Duane Hicks
After having approved a report on the water and sewer user fees for 2009 back on Feb. 12, town council will vote tonight on a bylaw to impose the new rates.
As previously reported, the residential sewer and water rate will remain the same as in 2008 at $770.04 per year, or $64.17 per month ($34.09 for water and $30.08 for sewer).
While the minimum sewer and water rates for industrial, commercial, and institutional remain the same at $1,014.96 per year, or $84.85 per month ($44.94 for water and $39.64 for sanitary sewer), the threshold at which ICI customers have to start paying more for water used has been lowered.
The number of cubic metres included in the minimum monthly bill for ICI customers has been reduced to 20 cubic metres a month, or 240 cubic metres a year.
This is down from last year, when 657.60 cubic metres were included per year in the minimum bill for ICI customers.
As well, the volumetric ICI metered rate (the rate paid for water used above the 20 cubic metres a month) will be set at $1.71 ($0.92 for water and $0.79 for sanitary sewer) per cubic metre—an 11.76 percent increase over the 2008 rate of $1.53 per cubic metre.
Meanwhile, the volumetric metered rate per cubic metre for Couchiching First Nation and other non-residential customers will be set at $3.99 per cubic metre, which breaks down to $2.12 per cubic metre for water and $1.87 per cubic metre for sanitary sewer.
The 2008 rate was $3.50 per cubic metre ($1.86 for water and $1.64 for sewer).
As well, the water rates for private fire hydrants will go up from $40 to $42 per month while private sprinklers will increase from $12.54 to $13.17 per month, representing a five percent hike over 2008 rates for both.
Tonight’s committee of the whole meeting will start at 5:30 p.m., but will be in-camera downstairs until 5:45 p.m.
The meeting then will resume in Council Chambers at that time, followed by the regular council meeting at 6:10 p.m.
Tonight’s council meeting will be followed by a public meeting at 6:45 p.m. regarding zoning bylaw amendments at 1533 King’s Highway and 625 Nelson St.
The former is to add “retail sales” as a permitted use for the property, which already is zoned as Highway Commercial, while the latter is to rezone the property east of the Riverwalk Condominiums from Residential Type Three and Tourist Commercial to Residential Type Four (to accommodate the possible future development of an apartment dwelling).
Other business at tonight’s council meeting will include:
•a report on the town’s personnel selection policy;
•a Canada Day funding application;
•an Ontario Trillium Fund application for radio frequency identification equipment for the library;
•a report on outstanding traffic issues;
•a tender for the sale and removal of all trees from airport property;
•an examination of the existing recycling transfer station and recommendations for future upgrades;
•a request to buy tickets for the Fort Frances “Community Chest” benefit dinner;
•a request from the Clover Valley Farmers’ Market to support, in principle, the Clover Valley Foodbox Project;
•a request to support a resolution passed by the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry regarding indigent funerals;
•a bylaw to authorize a renewal lease agreement with Canadian National Railway Co. for a parking area across from the Public Works garage on Fifth St. W.;
•a bylaw to authorize entering into certain lease agreements at the Fort Frances Municipal Airport; and
•a bylaw to approve contracts for supply and delivery of granular materials for 2009-11.
