council group pictureThe final copy of the core services review will come out Monday night.

City council will also hear an update to the Hollinger Open Pit project, and discuss tipping fees at the dump.

Roads will play a big part of the meeting as well.

Follow it all with our live blog, starting at a special time of 7:00pm.

(Refresh the page as the night goes along for updates!)

We start with tipping fees with JP Legault.

He is looking for an exemption to the $75 dumping fee for disposal from industrial, commercial and institutional sources.

Director of Public Works Luc Duval spoke a bit on the technicalities of why rates are the way they are.

Black wishes for this to be deferred to when Legault can make it to council to speak on the issue.

——————–

Next is the update for the Hollinger Open Pit Project with Goldcorp Mine Manager Brendan Zuidema.

The biggest update is that construction of the berm was completed on October 14th.

For more on their presentation, CLICK HERE.

Much of the discussion is about the fly rock incident in early September, and the noise complaints.

Zuidema says by next summer, the entire berm will be green.

———————-

Now to the KPMG core services review report.

Oscar Poloni is here to talk about the 186-page package, that you can view HERE.

Poloni says it’s the fifth or sixth version of their report.

One thing he says was surprising is how little is spent in parks and recreation.

“For every dollar you spend (in parks ad recreation), North Bay spends $4.00,” he said.

Poloni says overall, there are 43 opportunities, with up to $7-million in estimated annual savings.

32 staffers with the city were interviewed.

The big five for KPMG is:

  • address road maintenance cost differential ($1M)
  • improve transit cost recovery ($250K)
  • rationalize low ridership transit routes ($184K)
  • improve recreational cost recovery ($175K)
  • eliminate grants to volunteer organizations ($105K)
  • reduce residential tipping fee exemption and Deloro landfill operating hours ($105K)

Yes, there are six listed, but 5 and 6 saves the same amount.

Opportunities found during closed sessions range in savings between $183K to $1.15M, and council will find out more on those during an in-camera session.

He says implementing any plans should run through city CAO Joe Torlone.

Poloni now talking about Orange County, California and how it went bankrupt in 1994.

He says it had to do with mistrust around the council table, and voter distrust and fiscal austerity.

Poloni now digging into the aquatic centre, asking why it has to be only an aquatic centre.  He says the city is tied to legacy and is afraid of closing some infrastructure.

————————

Duval now up to talk about the roads program for 2016.

In it, if all the grants are approved, the city is looking to spend almost $11-million, an increase of around 45%.

The biggest ticket item is re-construction of the Connecting Link between Schumacher and South Porcupine of about $3.5-million.  Another notable project is the sidewalk to Walmart, which was discussed during the budget meeting a couple weeks ago.

These two, along with re-constructing Middleton Avenue (from Cameron to Rea), Birch Street (from Algonquin to Sixth), construction at McBride Street, watermain extensions on Shirley Street would make up about 85% of the program for 2016.

A full list of projects they are looking at for 2016 (and some for 2017) can be seen HERE.

Black wants to know when the preliminary design study for the Connecting Link.

Duval says a summary report could come this Friday for review, and hopefully set up meetings with ministers.

AECOM has committed to coming to council at the end of November.

Bamford brings up that he isn’t in favour of the sidewalk to Walmart, saying it would be used by a select few people.  He says they could look at extending the asphalt paving and widening the shoulder.

Duval says he agrees with a suggestion brought up by Dubeau a couple weeks ago on doing a pedestrian count on that stretch.  Duval says he’s gotten some comments, especially after Giant Tiger opened up.

Black says a lot more people are using the sidewalks along MacLean Drive and Airport Road after they were constructed.  He says usage shouldn’t be the only thing they consider when looking at building the sidewalk to Walmart.

Duval adds since it’s on the Connecting Link, some of the funding of the sidewalk could come from provincial or federal grants.

———————-

Now to reports and resolutions, and the first is winter road maintenance in the east end.

The city is looking to approve a 2-year contract to Miller Paving for just over $720K.

It is the only bid that was put in, and Grzela is voicing his displeasure over the lack of bids.  He says it’s “repulsive” that they’re in a monopoly situation with this, adding it’s only good for the bidder and nobody else.

Plenty of discussion on this issue, and Campbell points out that they aren’t obligated to accept an offer if it’s “out-of-this-world” in terms of cost.

——————

Next is a speed limit change near Porcupine Ski Runners on Highway 101.

They want to push the limit down from 80km/h to 70 at just before the turn off headed towards Timmins, and make sure the 80 doesn’t kick in until after the turn off as you’re leaving the city eastbound.

Grzela suggests putting the 70km/h limit on this idea, and extend it to nearby Rea Hill.

This report will come back.

Meantime, Duval says there is a speed limit change coming into effect leaving Porcupine.

The 50km zone is extended from Gervais Street to Falcon Street.  The 70km zone goes to just passed the Pamour Mine entrance and following that is the usual 90km zone when you hit the open road on Highway 101.

——————

Now to parking meters on Pine Street North.

Before the re-construction of St. Mary’s Hospital into the old age home, the entrance was on Pine and no parking meters existed.  This would add 10 parking meters along the road.

They anticipate revenues of around $5,000 per year.

Black asks if they could look into a bus route hitting that area, and only put in five parking meters as there is a good amount of traffic that use the area and he’s received a number of phone calls asking for it.

Another thing brought up is the amount of churchgoers on Sunday, and that parking will help in that respect.

This will come back.

——————–

City treasurer Jim Howie is up with the quarterly financial statement.

He says they are in line with the 2015 budget for the most part, but there are four areas they are off.

  • Operating expenditures are projected to be $1.150M over budget
  • Police wages and benefits are projected to be $450K over budget
  • Storm sewer budget line is projected to be $450K over budget
  • Garbage collection and dump maintenance is projected to be close to $100K over budget.

Read all about it through the city’s official presentation HERE.

——————–

Next is the HGS lease agreement.

Torlone says they are looking at re-purposing a section of the building, as the company doesn’t need all the room it was given when they bought the space from OLS.

Since they’re not using the space, the company’s rent is going down from $130,000 to $66,000

This will come back.

———————

Now to the land lease agreement with the Timmins Victor M. Power Airport.

Not much discussion on this, and is a five-year agreement.

This will come back.

———————

BY-LAW TIME!

Agreement for lease of land at the airport for ORNGE is approved.

Agreement for lease of land at the airport for Ministry of Natural Resources is approved.

Agreement with HGS is approved.

Agreement for Miller Paving Ltd for winter maintenance contract is deferred to a future meeting.

and this meeting goes back in-camera, so for the public’s sake…

COUNCIL IS ADJOURNED!