Staff
Fort Frances town council got some good news Monday night in regards to the 2010 budget—the Northwestern Health Unit levy will not be going up.
Elaborating on correspondence regarding the 2010 municipal levy that council received from the health unit, Coun. John Albanese, who also chairs the Northwestern Health Unit’s board of health, said the levy will remain frozen at $54.33 per capita for a sixth year.
“We’re lucky the ministry keeps the funding up to date,” Coun. Albanese said after Monday night’s council meeting.
“That way, we don’t have to raise the levy.”
Also at Monday night’s meeting, council approved a report recommending to not award a contract for RFP-09-CS-17 (skate sharpening at the Memorial Sports Centre) to Paul Cousineau.
Coun. Paul Ryan said he personally doesn’t feel the town should have businesses operating in its facilities “that compete with other businesses that are taxpaying members of this community.”
“I don’t think we should be supporting that,” he added.
Coun. Andrew Hallikas noted the proposal was not complete, and it was not fully clear as to what other products might be sold in addition to skate sharpening.
On the other hand, Couns. Albanese and Ken Perry voted against receiving the report.
Coun. Albanese said the town should support “free enterprise” and not deny someone who wants to provide a service.
Coun. Perry noted the last skate sharpening business that was in the arena did not succeed, but he didn’t think it should be this council’s position to not at least give someone else a chance.
Also at Monday night’s meeting, council:
•authorized administration to purchase 4,500 dozen flowers from Lowey’s Greenhouse at a cost of $11,613 (plus taxes) for parks and cemeteries for the 2010 season (this order is 675 dozen flowers fewer than in 2009);
•accepted a report to revise current/approve new water system standard operating procedures;
•received minutes of settlement for 300 Eighth St. E.;
•approved long-term capital financial plan policy No. 1.19;
•approved applications for the adjustment of taxes at 835 Crowe Ave. and 1106 Second St. E.;
•heard a final oral report from clerk Glenn Treftlin re: Local Government Week;
•agreed to a request from the Alzheimer Society of the Kenora/Rainy River Districts to proclaim January, 2010 as “National Alzheimer Awareness Month” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•passed a bylaw to provide for the use of alternative voting methods and optical scan vote tabulating equipment in the 2010 municipal election;
•passed a bylaw to authorize a credit agreement with the CIBC; and
•passed a bylaw to approve an agreement with the Ontario Trillium Foundation for financing of equipment for the new Fort Frances Public Library and Technology Centre.
