Duane Hicks
District representatives will have their plates full during the annual general meeting and conference of the Rainy River District Municipal Association’s board this Saturday (Jan. 31) in Atikokan.
RRDMA president Emily Watson, who also is reeve of La Vallee, said while the executive does meet regularly and the general membership meets each spring and fall, the annual general meeting is a good opportunity for delegates to get together, network, and receive updates on activities and topics which affect the entire district.
“Things are changing quite quickly in the economic environment, so it’s good we do meet,” she stressed. “Things do come up between our regular meetings.
“We have similar issues across the district, so certainly talking to other municipalities to find out what sort of solutions they’re looking at, or how they dealt with something, is important, as well,” Reeve Watson added.
The meeting, to be held at the Little Falls Recreation Centre, starts at 8:30 a.m. with registration and coffee.
Following a welcome from Reeve Watson, an invocation by Rev. Gord Waldie, and remarks by Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown, Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) vice-president Gary Gamsby, NOMA executive director Tom Wilson, and Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMTCO) Zone 9 board rep Glenn Treftlin, the meeting will get underway with RRDMA business items, including the treasurer’s report for 2008, elections and appointments, and various resolutions.
This portion of the meeting is expected to wrap up by about 10:30 a.m.
The rest of the day’s agenda will feature a variety of speakers, starting at 10:45 a.m. with Dianne Faragher and Shelley Shute (with the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board) giving an update on activities, followed by a presentation by local MPP Howard Hampton at 11:20 a.m.
Grace Silander of the Safe Communities Rainy River District will speak from 11:40 a.m.-noon, after which time delegates will break for lunch.
Robb Anderson and Cherie Russell (Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing) will take the stage from 1-1:30 p.m., followed by Northwestern Health Unit CAO Mark Perrault, who will introduce delegates to the new medical officer of health Dr. James Arthurs.
Chantelle Bryson, with the Thunder Bay law firm Buset & Partners, will speak from 2:20-3 p.m. on one of two topics: the meaningful enforcement of bylaws or construction issues.
The latter ties into a resolution before the RRDMA board to petition the provincial and federal governments to discontinue the practice of announcing funding amounts for specific projects until municipalities have completed the tendering process.
“In the Municipality of La Vallee, let’s say we are replacing a bridge,” noted Reeve Watson. “Next thing you know, there’s an announcement in the paper. Let’s say La Vallee got $2 million to replace this bridge. So then we go out to tender for it, and [bidders] know exactly how much we got.
“It’s really hard,” she explained. “It creates an unfair marketplace for the municipalities.
“When we’re looking for tender submissions, we want things to be fair and square,” she stressed. “With them already knowing how much money we’re getting, well, it’s a little difficult to do that.
“It really limits the municipalities’ ability to operate within a true competitive environment.”
The motion is being froward from the Town of Rainy River, but Reeve Watson said the issue applies to every town in the district and beyond.
After delegates break for coffee, Darlene Morgan of the Municipal Property Assessment Corp. will make a presentation from 3:25-3:55 p.m. on property assessment.
Reeve Watson said because district municipalities are partners in entities like DSSAB, the recent reassessments likely will affect how much each one will pay for various services.
“Across the district, assessment has gone up and down,” she noted. “If in the Town of Fort Frances, the assessment goes down, and in the Town of Atikokan the assessment goes down, that means that it will then affect the other municipalities, who then will have to pick up that shortfall.”
Thunder-Rainy River MP John Rafferty is scheduled will speak to delegates at 4 p.m. Reeve Watson noted the federal budget, which was tabled yesterday in the House of Commons, likely will be the source of conversation at Saturday’s meeting, particularly by Rafferty.
Gary McKinnon of the Atikokan Economic Development Corp. then will give a talk from 4:30-4:55 p.m., followed by brief remarks from the incoming RRDMA president (the RRDMA elects its executive annually).
The conference will adjourn at 5 p.m., to be followed by a banquet.
