope you find this information helpful.

Thank you,

Monica

Hi there and thank you for your email.

The mission of Collingwood Public Library is to serve the evolving needs of our community by offering programs and services that embrace information, learning, knowledge, and technology.  The existing budget covers the core services of curating materials, facilitating programs for children, youth, and adults, providing community gathering spaces, and delivering exceptional customer service. The library provides a safe space and some services for barriered members of our community; we support this work through partnerships and donations, and there is no impact to our operating budget. Similarly, some of our core programs, such as Ready, Set, Read!, are facilitated by volunteers, so again there is no impact to our operating budget.

In 2023, the library budget saw nominal increases due to inflation in natural gas, insurance, and supplies. The one service enhancement in 2023 is the procurement of a new website, which was identified as a need in our strategic plan, and necessary to ensure continued AODA compliance. 

Also included in the 2023 Budget is a feasibility study for a Multi-Use Recreation Facility, which will also assess the need and location for a Library branch.  At this time the 3rd floor of the library currently houses our Planning and Development,  IT and By-Law Staff.

Thank you,

Monica

Hi there and thank you for your questions.

I am not sure the exact definition for what is considered to be "non-core" services however there is a contract enhancement to our base service for policing with the OPP.  Included in our contract is a Community Safety Police Officer that attends the high schools, we do receive grant funding to partly offset these costs as well.   The cost for this is equivalent to 1 FTE Constable inclusive of benefits and overhead charges.  Whether this can be completed by a civilian or non-uniformed personnel will need to be addressed to the Police Services Board (PSB) and I will ensure this is followed up on at the next PSB meeting in March.

Thank you,

Monica

Hi there and thank you for your question.

I think you are referring to the "financing gap" on the Asset Management Plan (AMP), but please correct me if I have misinterpreted your question.  The AMP can be found here on our website: 2022 AMP, you will note that there are several options (starting on Page 42) provided to members of Council to assist in reducing this financing gap.  As part of the 2023 budget we have used the following options:

1) Small increases to the Special Capital Levy; and

2) Increase the contribution to Reserve Funds.

Thank you,

Monica

Hello and thank you for your question!

I believe you are referring to the $8 Million liability included on the financial statements for the remediation of the Grain Terminals. This amount has been included in the total accumulated surplus.

As the future of the Grain Terminals is planned (you can follow along on Engage) amounts to fund any remediation or any other capital works will be brought through the annual budget process.

Thank you,

Monica

There are no reserves or reserve funds set aside specifically for the preservation and restoration of the Nottawasaga Island Lighthouse, nor are there any funds in the budget directed towards that specifically.

The lighthouse is not owned by the Town.  I believe it is still owned by the Department of Fisheries (DFO) a federal organization - you can find more information here: https://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=1059. There is also charitable organization that is trying to raised funds for the restoration and maintenance of it, you can find more information here: https://southgeorgianbay.ca/listing/nottawasaga-lighthouse/.

Thanks again for your questions,

Town of Collingwood Budget Team

There will be no capital projects at the end of 2022 or 2023 that will be unfunded.  We are however proposing a new debenture for the Minnesota Storm Sewer Repair Project in 2023.

Thanks for reaching out,

Town of Collingwood Budget Team

At this time there are no funds allocated to the Doors Open in the proposed 2023 Draft #3 budget in either the Heritage Committee, PRC or Library Budgets.  

The PRC division is going through a master plan refresh in 2023 so it is possible that the review may determine that an event like this should be included.  

Thanks again for reaching out.

Town of Collingwood Budget Team

Hello and thank you for your question.  

Ontario’s new On-Site and Excess Soil Management Regulation (O. Reg. 406/19) , made under the Environmental Protection Act, lays down a framework for the better management and reuse of excess soils excavated from a project. Implementation of some parts of the regulation is delayed until January 2023. In light of the new Regulation, the Town will need to understand the quality and quantity of excess soil for various Town construction and maintenance activities (varying from road construction, ditching, catchbasin maintenance, and service installations), and account for the time and cost of completing any necessary soil sampling and analyses. Most importantly, construction contracts will need to clearly address these responsibilities relating to excess soil management, so modifications to the standard contract templates will also be required.

The Town will set aside $40,000 to get assistance with implementing the new regulations, and individual construction contracts will have a percentage of the total cost of the project (on a case by case basis) for removal of contaminated soil, when necessary. 

Thank you

Stephanie Ottewell