The Municipal Corporation of the Town of Fort Erie
Council-in-Budget Committee Meeting Agenda

Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 6:00 P.m. - 7:00 P.m.

Council Chambers

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1.

Call to Order

2.

Roll Call

3.

Announcements/Addenda

4.

Declarations of Pecuniary Interest

5.

Boards and Committees

5.1

Presentations

5.1.1

Julia Liken, Fort Erie

Re: CBC-04-2024 - 2024 Library Operating Budget

5.1.2

Schelley Hiebert, CEO, Fort Erie Public Library

Re: CBC-04-2024 - 2024 Library Operating Budget

5.2

Reports

5.2.1

CBC-04-2024

2024 Library Operating Budget

• Recommendation:

  That: Council receives for information purposes Report CBC-04-2024 regarding the 2024 Fort Erie Public Library Board Budget request as set out in Appendix 1 to be incorporated into the consolidated General Levy Operating Budget.

6.

Departmental Operating Budgets

6.1

Presentations

6.1.1

Jonathan Janzen, Director, Corporate Services

6.2

Reports

6.2.1

CBC-05-2024

Analysis of the 2023 Assessment for the 2024 Taxation

• Recommendation:

  That: Council receives Report CBC-05-2024 regarding the analysis of the 2023 assessment for the 2024 taxation year for information purposes.

6.2.2

CBC-06-2024

2024 General Levy Operating Budget

• Recommendation:

  PART 1

  That: Council approves the following 2024 Supplementary Base Budget funding, subject of previous reports/resolutions:

  1. $600,000 for Development Charges (DC) Exemptions.
• Recommendation:

  PART 2

  That: Council excludes 2024 Supplementary One-Time funding.

• Recommendation:

  PART 3

  That: Council approves the following 2024 Supplementary Base Budget new funding requests:

  1. $52,200 for Junior Municipal Law Enforcement Officer (PDS) staffing costs
  2. $76,240 for Executive Assistant to Director (PDS) staffing costs
  3. $82,768 for Project Manager, Policy (PDS) staffing costs
  4. $60,213 for Community Coordinator (IS) staffing costs
  5. $81,545 for Asset Management Analyst (IS) staffing costs
  6. -$48,000 for Grader (R52424) rental savings
  7. $6,250 for Temporary Washroom - Village Square (VSTW24) costs.
• Recommendation:

  PART 4

  That: Council approves the following 2024 Supplementary One-Time new funding requests:

  1. $75,000 for Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan (CIP) Consultant funded by the Affordable Housing CIP Reserve
  2. $50,000 for Parks Operational Plan funded by the General Levy Rate Stabilization (GLRS) Reserve
  3. $250,000 for Shoreline Protection Master Plan funded by the GLRS Reserve
  4. $60,000 for Planning User Fee review funded by the GLRS Reserve
  5. $100,000 for Transportation studies funded by the GLRS Reserve
  6. $250,000 for Urban Storm Drainage Master Plan funded by the GLRS Reserve.
• Recommendation:

  PART 5

  That: Council approves the following 2024 grants:

  1. $24,750 for Fort Erie Lions Senior Citizens complex
  2. $36,582 for business area watering
  3. $28,853 for Beachcombers Seniors Complex
  4. $23,500 for Community events
  5. $1,621,618 for Fort Erie Public Library.
• Recommendation:

  PART 6

  That: Council approves the following 2024 Business Improvement Area (BIA) levies:

  1. $40,700 for Bridgeburg Station BIA Levy
  2. $31,800 for Crystal Beach BIA Levy
  3. $45,000 for Ridgeway BIA Levy.
• Recommendation:

  PART 7

  That: Council amends the 2024 Capital Budget as per Appendix “2” to Report CBC-01-2024 to substitute $400,000 of Water Refurbishing Reserve funding for the Elm Street Watermain project (ELMS19) and $226,182 of Water Refurbishing Reserve funding for the Ott Road Watermain project (OTTW24) with the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) Formula-Based grant increase of $626,182.

  That: Council amends the 2024 Capital Budget to include a Grader [R52424] for $25,000 with DC Reserve funding.

  That: Council amends the 2024 Capital Budget to include a Temporary Washroom – Village Square [VSTW24] for $37,000 with Facilities Reserve funding.

  That: Council approves the proposed Volunteer Firefighter and Crossing Guard rates of pay as presented and directs staff to amend the related By-law.

  That: Council amends the 2024 Fees and Charges to revise Tax Registration fees and charges and directs staff to amend the related By-law.

• Recommendation:
  Amendment:

  That: Report CBC 06-2024 be amended to include a recommendation under Part 7 to amend the 2024 Capital Budget to include a capital project for the Centennial Library Accessible Washrooms [CLAW24] for $45,000 with Facilities Reserve funding; and further 

  That: Report CBC 06-2024 be amended to remove the recommendation under Part 8 and replace it with the following:

  That: Council approves the 2024 General Levy of $34,369,711 comprised of a base budget of $33,458,495 and a supplementary budget of $911,216 and approves the 2024 General Capital Budget of $17,120,800 and directs staff to submit the related By-laws.

• Recommendation:

  PART 8

  That: Council approves the 2024 General Levy of $34,369,711 comprised of a base budget of $33,458,495 and a supplementary budget of $911,216 and approves the 2024 General Capital Budget of $17,120,800 and directs staff to submit the related By-laws.

• Recommendation:

  PART 9

  That: Council excludes capital asset amortization of $7.2 million from the 2024 General Levy Operating Budget.

7.

Scheduling of Meetings

8.

Adjournment

• Recommendation:

  That: Council-in-Budget Committee adjourns at 8:34 p.m.