Black with eventful first year as Timmins Mayor

The calendar year of 2015 was sure an interesting one for Timmins Mayor Steve Black.

Between learning new things in the first year of his new role, to the saga between him and Councillor Rick Dubeau, there’s much that can’t be overlooked.

2015 saw city council hire KPMG for a core services review, and Deloitte LLP also performed an audit to the $80-million Mattagami Waste Water Plant on Airport Road.

Black says hopefully the plant audit puts the issue to bed in terms of the cost, while with the core services review, Black and council continue to analyze and implement opportunities.

Besides the past, the future of Timmins burns a little brighter.

With Kidd Operations planned 2021 closure, Black started setting the future in place with the rail industrial park headed to the east end in the next couple years.

The park will have Calabrian at the hub.  Calabrian is the sulfur dioxide plant that is soon to be developed.  Also in development is investments from China, and looking at the feasibility of having a rock wool insulation manufacturing plant in town.

The 2016 budget is at the “halfway point,” according to Black.  He says while city staff have done the majority of their work, council work’s just begun by looking at each item and deciding what should stay and what should go.

Another thing that will be analyzed in the new year is the aquatic centre feasibility study.  Black says

He adds council has gotten lots of pressure from outside agencies for funding that is beyond council’s control.

Between budget and regular council, there are nine meetings in January so lots of time in the first month to get on the right foot.