Duane Hicks
The town will move forward with the next step in its budget process after council received requests to include funds for the International Tug-of-War and Fort Frances Meals on Wheels in its 2013 budget.
Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft said he would like to see council put aside funds in support of the annual cross-border tug-of-war between Fort Frances and International Falls.
“Over the past several years, the tug-of-war committee has run without a budget from council, so we’ve come with hat in hand at ‘tug’ times to ask for help to purchase hotdogs and hamburgers and stuff like that for the event,” he noted at last night’s regular council meeting.
“I know that the Falls this year is bringing in [former Minnesota Vikings’ defensive end] Carl Eller for their anchor for their tug-of-war team, and understandably so, they have more money to pay for these guys’ honorariums and hotels and travel expenses. . . .
“I don’t know whether we’re in a position to start something like that, maybe bringing in an ex-Blue Bomber from Winnipeg?” he mused.
“But it is my hope that we could, too, one day offset the Yankees and their big-name anchor with one of our own,” added Coun. Wiedenhoeft, noting he’d like to have a line item in the 2013 budget for the tug-of-war.
Coun. Wiedenhoeft didn’t specify an amount, but estimated a couple thousand dollars would be beneficial.
Meanwhile, Fort Frances Meals on Wheels asked that council continue its financial support and give the program a grant for 2013 in the amount of $18,500.
Due to wages and gas price increases, Meals on Wheels is asking for an increase of $500 over last year’s grant.
The two requests will be referred to the appropriate executive committees for their recommendations.
Now that the public meeting has been held, the 2103 budget timetable indicates the executive committees will review division budgets and recommendations, consolidate the budget, and have the budget reviewed by administration.
The committee of the whole is scheduled to receive a preliminary budget on Jan. 14.
The budget then will be reviewed in the following months by administration and a special committee of the whole, with it being put to council on April 8 for ratification.
A second public meeting is planned for April 22, with the 2013 budget anticipated to be passed by council May 13.
Also at last night’s meeting, council:
•received—with appreciation for service—a letter of resignation from Connie Cuthbertson from the BIA board;
•referred a financial request from the Rainy River District OPP, re: Sunny Cove Camp rental fees, to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation;
•agreed to a joint request from the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and Canadian Union of Public Employees to proclaim Oct. 24 as “Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•passed a bylaw to approve certain airport hangar lot lease renewal agreements;
•passed a bylaw to accept a proposal/contract for services from Tetra Tech WEI Inc. for a landfill capacity assessment and land survey;
•agreed to support a resolution from Environment North re: the closure of the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) research station south of Vermilion Bay; and
•agreed to be a “bronze” sponsor—and buy a table of eight—at the Riverside Foundation for Health Care’s “An Evening in Paris” fundraiser dinner on Oct. 13 (this is at a cost of $500).
