Duane Hicks
Town council will give more thought as to whether to include iPads and laptop computers in its capital budget this year.
The budget currently shows an expenditure of $10,000 to be used for personal computers and software for mayor and council.
The idea is that they could be more efficient, use less paper, and create less work for certain staff—if they conduct council business using computers.
During a budget meeting yesterday, Coun. June Caul said $10,000 for computers sounded like a lot of money, and maybe those dollars could be used for infrastructure or something else for the town.
Coun. Ken Perry noted the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board is spending less than $4,500 to provide computers for its 13 board members and maybe the town could get a better price.
“Ten thousand dollars is a handsome sum for seven computers if that’s what we’re going to do,” he remarked, noting this budget item has been around for two previous terms of council and perhaps it could be delayed again.
But town clerk Lisa Slomke, who previously worked for the Municipality of Greenstone, said that town used iPads and laptops at its meetings in favour of using paper.
When she was hired, one of the things talked about was making that change here.
Slomke noted iPads and laptops both will work with the town’s iCompass meeting management software, which she currently uses to prepare the agenda.
Using digital devices would mean council would not have to have agendas—which regularly run more than 100 pages—printed on paper.
Slomke added Coun. Wendy Brunetta, who was not at yesterday’s meeting, already does this, and mayor and council can ask her about it.
Coun. Perry noted the DSSAB switched to using a smart board at its meetings and cut paper usage by 35 percent.
This number is expected to be at least 50 percent once it starts using computers.
“There’s a huge savings in paper but there is a cost to computers and programs, absolutely,” he conceded.
Coun. Paul Ryan said the Northwestern Health Unit bought iPads for its board members and is saving about $800 a year on paper, though noting budget documents still are printed out because they can be hard to read on a computer screen.
Mayor Roy Avis said the subject should be deferred until Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig can speak to it.
He noted McCaig has been a proponent of council going digital as it would “free up staff time throughout the organization.”
Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown noted the town started using the iCompass meeting management software three years ago but still hasn’t used it to its full purpose, which is “to get rid of the paper.”
After slashing a list of low-priority items, as ranked by division managers, at its last budget meeting, council yesterday moved onto the list of medium-priority items.
Cut from the budget were a $41,000, four-wheeled drive tractor with cab enclosure for Parks and Cemeteries and five replacement flagpoles for the Civic Centre valued at $13,000 (the town will check to see if the raising/lowering mechanism on the poles can be fixed).
Kept in the budget were:
•concrete repairs to the east wall of the underpass ($150,000);
•20 street light poles along the waterfront ($25,000);
•a sidewalk machine with blower attachment ($120,000);
•office upgrades at Public Works building ($12,000);
•a 60” wide snow plow attachment for a large tractor ($5,500);
•magnetic locks for the Civic Centre ($6,500);
•painting the metal cladding on the Civic Centre ($12,000);
•replacing the marina floor at the Sorting Gap ($6,000); and
•renovations and new overhead doors at the Public Works garage ($150,000).
The list of high-priority projects still in the budget includes 14 items, such as fixing the sewer, water, sidewalks, and roads on Phair Avenue from Third Street to Fifth Street East, and Nelson Street from Butler Avenue to the Shevlin wood yard.
Other include a street sweeper, scissor lift for the Memorial Sports Centre, and replacing the roof of the Civic Centre above council chambers.
Council also is eyeing a salt storage shed for Public Works, but is waiting to see how much it will cost.
A tender for bids was published in today’s Times.
The capital budget sits at more than $14 million, to be paid for through federal and provincial grants, contributions from other sources/donations, federal gas tax funds, reserve funds, water and sewer reserve funds, or water and sewer rates.
Coun. John Albanese said that with the budget being in good shape this year, now is the time to think about fixing things and carrying through with budget items council has been neglecting.
“If we don’t do it today, we’re going to pay more tomorrow,” he reasoned.
“So let’s do it today when we can afford it.”
If the town goes ahead with everything in its current capital budget, it still will have more than $11 million in reserves.
Meanwhile, the proposed 2015 operating budget is slightly higher than two weeks ago, indicating a deficit of about $106,533 (up from $97,000).
The difference is due to budgeted hydro charges for the Civic Centre in 2015 being revised from $25,000 to $35,000.
The $106,533 shortfall translates into about a one percent increase to property owners.
The operating budget is not finalized yet as the town still needs to know what levy resulting from the 2015 DSSAB budget will be, as well as receive the new education rates from the province.
Coun. Perry, the town’s rep on the board, noted DSSAB continues to work on its budget, but right now it looks like the town will be paying an extra $69,000 this year.
In related news, council approved an amending agreement with the Stewardship Ontario for Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste Services.
This is to help fund the annual waste day held here each fall.
The agreement outlines which materials Stewardship Ontario will pay to have disposed each year during the Household Hazardous Waste Day here.
The newest agreement means the province now will pay for paint to be disposed.
