Duane Hicks
Town council will begin its 2010 budget process tonight with an open meeting to get input from the public.
Four speakers are on the agenda to share their ideas as to what they’d like to see in the budget, including OPP Cst. Anne McCoy of Safe Communities-Rainy River District, Elaine Fischer of the Active Transportation Committee, the Downtown Business Improvement Association, and Fort Frances Lakers junior ‘A’ hockey team.
While the town prefers if delegations get on the agenda ahead of time, clerk Glenn Treftlin said Friday that the rest of the public is welcome to attend tonight’s meeting and step to the microphone to offer their input if they so choose.
Presentations will be limited to 10 minutes each.
The public budget meeting will begin at 7 p.m. It will be preceded by the committee of the whole, which will meet in-camera from 5:30-6:25 p.m., after which time the meeting will be open to the public.
Items on the in-camera agenda include:
•multiplicities of litigation;
•an update on Kiwanis Sunny Cove Camp; and
•a report on the town’s retired employee death benefit.
Business on the regular committee of the whole and council agendas will include:
•an advertising request from the Fort Frances Times re: 2010 Vacation Guide Maps;
•a request from the Fort Frances Community Clinic regarding Townshend Theatre fees;
•RFP No. 09-OF-10—inflow study of the sanitary sewer collection system;
•Tender No. 09-OF-08—supply of a grader and trade-in of a 1988 Model 720 Champion Grader;
•a financial request from the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce to sponsor the Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce’s annual general fall meeting, which will take Sept. 24-26 at La Place Rendez-Vous;
•Minutes of Settlement for various properties;
•travel and per diem claims for Mayor Roy Avis and Couns. John Albanese, Andrew Hallikas, and Ken Perry;
•a per diem claim for Coun. Sharon Tibbs;
•verbal updates from Community Services manager George Bell and Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown on local projects;
•a report on an infectious control policy;
•a report on Local Government Week (Oct. 18-24);
•a police services activity report from OPP Insp. John Kendrick;
•an activity report from economic development officer Geoff Gillon;
•a letter of resignation from Henriette Verhoef from the Committee of Adjustment;
•a joint financial request from the Northwestern Ontario Tourism Association, Kenora District Camp Owners Association, Sunset Country Travel Association, and Patricia Region Tourism Council re: a marketing forum for tourism in Sunset Country (Sept. 22-23);
•correspondence from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services re: Fort Frances Master Fire Plan;
•a joint request from CUPE Ontario and the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care (OCBCC) to proclaim Oct. 21, 2009 as “Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•a bylaw to approve an agreement with the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for financing of a new Fort Frances Public Library and Technology Centre under the Building Canada Fund—Communities Component;
•a bylaw to approve an agreement with the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for financing of a biomass road, water, and sewer project under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund; and
•a motion to bring back a matter previously decided for further discussion (the matter was the closure of runway 03-21 at Fort Frances Municipal Airport).
