Council approves spending plans
Village passes preliminary operations and capital budgets for 2015
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, December 4, 2014
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Fort Simpson council unanimously approved preliminary capital and operations budgets Dec. 1.
Capital budget allocations
- $64,500 for corporate services on items such as information technology upgrades and electronic agenda system;
- $1.328 million for public works for road patching and insulating the works garage roof;
- $158,384 for equipment purchases, such as a dump truck;
- $235,000 on protective services;
- $165,000 for the landfill, mostly to develop a plan to deal with the metal;
- $215,000 for utility maintenance;
- $315,000 for the recreation centre, including the curling rink slab;
- $510,000 for the pool and fitness centre;
- $175,000 for the continuing expansion and renovation of the library and;
- $90,000 for parks, trails and playgrounds.
|
While the $5.38 million operations budget is 3.3 per cent larger than last year, mill rates are projected to remain the same.
The $2.36 million capital budget is a list of council and staff priorities that likely won't all be started or completed next year, said senior administrative officer Dean Pickering.
"This gives me an indication of what staff priorities and what council priorities are, it doesn't mean we're going to spend it all," Pickering said.
He said the budgets aren't yet set in stone for two reasons: the fact mill rates haven't been finalized and the GNWT won't be revealing its contributions until next year.
The capital budget includes plans for work at the curling rink and the fitness centre.
"We're going to try hard to get some of the fitness centre built this summer," said Mayor Sean Whelly.
Coun. Leah Keats pushed for the rink to take priority during a committee meeting the previous week, saying the curling club has additional funds it has raised that can be contributed to the work.
The village should focus on finishing one project at a time, she said.
She said with the curling rink floor finished, it could be used for things such as archery, the fall fair or other indoor things.
"I'm pushing it because I'm a member and I think it's a worthwhile thing in the community," she said.
The proposed projects are part of the projects budget council approved Dec. 1, which includes the concrete slab for the curling rink, projected to cost $150,000 and includes in-floor heating and cooling lines.
The first phases of work at the fitness centre are budgeted to cost up to $510,000, with the fitness centre slab, including in-floor heating and flooring, taking the biggest chunk at $180,000.
The hope is to be able to get that floor complete this year, while other parts of the project are pushed to later years as funding is available.
Whelly said the village is applying for grant funding to help cover some of the costs of the work.
As well, the village has budgeted $50,000 to add solar heating for the swimming pool, which would also heat the floors for the pool deck and fitness centre.
Over the long-term, the solar heating is projected to save the village money.
Pickering said a lot of the projects are aimed to improve the energy efficiency of village buildings, which will help save money in the long run.
Whelly said council tried to incorporate projects that improve the quality of life in the community while also wrapping up projects this current council started.
Pickering emphasized the projects are those which councillors have set as a priority and not all will receive funding in 2015.
"If we don't get matching grants, we just can't afford to build it all," he said.
