Staff
The majority of the town’s user fees will be going up 2.6 percent in the new year, with a few still to be reviewed.
Council passed the bylaw to approve the increase, which falls in line with the Consumer Price Index, during its regular meeting last night.
But family, corporate, and seniors’ pool/fitness centre memberships at the sportsplex will be discussed more at the committee level as several members of council feel they need to be revised.
Coun. June Caul noted that, in comparison to seniors’ rates elsewhere in the region, those here are charged too much.
Coun. Ken Perry, meanwhile, feels the family and corporate rates deserve a closer look.
Since the new sportsplex fees don’t come into effect until June 1, council has some time to make decisions on any revisions.
The user fee bylaw then can be amended at that time.
The user fee schedule passed last night also does not include water and sewer rates, which will be determined separately early next year.
Also at last night’s meeting, council:
•referred a request from Rainy River Future Development Corp. chair Janice Beazley, re: per capita contribution for 2015-16, to the Administration and Finance executive committee (the RRFDC is asking for $7 per capita, the same as last year, which equals $55,685);
•referred a recommendation from Police Services Board chair John McTaggart, that funds from the OPP auction be advanced to the Community Policing Committee, to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation;
•passed a bylaw to approve an agreement with Asselin Transportation and Storage Ltd. for the collection of garbage and recyclables in the Town of Fort Frances for the next five years;
•approved a report to ensure the town enters into a three-year Small Local Government Enterprise Licence agreement with ERSI (this is a GIS software agreement);
•passed a bylaw to approve an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs through its Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF FC-0091);
•passed a bylaw to appoint BDO Canada LLP as auditor for the Town of Fort Frances for the next five years;
•passed a bylaw to approve an agreement for financing under the Dedicated Gas Tax Funds for Public Transportation Program (the town will be getting $65,058 this year);
•passed a bylaw to authorize the entering into of certain contracts with respect to the provision of janitorial services (the town hired S&A Cleaners at the public library, Nicolson’s Janitorial Services to clean the Civic Centre and the Fort Frances Museum, Marianne Hellesoe to clean the Public Works building, and Tom Piotrowski to clean the Fort Frances Children’s Complex);
•received a request from the Rainy River District Municipal Association for nominations; and
•agreed to support Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation’s application for funding under the Small Communities Fund (the funding is to build an emergency access road).
