[0:05] Thank you.
[0:55] 6.1, which is the remuneration study for the elected officials,
[1:00] so we're. Going to have Collette come back up to
[1:02] the microphone and she can. Do the elected officials market
[1:09] study report. The exciting part. The elected official survey followed.
[1:20] The same footprint as the nonunion survey. Which used the
[1:25] same comparators. And so this is, again, a part of
[1:29] the overall compensation review. And. We reviewed it with the
[1:34] same comparators, and we just want to make sure that
[1:37] the elected official salaries are in alignment. So, good news.
[1:47] The mayor. Remuneration. That's a hard word. Is positioned above
[1:53] the median at the 57th percentile. Council. Sorry I missed
[2:00] the deputy. It's in. The charts. The deputy is. I
[2:07] can tell you what the Deputy mayor is. The Deputy
[2:08] mayor is at the 75th percentile and the council enumeration
[2:13] is at the 67th percentile. So. We use majority of
[2:18] the data or the majority of the data was at
[2:20] the 2024 statement. Of ramonation with the predominance of the
[2:26] data source. So we're not. Using 2025 data. But two
[2:31] return. Returned. 2024 data. And remuneration reports are not out
[2:40] yet for 2025. But given that most municipalities provide Cola.
[2:49] To their groups. We can make that assumption. That the
[2:55] same results will be for 2025. So we can see
[2:59] here just from a chart. Perspective. That the mayor. Is
[3:06] just above the median. And the comparators and what their
[3:10] salaries are, and then we see the deputy mayor, so.
[3:14] I'd like to pause for a minute about the deputy
[3:16] mayor, because this can be. A little suspicious. What we
[3:23] have here is the absence of data from. Wealth Hermosa.
[3:30] And so we have one data point because they don't
[3:32] have a deputy mayor. And so. Because we're missing one
[3:38] data point. That the data spread is different, for the
[3:42] data set is different. And so if we had the
[3:45] same. Qualfair mosa. Had. A deputy mayor, we would probably
[3:52] see this position. Fall to around 66, 64 percentile. Right.
[3:59] So it's not that. It's paid that much higher than
[4:03] every other. Deputy mayor it's just that it has one
[4:06] data. Point that's absent in comparison to the other data.
[4:13] Makes sense. Everybody follow that? It's really a data issue
[4:17] and. It's not a market issue. And then we've got
[4:22] the survey for the elected officials at the 67th percentile.
[4:28] I think it's important to track whenever you go out
[4:30] and do a survey, is to do a survey for
[4:32] the elected officials, but. You're all tracking well above. I've
[4:37] been doing elected official surveys, probably a little. Less time,
[4:40] probably for about 20 years. And I think the biggest
[4:43] change we're seeing. Is. That elected officials are being paid
[4:49] on a salary or an annualized basis versus a per
[4:53] diem. Basis. I think it's been a really good change,
[4:56] and we're seeing that. In the results here. So I
[5:00] don't really have any changes or recommendations at this time
[5:03] other than to maintain. This review at the same timing
[5:08] that you do a nonunion survey in the future. We
[5:11] don't get poached the way our senior staff does, so
[5:15] we're okay. All right. Any questions on the report? Seeing
[5:23] none. Okay, so we'll get a motion to receive both
[5:27] reports. The closed session. And this one. Councilor scott. Councilor
[5:33] maguire. All in favor? Thank you, Collette. Appreciate that.
[5:59] Move back to the 5.1, which is the budget, and
[6:04] I just want to make a comment before we get
[6:06] into the budget session here. I know things are great
[6:10] happening in Lampton Shores over the next couple of years,
[6:12] as seen by the new commercial projects in Grand Bend
[6:15] and Forest and the new super School in Forest, scheduled
[6:18] to be open in 2027. I'm confident that this development
[6:22] will bring additional new growth. To Lampton shores that will
[6:25] be reflected in our 2027 and beyond annual budgets. Thank
[6:29] you. To the. Members of the finance committee for input
[6:31] and suggestions during the pre budget meetings. This is the
[6:35] first budget on the strong. Mayor powers, I've recommended a
[6:38] tax increase of 2.75 for 2026, which will increase the
[6:43] operating budget by. $431,613 from the 2025 total to a
[6:51] total of $16,126,623 for 2026. The capital budget for 2026
[7:01] reflects a combination of mandatory fire and community service, vehicle
[7:04] and lifecycle equipment replacement. Much needed repairs to arenas and
[7:09] facilities and additional infrastructure projects that are necessary to keep
[7:12] the municipality regulatory compliant and moving forward. I'm pleased to
[7:17] present the 2026 lamps insurer's operating capital budget for council's
[7:21] consideration. And with that, I'll turn it over to our
[7:25] director of finance, and she can walk. Us through the
[7:28] budget process. Thank you. Good morning, mayor and council.
[7:39] As the mayor alluded to, we're going to work through
[7:42] the 2026. Mayor's. Budget, which is our first budget prepared
[7:45] under the strong mayor powers. I'm going to walk you
[7:50] through the financial context that it was prepared, key pressures
[7:54] and the steps that staff have taken to balance the
[7:57] services with affordability. By the end of this session, you
[8:00] will have a clear understanding of the operating and capital
[8:03] budget, the tax impact, and the next steps in the
[8:06] budget approval process before we begin. I would like to
[8:10] thank staff who have contributed to this budget. The budget
[8:15] document. Is a huge process and involves every single department.
[8:21] So. This presentation and the associated budget. Is truly a
[8:28] team effort, and I want to thank everyone for their
[8:31] contributions. With that, we'll move on with the budget. Agenda.
[8:39] So first we're going to talk about how the budget
[8:41] process works and the rules that guide it. Then we'll
[8:45] talk about the financial pressures that have shaped this year's
[8:48] budget. We'll look at the structure of the municipal budget,
[8:53] and then we'll review the operating and capital budgets in
[8:57] detail, and then finally, we'll wrap up with some financial
[9:00] outcomes. And what it means about for affordability. The first
[9:04] section is the orientation and governance. The municipal budget is
[9:10] more than just numbers. It's a financial plan for the
[9:13] entire municipality. It serves as both an operating and management
[9:17] plan, integrating service delivery with the financial resources required. Think
[9:21] of it as the cornerstone of effective financial planning and
[9:24] control. Ultimately, the budget establishes a clear plan for delivering
[9:28] approved services. To the community. The budget performs several critical
[9:33] functions for the municipality. First, it ensures that expenditures are
[9:37] covered by revenues. This is fundamental to financial sustainability. Second,
[9:45] it establishes priorities that allocate resources to those priorities. It
[9:50] also determines the taxes, the fees, the charges which directly
[9:54] impact residents and businesses. Beyond that, the budget provides information
[9:59] about the municipality's financial position and supports future planning. Finally,
[10:03] it authorizes expenditures and initiates operations, making it the key
[10:07] tool for implementing council's decisions. Municipalities in Ontario are required
[10:13] by law to prepare and adopt an annual budget in
[10:16] accordance with the municipal act. The budget must include estimates
[10:19] of all the revenues and expenditures for the year and
[10:22] must be balanced. Deficits are not permitted except under specific
[10:26] legislative provisions. Reserves and debt management must comply. With provincial
[10:30] regulations. Including debt limits and proper use of the reserve
[10:34] funds. Budgets must also reflect conditions tied to provincial grants
[10:39] and funding programs. To ensure compliance with. Reporting requirements with
[10:46] the newly acquired strong mayor powers. The mayor prepares and
[10:49] presents the draft budget with veto authority over amendments subject
[10:53] to override by two thirds of a council vote. And
[10:57] finally, all budget. Related decisions, including amendments and vetos, must
[11:01] be posted publicly. In 2025, Ontario. Granted Lampton shores what
[11:06] are known as the strong mayor powers. And this is
[11:09] a significant change in how the budget is developed and
[11:12] approved under these powers. The mayor is responsible for preparing
[11:15] and presenting the draft budget for council's consideration. Council still
[11:21] plays an important role. They can propose amendments to the
[11:24] mayor's draft budget. However, the mayor has authority to veto
[11:27] those amendments. If council disagrees with Avito, they can override
[11:31] it, but only with a two thirds majority vote. Another
[11:35] key requirement is transparency, and that all decisions made under
[11:38] the strong mayor powers must be posted publicly. Under the
[11:43] strong mayor powers. The mayor has provided formal direction to
[11:45] guide the development of the 2026 budget first a finance
[11:49] committee was established in June to review and advise on
[11:53] the budget development process. In October, the mayor directed staff
[12:00] to prepare the 2026 budget and submit to the finance
[12:03] committee. By November 25 for review. And then on December
[12:08] 15, the mayor issued a key directive. The overall tax
[12:11] increase for 2026 must not exceed 2.75. A levy increase
[12:16] of 431,000. The mayor also required that the finalized budget
[12:20] document be available by December 19. To support the development
[12:25] of the 2026 municipal budget. The mayor has established the
[12:31] finance committee to review both the draft operating and capital
[12:35] budgets before they are presented to council. The committee works
[12:38] closely with the mayor, CiO and senior staff to ensure
[12:41] clarity and accuracy in the budget information. And it's important
[12:44] to note that the finance committee does not make the
[12:47] final decision its role. As advisory, offering feedback, identifying concerns,
[12:53] and improving the transparency. The budget process takes several months
[12:57] and follows a structured series of steps. It begins with
[13:01] department submissions. Where? The department directors meet with their staff.
[13:10] And then that information is reviewed by all senior management
[13:13] in an internal review. Next, the finance committee reviews the
[13:17] draft, operating and capital budget. Their role is to provide
[13:20] feedback and identify concerns before the mayor finalizes the proposal.
[13:24] After that, we move into the mayor's proposed budget, which
[13:27] incorporates the committee feedback and aligns with the mayor's directives
[13:30] such as the tax increase limit. The proposed budget then
[13:34] goes. To council for review. Where the strong mayor rules
[13:38] apply. Council can suggest amendments, but the mayor has veto
[13:42] authority subject to override by two thirds of council majority
[13:45] vote. Once all reviews and adjustments are complete, the budget
[13:50] is adopted and implementation begins. The budget process begins by
[13:56] determining the services and the service levels that the municipality
[13:59] plans to provide. For the upcoming year. All of those
[14:03] service levels are established. Once they're established, we calculate the
[14:07] costs associated with delivering those services. Next, we identify all
[14:11] the non tax revenue, such as grants. User fees and
[14:16] other sources of income, and then the remaining amount after
[14:19] accounting for the non tax revenue is funded through the
[14:22] tax levy. If the resulting tax levy increase is not
[14:26] acceptable, the process does not end there. We revisit the
[14:29] service level in associated costs and repeat the process. Until
[14:32] we have achieved a balance between. Affordability and service delivery.
[14:37] The cycling through this budget process has occurred first with
[14:40] staff and then again when the levy was reduced in
[14:42] accordance with the mayor directive to increase the budget at
[14:46] 2.75%. This slide reconciles the staff budget presented at the
[14:53] finance committee to the mayor's budget. A levy reduction of
[14:55] 830,000, or 5.29%, was required to reduce the levy from
[15:01] 8.4% to 2.75%. This reduction was achieved by eliminating some
[15:07] capital projects, which reduced. The required reserve contributions by 433,000.
[15:15] And transferring 380,000 from the tax stabilization reserve fund, together
[15:21] with some miscellaneous adjustments. The levy was successfully reduced by
[15:25] the 5.29%. I think it's always important to point out
[15:30] that the lampt insurer's tax bill does include three sections.
[15:34] We include the education, the county and the Lampton shores
[15:38] portion. So today we are strictly speaking about the Lampton
[15:42] Shores portion of the tax bill. So the next section.
[15:51] We're going to go into is. The financial context and
[15:54] pressures that were faced. As we developed the budget. The
[15:59] broader economic environment continues to have a significant impact on
[16:03] municipal budgeting. Global and national economic volatility affects material pricing,
[16:09] interest rates, and availability. And. Cost stability. This uncertainty makes
[16:19] long term planning more challenging. Market fluctuations influence the cost
[16:24] and the availability of goods and services, which impacts both
[16:27] the operating and capital budgets. And although inflation has moderated
[16:32] compared to previous years, many of those cost increases are
[16:36] embedded. Into our municipal cost base. Municipalities are constantly balancing
[16:42] rising costs with affordability. For residents and businesses, this is
[16:46] a key consideration in setting tax rates and service levels.
[16:50] Finally, these conditions reinforce the importance of long term planning
[16:54] to maintain stability despite uncertainty. The 2026 budget continues to
[17:00] be influenced by. Cost pressures that are largely uncontrollable by
[17:06] the municipality. First, economic pressure remains a major factor. Broader
[17:13] economic conditions continue to impact operating and capital budgets. Fuel
[17:17] and energy costs are another significant driver. Fluctuations in fuel
[17:21] and electricity and natural gas prices affect municipal operations, our
[17:25] fleet and facilities. Insurance and risk management costs have been
[17:30] rising across the municipal sector, and Lampton shores is no
[17:33] exception. In 2026, we have an increase of 5% in
[17:37] insurance costs. And finally, labor and benefit costs, both internal
[17:42] and external, continue to increase. Wages and employee benefits are
[17:45] a substantial portion of our. Operating expense. External wages and
[17:50] benefit cost increases can be seen with the significant increase
[17:54] in the OPP billing where retroactive contract negotiations have been
[17:58] driving the cost of policing. These cost drivers are unavoidable,
[18:03] and while we work to manage them, they do create
[18:06] upward pressure on the budget. Beyond the cost drivers we've
[18:11] already discussed. There are a few more that impact the
[18:17] 2026 budget. First, technology, software and cybersecurity costs are increasing
[18:22] as the municipality relies more on digital systems to maintain.
[18:27] And need to maintain strong security measures. Second grant program
[18:33] conditions and funding uncertainty create challenges. While external funding is
[18:37] very helpful, it often comes with restrictions and timing issues
[18:41] that make planning difficult. Third, climate related impacts are becoming
[18:46] more significant. Whether variability and extreme events affect infrastructure performance
[18:52] and increase maintenance needs. Finally, inflation in materials and maintenance
[18:56] costs continue to drive up expenses for asset maintenance and
[18:59] renewal projects. These factors are largely outside of our control,
[19:04] but must be managed carefully to maintain. Financial stability. The
[19:10] next section. Will look at how the municipal budget works.
[19:18] So the municipal budget, as you know, is prepared with
[19:21] two sections operating in capital. The operating budget contains the
[19:25] day to day expenses such as heat, hydro, insurance and.
[19:30] The capital budget includes the cost of new assets such
[19:33] as facilities, roads and bridges. The operating and capital budgets
[19:38] are directly connected and should be considered together. The key
[19:41] takeaway here is that the operating decisions directly affect future
[19:45] capital needs. If operating budgets do not adequately fund maintenance
[19:49] and reserve contributions. Capital cost increases over time. And become
[19:57] more disruptive and expensive. Planning, operating and capital budgets together
[20:02] helps maintain service levels, protect municipal assets, and reduced financial
[20:07] risk over the long term. Within both the operating and
[20:10] capital budget. The costs are separated into tax supported and
[20:13] user rate supported departments, the tax. Supported departments of the
[20:20] budget make up the levy that is raised through property
[20:23] taxation. Will the user rate. Supported portions have no impact
[20:26] on the levy and are funded 100% through the levy
[20:30] or through the users who use the service. The strategic
[20:33] plan is the foundation for budget development. It sets the
[20:36] long term vision. And priorities that govern how the resources
[20:43] are used within the municipality. When we build the annual
[20:46] budget we align operating and capital investments with these strategic
[20:50] priorities. This ensures that every dollar spent supports council's approved
[20:57] goals. For example, if the strategic plan emphasized infrastructure renewal,
[21:03] you will see that reflected in capital projects and reserve
[21:06] contributions. Similarly, priorities like community engagement or environmental sustainability influence
[21:12] program fund. Funding. The strategic plan acts as the decision
[21:16] making framework. It helps us evaluate new initiatives, prioritize competing
[21:21] needs and maintain consistency across multiple budget cycles. By linking
[21:26] the budget to the strategic plan, we ensure that the
[21:29] short term financial decisions contribute to the long term community
[21:33] outcomes. Property assessment is the cornerstone of municipal taxation, ensuring
[21:38] that the tax burden is distributed among property owners. Property
[21:43] assessment determines the value of a property for taxation purposes.
[21:51] The tax rate is applied to the assessed value to
[21:53] calculate each property's tax bill. Municipalities across Ontario have expressed
[22:00] significant concerns regarding the provincial government's ongoing postponement of the
[22:05] municipal property reassessment cycle, which has extended the use of
[22:09] the 2026 property values through to the 2026 taxation year.
[22:15] What that means is that. All of the assessment used
[22:18] on 2026 tax bills is the assessment from 2016. In
[22:24] response to these concerns, the Ontario government has initiated a
[22:27] review of the property. Assessment and taxation system, focusing on
[22:31] fairness, affordability and business competitiveness. While this review is underway,
[22:36] the government has further deferred the provincewide reassessment to maintain
[22:41] stability for taxpayers and municipalities.
[23:07] Okay, we're going to call the meeting back to order.
[23:17] After lunch and we'll resume our budget presentation, starting with
[23:20] recreation and cultural services.
[23:32] Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor, members of council. I will present
[23:35] the recreation and cultural Services division of the budget. Cemeteries
[23:41] is included under this division. We will continue our grass
[23:44] cutting maintenance contract for Pine Hill Beachwood. And our Kona
[23:47] cemeteries. We do have a new contractor for burial services
[23:50] for Pine Hill. Arconan Baptist cemeteries that was awarded just
[23:55] before Christmas. Mapping has been completed for our Kona cemetery,
[23:59] so plot sales will begin in the new section. In
[24:01] 2026. Budgetary changes. Excluding Pine Hill, the revenue and expenses
[24:08] have aligned now with historical amounts, wages and benefits have
[24:12] increased. A one time funding of $5,000 has been added
[24:16] for tree and stump cleanup, which will continue at all.
[24:23] Of our cemeteries, and we've included audit costs and cemetery
[24:27] license fee for. The cemeteries. For Pine Hill. We assumed
[24:33] Pine Hill in 2025. We've now added the revenues to
[24:37] the budget. A staff a temporary staff position was acquired
[24:41] in 2025 is no longer required. That job is now
[24:44] complete, so the associated cost with that position have been
[24:47] removed from the budget. We've also reduced our contracted services
[24:51] accordingly to what we expect through the agreement. With cross
[24:56] cutting. For recreation and culture administration programs. We've divided this.
[25:04] This was formally captured under one budget department. It is
[25:07] now two budget. Departments. So the administration side and then
[25:11] the program side included under programs, you'll see the vibrancy
[25:15] in community grant programs, which will continue to fund local
[25:18] programs. And then we also have a volunteer recognition dinner
[25:21] and awards ceremony plan for 2020. Six. The change for
[25:25] administration. Is. Net levy or percentage levy change of 7.98%.
[25:33] Which essentially is because of the capital reserve contribution increase
[25:37] of 1.34 $6 million. Wages and benefits have increased by
[25:42] 20,000. And the Reserve Fund transfer of 66,000, which is
[25:47] a vibrancy program, has been removed to programs. We've also
[25:52] increased our training budget by $8,000 to reflect our actual
[25:56] spending. In this budget line. For program activities. As I
[26:00] noted, this is a new budget line that is captured
[26:03] in the budget this year. This includes. Costs related to
[26:09] the community grant program. And you see there the total
[26:11] requested amount for 2026. Is just over $74,000. It includes
[26:17] a volunteer recognition. Program. And awards ceremony. And the vibrant
[26:24] secrets which are offset by a reserve contribution. Our
[26:33] parks department includes expenses and revenues related to pavilions, our
[26:37] hard surface courts, for example, tennis and pickleball basketball, our
[26:41] skateboard parks and our playgrounds. Monthly inspections are conducted on
[26:45] these assets by our trained staff. The parks budget department
[26:50] includes expenses for our portable toilet rent. Rentals, which are
[26:54] found throughout the municipality seasonally. Flower purchases, weed control and
[26:59] the community led Fragmentes program. We have included a separate
[27:04] budget department for our sports field, so that has been
[27:07] reduced out of our parks budget in 2026. I'll speak
[27:10] about that in a minute. For sports fields. Our community
[27:15] services department maintains six baseball diamonds and a soccer complex,
[27:19] which is located at the Klondike Sports park. Revenue is
[27:22] collected from our adult leagues and private rentals. There is
[27:25] no fee for minor baseball and minor soccer for the
[27:28] local associations. Our waived revenue for our sports fields is
[27:33] estimated to be $87,000, which is a historical amount, which
[27:38] has been what we've seen historically for sports fields. There
[27:42] was a significant increased use in 2025. That represents that
[27:46] number. We collect about $7,000 in revenue. Just for comparison
[27:51] purposes. Expenses related to our sports field include turf management
[27:55] and supplies like clay bases, soccer posts, and of course,
[27:58] utilities and staff time. So overall, between the two separate
[28:05] now departments, there is. A slight levy change reduction for
[28:15] parks and a slight increase for sports fields, which, with
[28:18] a total percent. Change of zero point 33%. Spoke about
[28:28] this already. So we've highlighted the sports field department separately,
[28:32] just to correctly identify. Revenues and costs associated with. These
[28:38] sports fields. We have wages and benefits. We took about
[28:41] 50% from parks and allocated it to sports fields. As
[28:45] kind of an estimation. We've also captured fireworks costs and
[28:49] the offsetting donations for the Grand Bend, Canada Day so
[28:53] typically, the municipality will apply for funding on behalf of
[28:56] that organization. We retain the funds and the donations for
[28:59] that event that was not captured in the budget previously.
[29:02] It is there now. For the beach. The information booth
[29:06] will continue to operate and facilitate the rental programs. The
[29:09] life jacket and amphibious wheelchairs. Just for interest sake. We
[29:13] had 347 life jackets rented out. In 2025. That is
[29:21] a free rental program. And the amphibious wheelchair was rented
[29:25] 14 times. Funds have been included to provide additional portable
[29:30] washrooms and servicing on long weekends, which is consistent with
[29:32] what we did in 2025, the beach patrol hours will
[29:36] start. Sorry, there's a. Typo there. They will start on
[29:38] June 6 with full time coverage starting June 19. The
[29:43] parking revenues have increased based on our 2025 revenue. Change.
[29:48] Highlights include parking revenues, which I've already spoke about, maintenance
[29:52] for wages and benefits. We've increased $4,800 or expense adjustments
[29:57] to align with our actual costs in that area. Beach
[30:04] patrol. We spoke about a wage increase for those positions
[30:07] for our beach patrol, and then our beach house. Has.
[30:12] A marginal increase for wages and benefits at $833. Creational
[30:22] complexes include both ashores and the Legacy Recreation center. Both
[30:27] facilities have lease agreements with our local optimist clubs, and
[30:30] those will be continuing out throughout 2026. Expenses related to
[30:36] equipment repairs has increased to reflect our historical spending. We
[30:40] do have aging equipment in both facilities, which is being
[30:43] replaced throughout our capital planning program. The forest. Contact host
[30:47] will continue to operate. The contact house in the municipal
[30:51] office space at the Shores Recreation center. The YMCA's agreement
[30:56] continues until the end of 2026, so they'll continue to
[30:59] operate out of the shores as well. And we have
[31:02] waived revenue estimated estimated for both arenas, which is including
[31:05] the gymnasium and the hall. To be estimated. Estimated at
[31:09] $47,725. We typically don't see any fee waivers for the
[31:15] ice surfaces. It's already provided at a reduced rate. So
[31:20] overall for the recreation services legacy recreation complex. We see
[31:28] a slight levy change of zero point 15%. Specifically for
[31:33] legacy. The solar panel revenue has been identified in our
[31:37] green energy. It had not been previously identified. I think
[31:43] it was just general revenue. It's identified now as green
[31:47] energy. We have a slight increase to wages and benefits.
[31:50] Our building repair expense has increased to $70,000. Or by
[31:55] $70,000. Sorry. We do have a fairly significant reduction in
[31:59] hydro costs that's due to our led conversion of our
[32:03] facility. Councilor Scott had mentioned earlier the cost savings with
[32:07] respect to. The street lights. So we're seeing that same
[32:12] type of. Cost savings with our facilities, and we are
[32:17] going to continue. To do our led conversions in all
[32:20] our facilities until they're complete, which I believe is. 2026.
[32:26] We also have been in dumpster costs which have been
[32:29] removed from environmental services as the director of public works
[32:32] spoke about earlier. And our Thomas hall rental income has
[32:35] increased to align with their historical. Revenues. For the shores
[32:41] recreation complex. We see a point. Two levy change for
[32:48] 2026 compared to 2025. And our change. Highlights include wages
[32:54] and benefits increase of $16,187. We see an increase in
[33:00] rental revenues of $41,000, which is partially due to increased
[33:04] use, but also because of. Our operational change. To have
[33:09] spring ice into May. We have contracted services increasing by
[33:14] $10,000, which will reflect our historical averages and our gymnasium
[33:20] floor ceiling, which. It's a one year cost, which we
[33:23] require every five to seven years. It's one time cost,
[33:26] which we require to do every five to seven years,
[33:28] depending on operations. For community centers and libraries. We maintain
[33:34] the Portfronts Community center, the Arcona community center. The village
[33:37] complex in the Arcona senior center. The municipality has an
[33:40] agreement with the Grand Ben Public School for rentals in
[33:43] their community room and gymnasium. We retain all rental revenues
[33:47] for those areas when we rent them. The libraries are
[33:52] leased to Lampton county, who provide staffing and all equipment
[33:55] associated with the library. Most libraries are contained within our
[34:00] existing facilities, with the exceptions of forest library as a
[34:03] standalone building. I will note that there is no revenue
[34:06] received from the county for those leases. And our weaved
[34:11] revenue for our community centers is estimated to be $97,660
[34:16] in 2026. Overall, we see a very marginal. Percentage levy
[34:26] change of zero 8%. We take into account all facilities.
[34:31] The change highlights the revenues and expenses were adjusted to
[34:34] align with our actual amounts. We have a one time
[34:37] expense for our Kona senior center to include the replacement
[34:40] of two exterior doors and we have a one time
[34:43] expense of the Port Franks Community center to include windows,
[34:46] sealants, which are both recommendations or building condition assessment to
[34:49] be complete. Completed in 2026. For libraries. We just have,
[34:56] again, a very low percentage change of 0.1%. And that's
[35:03] just increased cost to reflect our historical costs. So I
[35:06] believe that center contracted services. For things like snow and
[35:10] winter ice maintenance. For harbors and grand, Ben. The revenue
[35:14] and expenses for the sale of fuel, transient dockage. And
[35:17] boat launch fees have been adjusted to better reflect the
[35:19] most recent sales and expenses, which have continued to trend
[35:24] downward. Funds have not been included for spot charging at
[35:31] either marina. Revenue has been adjusted at Port Frank's due
[35:35] to the inability to accommodate large boats on the former
[35:38] yacht club side. With removing spot charging from that area,
[35:42] we're only able to accommodate the smaller fishing type. Oats
[35:46] or pontoons. Prop washing is now conducted in house by
[35:49] municipal staff and using municipal equipment. We have applied for
[35:53] our permits as of August 2025 for work to be
[35:57] conducted in 2026, and we continue to work with the
[36:00] Ministry of Natur. Natural resources to remove the restricted window
[36:03] from May to July to allow us to do our
[36:06] work. In that time period. We have also submitted our
[36:09] applications for the continuation of Blue Flag program at both
[36:12] marinas and the beach. So overall, between the two harbors,
[36:18] we are looking at a. Zero point 25% levy change.
[36:27] The change highlights are a result of a loss of
[36:30] a $30,000 federal grant that. We had previously received for
[36:35] our prop washing. The federal government is no longer offering.
[36:41] That grant to us or anybody. So we have accounted
[36:44] for that loss. Our revenues have adjusted to reflect our
[36:49] decreased demand, which I've mentioned. I've mentioned about dredging, which
[36:53] is no longer contracted service. Our wage and benefits have
[36:57] increased to $94,487, which includes our new employee for dredging.
[37:03] And then there's no change to the harbor maintenance Reserve
[37:06] contribution, which is $50,000 annually. Any questions regarding councilor Bailey?
[37:17] A couple of questions on utilization of our fields. I'm
[37:22] interested if there was any rentals. For the grand bend
[37:24] baseball field. And subsequently, I suppose, would be if. There's
[37:31] an indication of the rentals. Or utilization of the new
[37:35] pickleball courts at Kwan Dank. So through the mayor. No,
[37:40] we did not have any request. To rent. The Lions
[37:45] park in Grandpa. And I can't speak to the utilization.
[37:50] It's a free access. Pickleball court, so we're really not
[37:54] sure. Anecdotally, I would suggest that pickleball is very, very
[37:58] active in Grand Ben. So I can make some assumptions.
[38:01] Just based on our indoor rentals this time of year
[38:04] for pickleball that it would have been busy, but I
[38:06] don't know for sure. Councilor Marsh. Thank you, you, worship.
[38:10] Through you to the director. Fire is our year round
[38:13] washroom. Operating as expected. So through the mayor in Grand
[38:21] Ben. Yes. It is now, yes. We had some. Learning
[38:29] experiences with respect to the washroom facility. So some of
[38:33] the changes that we have made we did install a
[38:36] windscreen, which has significantly helped our door. We had some
[38:39] issues with the doors and the wind there. So the
[38:42] windscreen and the trees we've planted are helping. Kind of
[38:45] alleviate that issue. I've had no issues. Reported for quite
[38:51] some time. Yes, you, worship for the harbors with the
[38:55] sales and expenses for the downward trend. Do we trend?
[39:04] Our launch ramp fees. How many people? Pay throughout the
[39:08] year. So through the mayor. That's a tricky one. Just
[39:13] because. We have the data for. The dollars that we
[39:18] sell, right. We don't necessarily know the number of people
[39:22] we could figure that out, if that's what you're looking
[39:24] for. Sure.
[39:43] The next section that we're going to talk about is
[39:46] planning and development. So this is the planning and zoning
[39:49] costs as well as economic development. A planning and zoning.
[39:58] The amount here shown as a negative, that is, the
[40:00] revenues that have been received. We're not making any changes
[40:07] to those. And then the costs for the staff for
[40:11] that. Service is actually included in the county levy. In
[40:15] terms of economic development. You will see an increase here
[40:19] of just under $10,000. So there have been a number
[40:22] of changes that have been made to this development, and
[40:25] you're going to see them. In the coming slides. What
[40:27] we've done is we've peeled the onion a bit. When
[40:30] it comes to the economic development department. And reported some
[40:35] of those costs separately into separate departments. So. You'll see
[40:40] the community improvement plan and industrial park all will have
[40:44] their own department now. As well as the introduction of
[40:48] the mat tax. For council's consideration, we were bringing forward.
[40:57] A resolution that had previously been passed in August of
[41:00] 2025 from the Forest Lampton Museum. Society. They have asked
[41:05] for an increase from 7000 to 10,000. Dollars in 2026,
[41:10] so the $7,000 is included in the economic development budget
[41:14] currently. The reason that they had requested this money is
[41:18] because they had lost some federal funding. And. Experienced increased
[41:23] salary costs and as a result, had to reduce their
[41:26] services in 2025. So the increase in the grant in
[41:30] 2026 would allow them. To expand. Their operating services. Community
[41:40] improvement plan. This one has a bit of a change
[41:46] because part of it is going to be funded. From
[41:49] the levy and part from reserve. So in prior years,
[41:52] we funded that entirely off of the levy. Like I
[41:56] mentioned, we've moved this community improvement plan to its own
[42:00] department, so we're. Able to better track the costs that
[42:02] are associated with it. Any unspent money in this area
[42:06] would go to the reserve and we would accumulate that.
[42:09] To approximately $150,000 and then reevaluate it at that time.
[42:14] Municipal accommodation tax. Shows zeros here because there is no
[42:21] impact on the levy. But there are details on the
[42:24] individual line. So we're anticipating that we would collect $521,000
[42:30] in revenues. And then we would incur just over $20,000.
[42:36] In expenses related to the administration by Orma and also
[42:40] putting about $20,000 aside. For some legal fees mainly associated
[42:45] with the municipal service corporation set up and then the
[42:48] balance would be split between the municipal service corporation. And
[42:54] ourselves, so there'd be about $241,000. Going to each of
[42:58] those. So for the purposes of this budget, I have
[43:02] shown that money, the portion for Lampton Shores, just as
[43:05] going to a reserve until council can consider further how.
[43:10] They would like those funds to be used. The next
[43:13] section that we've pulled from the economic development is the
[43:15] business improvement area again. It's a net levy of zero.
[43:20] The funds are collected from those specific properties in that
[43:24] area. And redirected to that association. And then the industrial
[43:33] development park. We've also separated those into a separate department.
[43:37] So currently. Revenues are associated with the lease of farmland,
[43:40] and then we are incurring expenses in regards to its
[43:43] development. Are there any questions regarding. Councilor Billy.
[43:53] The request for funding from the forest Museum to fund
[43:56] visitor services. I remember when the initial discussion came through
[44:00] council. I was at the meeting. It was a dozen
[44:02] years ago. To have visitor services funded and it was
[44:06] agreed by the council then that in order to be
[44:08] fair because the request came from the Grand Bend Chamber
[44:11] of Commerce that the forest group be funded. Similarly. And
[44:16] so the forest group are requesting an increase in funds.
[44:21] Once again, it would be fair if the grand bend
[44:24] group were matched. They face the same situation. With no
[44:28] federal, no job support. In the interests of consistency across
[44:33] the years, if the forest group gets it for staffing
[44:37] or dealing with visitor services, it would be fair for
[44:40] the grand band group to get it. Is that possible?
[44:47] Always make that part of the motion. Right now, there
[44:50] was no request from the Grand Bend chamber. Of commerce.
[44:56] For an increase. So we're going with what we've got
[44:58] on file, which was? From the forest museum. The venue
[45:04] for a motion. We'll do it under the budget items.
[45:10] Councilor Scott. We have the different organizations having the math
[45:20] tax, and they'll be sending it in. How will. You
[45:26] know, if they have rented and you've got like, how
[45:28] do we collect that map? Tax is it just automatically
[45:31] sent in once a month? Do they have to after
[45:35] every rental? Send that 4%. How do we get the
[45:39] money? Through your worship. The answer to that would be
[45:43] that. The Ontario Restaurant Hotel Motel association is going to
[45:50] administer it for us, and they have created a portal.
[45:54] Each person. Who's renting short term accommodations would get. Would
[46:03] be able to register for a spot on that portal,
[46:06] and then they would report the revenues. That they had,
[46:10] and then they would submit that to Orma, and then
[46:13] Orma would accumulate. Those funds and remit to us. So
[46:18] the hotels and motels are going to be reporting quarterly,
[46:21] and then the short term rentals are going to be
[46:24] reporting. I think I have that backward. Short term rentals
[46:28] are going to be reporting quarterly, and the hotel motels
[46:30] are going to do it monthly. So we're allowing Orma
[46:34] to administer that for us. We've already done training. Sessions
[46:38] for the hotels, the motels and the short term rentals.
[46:41] So they're already familiar with the process that's going to
[46:44] be undertaken. And if any of them had any questions
[46:48] about using the portal. Or any of those, when to
[46:52] remit, how to remit, et cetera. They should be directed
[46:54] to orma, and Orma will answer those questions for them.
[46:59] That'll be on the website. That. Just go to the
[47:01] website and find Orma and you can get the information
[47:05] under the municipal accommodation tax section of our website. All
[47:08] of the details, including links to the training videos that.
[47:13] Were the training sessions that were provided can be found
[47:15] there. Thank you. Mr mayor. We
[47:24] passed the Mat tax last year. At council. So we
[47:31] haven't taken any money. In since we passed that. It
[47:35] only starts for 26. Through your worship. That's correct. It
[47:41] starts in January 1, 2026. But that doesn't. Mean that
[47:44] we have money yet, because, as I explained, there are
[47:47] reporting periods that have to occur before they actually have
[47:51] to start reporting, because even if they don't have rentals,
[47:54] they're going to start reporting some stats to us so
[47:57] that we're able to. Develop some sorts of benchmarks. And
[48:03] then also, this is the slow season, right? You wouldn't
[48:06] see a lot of rentals occurring at this time, so
[48:10] we wouldn't. Anticipate to see any revenues flowing from the
[48:14] mat tax until later in the year. Thank you. I
[48:19] should add that the numbers that I have provided in
[48:22] terms of revenue are just reflective of what we anticipate
[48:25] to see on an annual basis, because that is how
[48:27] we did it. But it has a net impact of
[48:30] zero on the levy. Thank you. Wastewater.
[48:41] So water wastewater services. So highlights Jacobs contract fees have
[48:50] been adjusted for the 2026 values, so that's a long
[48:53] term contract we have with Jacobs that runs through the
[48:55] end of 2029. The Grand Bend Joint Area Grand Band
[49:01] Area Joint Sewage Board budget was included in the wastewater
[49:04] side for the budget that that board approved, and revenue
[49:07] and water purchases have been updated based on growth. And
[49:11] our recent consumption. So. As council recalls, the water budget
[49:17] has no impact on the tax levies. So you see
[49:19] a lot of zeros here. But I can tell you
[49:22] that in the proposed budget, the expenses are proposed to
[49:25] be 1%. Higher than last year. And then on the
[49:28] wastewater side, again, a lot of zeros because it has
[49:30] no impact on the tax levy, but. We're proposing around
[49:35] a 3% increase in expenditures on the wastewater side. Councils
[49:39] previously approved the rates for this year. Back when the
[49:44] rate study was approved. So on the water side, it's
[49:47] actually 0%. Increase for the water rates on the wastewater
[49:50] side, it's 4% increase for 2026. Move on to capital
[49:55] budget now.
[50:10] Capital budget. This section focuses on the capital budget, how
[50:13] we invest. And renew the infrastructure that supports the services
[50:18] across the municipality. Capital spending is different than the operating
[50:22] budget. These are long term investments that are made in
[50:25] roads and bridges, facilities, water and wastewater systems. Assets that
[50:30] often last decades and require significant planning. I'll walk you.
[50:36] Through how the projects are identified and prioritized, what the
[50:39] 2026 capital program looks like at a high level and
[50:43] how it's funded and what that means for our reserves
[50:46] over time. Before we get into the individual capital projects,
[50:50] I want to start with how we decide what. Makes
[50:56] it into the capital budget in the first place. This
[50:58] slide provides details about our capital planning framework. Because capital
[51:03] projects are long term and expensive, we use a structured
[51:06] approach to make sure limited resources are directed to the
[51:08] right project at the right time. Capital projects come from
[51:12] multiple sources, not just one list. They are identified through
[51:16] the asset condition and lifecycle information Department reviews legislative and
[51:23] regulatory requirements. And council direction and strategic priorities. We also
[51:28] consider growthrelated needs and, importantly, risk. Especially risk related to
[51:33] health and safety, service continuity, and critical infrastructure. Once projects
[51:38] are identified, they are evaluated using consistent criteria. In general,
[51:43] projects that address higher risk have legislative regulatory requirements or
[51:47] a part of a critical asset renewal. Are prioritized ahead
[51:52] of discretionary or service enhancement projects. This helps ensure we
[51:56] are protecting the core services and managing risk before adding
[52:01] new or expanding infrastructure. Every project is also reviewed through
[52:06] an affordability lens that includes considering available funding, reserve sustainability
[52:12] potential operating impacts and the reliance on one time funding
[52:16] sources such as grants. The goal is to make sure
[52:19] decisions made in this budget are financially sustainable and don't
[52:22] create unintended pressures. In future years. A major driver of
[52:27] the 2026 Capital program is the asset management Plan. In
[52:33] 2025. The asset management plan identified asset condition, risk levels,
[52:38] and lifecycle renewal needs across municipal infrastructure. In 2025, the
[52:43] municipality completed the building condition assessment, which significantly improved the
[52:48] quality of the information. For facilities. That work confirms several
[52:53] renewal needs, and as a result, new projects were added
[52:56] to both the 2026 capital and multi year forecast simply
[53:01] put, better data has led to more informed capital planning.
[53:05] The capital budget is the primary tool for acting on
[53:08] that information. An infrastructure funding gap is the difference between
[53:13] what it costs to maintain and replace our assets over
[53:16] the life cycle and the funding currently available to do
[53:20] that work. The asset management plan identified that in some
[53:25] categories, long term needs. Exceed the current funding levels. When
[53:31] council approved the asset management plan, the recommendations on how
[53:35] to address that gap were intentionally deferred to the budget
[53:38] process so that they could be considered. Alongside affordability and
[53:42] priorities. What the asset management plan recommended was. A gradual,
[53:49] levee based approach to addressing the funding gap. Specifically, the
[53:52] plan recommended implementing a 1% levy contribution each year, calculated
[53:57] annually and transferred to capital reserves and stacked cumulatively over
[54:02] time. Using. The example included in 2026, a 1% of
[54:10] the levy would equate to 156,771 which would be transferred
[54:15] to reserves in the following year. The same calculation would
[54:18] be done again and added to that previous amount, growing
[54:22] an annual contribution. The plan. Assumed annual levy increases would
[54:28] be 5% and estimated an extra $2.8 million would be
[54:31] collected before 2035. A high level
[54:41] snapshot of the 2026 capital program has been provided on
[54:44] this slide. The 2026 capital budget includes $25.8 million in
[54:51] plan spending across 97 projects. Of that, 20.8 million is
[54:56] levy supported capital funding funded primarily through. Operations and reserves,
[55:02] and about 5 million is user fees supported related to
[55:05] water and wastewater. Overall, the program reflects a continued focus
[55:09] on maintaining existing infrastructure, managing risk and assessing no one's.
[55:14] Service needs rather than expanding assets unnecessarily. This chart shows
[55:20] how the capital spending is distributed by department or asset
[55:22] category. The larger share of capital spending can be found
[55:26] in the roads, infrastructure facilities, in water and wastewater. This
[55:32] slide focuses on how the 2026 capital program is funded.
[55:36] About 75% of the funding comes from reserves and 19%
[55:41] from grant. The remainder from other sources included including limited
[55:46] financing. This highlights two key points. Reserves remain the municipality's
[55:53] primary funding tool for capital and grants. Play an important
[55:57] role, but only a supplementary role. They help, but they
[56:01] can't be relied. On exclusively for core infrastructure renewal. This
[56:06] table provides. A detailed breakdown by department and asset type.
[56:13] I won't go through this line by line. As council
[56:15] has the full document. But the slide reinforces that the
[56:19] breadth of the capital activity across departments and how capital.
[56:24] Spending supports the tax supported and user supported services. It
[56:29] also shows the scale of investment required to simply maintain
[56:33] the existing service levels. This chart shifts from a single
[56:37] year to the long term pitcher. It shows planned capital
[56:41] spending by asset type from 2025 to 2035. A few
[56:47] key takeaways here are that the capital needs are lumpy,
[56:51] they're not spread out evenly from year to year. Roads,
[56:54] facilities, water related assets continue to represent significant share of
[56:58] long term investment and forecasts help council see upcoming pressures
[57:02] early rather than dealing with them. One year at a
[57:04] time. This long range view supports better financial planning and
[57:09] smoother decision making. This slide looks at how the longer
[57:13] term capital forecast is expected to be funded over the
[57:17] forecast period, 69% is planned to be funded from reserves
[57:21] and 29% from grants. Again, a small portion would be
[57:24] funded through financing. This reinforces why reserve sustainability is. A
[57:32] critical part of the capital conversation. Long term planning depends
[57:35] on having those reserves available. On this slide, we can
[57:40] see how the contributions are made from operating to reserves.
[57:46] The annual contributions to capital reserves are split between levy
[57:50] supported and user fees supported assets. You'll see some year
[57:56] to year variation which reflects the changes in planned capital
[58:00] activity reserve strategies and affordability considerations within the operating budget.
[58:06] This slide shows the projected ending reserve balances over the
[58:09] forecasted period after planned capital spending and annual contributions. A
[58:18] few key points to highlight here are that fluctuations are
[58:22] expected, reserves are built up and drawn down to pay
[58:25] for large projects, so balances naturally move up and down.
[58:29] Timing matters in a couple of years. Consolidated levee supported
[58:32] reserves dip into the negative. That doesn't mean that the
[58:36] municipality is insolvent. But it does mean that. Projects would
[58:39] need to be temporarily financed until reserves recover. Negative balances
[58:45] results in borrowing when reserves aren't available at the time
[58:49] spending occurs, the municipality must rely on short term boring,
[58:53] which comes with interest costs and added financial pressure. Recovery
[58:57] is built into the plan. The forecast shows reserves recovering
[58:59] in later years. As contributions continue in capital activity levels,
[59:06] The purpose of this graph is to highlight pressures points
[59:08] early so council has the opportunity to adjust. Timing, funding
[59:11] strategies or reserve contributions before borrowing becomes necessary. So we're
[59:16] now going to move into the individual capital projects, and
[59:20] again, the directors will come and give you those details.
[59:25] We'll start with the protective services.
[59:38] Through your worship. So protective services capital. We have opened
[59:44] the RFP for the 2025 approved apparatus. So a portion.
[59:50] Of the monies that you see there for rolling stock.
[59:53] The one point. Two plus is for that pre approved
[59:58] truck. In 2026. Replacement of the box rescue in Fedford
[1:00:02] allows for the opportunity for cost savings. And fleet diversification.
[1:00:06] We're looking to purchase a four x four mini pumper
[1:00:09] with a certified pump. This will increase our abilities to
[1:00:13] suppress fire in tight areas around cottages and campgrounds. In
[1:00:17] some of our tighter roads. This platform will also increase
[1:00:20] our ability to fight fires within agricultural and wildland. Interfaith
[1:00:25] so it would have a pump. That was big enough
[1:00:28] and comparable with a full size engine, but a tight
[1:00:31] package that can get into smaller areas and change the
[1:00:35] way we do things with certain fires. Once again. Capital.
[1:00:44] We have ongoing need for radios and pagers. Extrication equipment,
[1:00:48] small tools, struts, airbags, et cetera. To keep consistency and
[1:00:53] to keep things in date and functional. Nozzles, truck valves,
[1:00:58] large building hose packs. This year we've dropped a little
[1:01:02] bit. In our request for firefighter gear, bunker helmets, et
[1:01:08] cetera. It was 50 last year. I believe we're at
[1:01:11] 40. Part of that is being covered. Off with the
[1:01:15] fact that we've had success with some grants this year
[1:01:18] that allows us some gloves. And some balaclavas. Fire suppression
[1:01:25] training props and tools for Northville. We've been operating Northville.
[1:01:30] As our training area and as we move forward, having
[1:01:33] stuff in a central location that allows us to build
[1:01:37] their training. And not have to break it down and
[1:01:40] move it to all the different halls. Is a great
[1:01:44] resource for them. One of the things I wanted to
[1:01:47] touch on. We have put forward for a grant through
[1:01:52] emergency management Ontario. Currently, we have the grant application. Through
[1:01:58] their funding streams. Our goal is to update our fire
[1:02:01] department computer based programming so we have been using Firepro
[1:02:06] and. That was a program that's been out for at
[1:02:09] least 20 years. There is a new program that we're
[1:02:13] trying to achieve called first do and what that does
[1:02:16] is it allows us to interface with other departments. It's
[1:02:21] a tool that we can use for emergency management with
[1:02:23] interoperability, we can have direct links to the. Ratepayers through
[1:02:29] increased public education portals where they can reach in and
[1:02:33] let us know. What they have going on in their
[1:02:35] house and update us on what's going on with their
[1:02:38] inspections, and it also provides us real time response and
[1:02:42] tactical data through a CAD system where we get direct
[1:02:46] information. From dispatch. So our hope is that we'll be
[1:02:50] successful for that. And if not, we'll be talking on
[1:02:53] a later date. So protective services teamwork once again. 2026
[1:02:59] will be another heavy year for our members. We will
[1:03:03] continue to set the standard for public education. We will
[1:03:06] continue to educate and enforce the Ontario fire code. And
[1:03:09] we continue to train, offering the very best in suppression
[1:03:12] services. Once again, we thank council for your ongoing. Support
[1:03:16] as it would be a daunting task without you behind
[1:03:18] us.
[1:03:31] Transportation capital. So for equipment and transportation, we have a
[1:03:36] lifecycle replacement of a pickup truck. It's not pictured here.
[1:03:39] One ton truck, so that's in the top right corner.
[1:03:42] Our sweeper. Bottom left. And our vacuum truck. The vacuum
[1:03:48] truck is actually going to be funded from the water
[1:03:51] reserve, though, so keep that in. Mind. Or propose to
[1:03:54] be. Capital transportation, so enterprise drive. Where? That's the reconstruction
[1:04:01] of the street that extends into the future industrial park
[1:04:04] and forest. So we're completing some of the environmental requirements
[1:04:08] for the stormwater management pond, and then that project will
[1:04:11] go forward. We have a number of stormwater management projects
[1:04:15] related to the forest Grand Ben and West Bazankwit master
[1:04:18] plan projects. King street downtown is shown in the budget
[1:04:23] pending further public consultation. And then we have our annual
[1:04:28] asphalt resurfacing and tire and chip projects. As recommended in
[1:04:32] the road needs study. So this slide shows the map
[1:04:36] of the proposed road resurfacing projects for 2026. The biggest
[1:04:42] one being outer drive through Port francs. And we're proposing
[1:04:47] to include Paige shoulders. As part of that project, which
[1:04:50] will further. Our active transportation infrastructure in Laketon. Chores. Continuing
[1:04:57] with the capital, so we do our annual sidewalk replacements.
[1:05:01] We identify priority sidewalks based on the annual inspection program.
[1:05:08] We're also continuing to work on the forest sidewalk expansion.
[1:05:15] So that's in consultation with the new proposed school there
[1:05:17] in forest. So we want to really increase the pedestrian
[1:05:20] links in that area. So that everyone can get safely
[1:05:23] to the school. And then West Dipper wash were proposing
[1:05:27] a paved shoulder. So that's to continue on. The work
[1:05:29] in that area. Again, more active transportation, which is really
[1:05:33] popular. With the residents in Lampton shores. Continuing the ongoing
[1:05:39] Ontario Street Grand Ben Bridge. It's obviously a big capital
[1:05:43] project here. So proposed to finish that in the spring
[1:05:47] of 2026. We have our brush road culvert, so that's
[1:05:51] pending the completion of the drainage. Report in that area.
[1:05:55] Decker Road culvert's actually been awarded. It's shown in the
[1:05:57] budget, so. That's just kind of outside witter station golf
[1:06:01] course there. So that's our. Placement of any existing culvert
[1:06:04] into a concrete box culvert. And we have Canard road
[1:06:07] culvert. So that was just recently identified in a recent
[1:06:11] osims. It's a failing culvert, so I have a picture
[1:06:14] right here. You can see the ribs there at the
[1:06:18] bottom are really deteriorating, so that's a priority. Project for
[1:06:22] this year. Your worship. Quick question, please. Sure. The culvert
[1:06:29] on decker road. Is that the one? That's close to
[1:06:34] the highway on the paved portion of the road. So
[1:06:38] is it going to close the road? Because I'm sure
[1:06:39] I'm going to. Get questions. Just heading it off at
[1:06:43] the pass. Unfortunately, it will have to be closed. It'll
[1:06:48] take about a week. Like they'll do it. They have
[1:06:50] to bring a crane in. So it'll happen pretty quick
[1:06:52] once it's done, but it'll have to get dug out
[1:06:54] and replaced. Do the in water work. It'll have to
[1:06:56] be. After July 1. But our feeling is that it'll
[1:07:01] happen in the fall. I know the owner of the
[1:07:05] course has been aware of the work and what we're
[1:07:07] doing there, so we're going to coordinate it. I hope
[1:07:10] with the business. Because there's still another way to get
[1:07:14] in. It's just we got to make sure his customers
[1:07:17] know. That. Obviously, we identified that pretty quickly, that that
[1:07:22] was going to be a big impact. The business is
[1:07:26] aware that this project is happening, and we've had some
[1:07:28] conversations about timing. And what we can do. To make
[1:07:33] it run smoother for everyone. It's necessary work. I hate
[1:07:39] to close the road, but we'll do as best we
[1:07:42] can to minimize the impact on the business. Thank you.
[1:07:44] That's all. Thank you for recognizing that, too. My questions
[1:07:48] on funding sources for. The bridge in grandmother I think
[1:07:57] I saw referred to development charges. And then there's the
[1:08:00] grant. Some from water, some from sewer. How much is
[1:08:04] on the levee? I don't think there's any of that
[1:08:08] cost on the levy, but I can. Double check for
[1:08:11] you, but I'm pretty sure it's not. I'll take the
[1:08:12] good news. That's great. Thank you.
[1:08:29] So through the mayor, the capital highlights for the community
[1:08:32] services department includes replacement of windows and led lighting conversion
[1:08:38] at the Arcona Community Center. At Port Frank's community center.
[1:08:44] We will be replacing and adding eavesdrops where nonexist currently
[1:08:48] and replacing the soffits and fascia throughout the facility. The
[1:08:53] forest parquet phase two is included into the capital budget.
[1:08:58] So there's a photo. Of the Parkit as it sits
[1:09:00] right now. Phase one completed the wall restoration concrete site
[1:09:06] works. And electrical addition. There will be sawdud going in
[1:09:10] in the spring as well, but. We just unfortunately ran
[1:09:14] out of time this fall. We also have included funds.
[1:09:19] For servicing a four season washer met the rotary park
[1:09:22] and forest. So our funds for the capital budget include
[1:09:26] site works and then the servicing requirements for that washroom.
[1:09:30] That one. As council recalls, the washroom and purchase itself
[1:09:33] was funded partially through the Ontario Trillion Foundation. The Legacy
[1:09:38] recreation center compressor. This is an original compressor to the
[1:09:42] ice plant, so it is in need of replacement. 2025.
[1:09:45] We replaced compressor one. This is compressor two. That requires
[1:09:49] replacement. It is. Original. So the probability of failure is
[1:09:55] likely. And the conseque. Consequence is high if that one
[1:09:59] fails. We have funds included in the budget at both
[1:10:02] the Shores Recreation center and the legacy recreation center. To
[1:10:06] replace our hot water heaters in our Zamboni rooms. The
[1:10:09] current units are undersized. The purpose of those hot water
[1:10:13] heaters is to heat the water that we use. To
[1:10:14] fill the zambonis. So that is done after every single
[1:10:18] ice flood, and we believe that there will be significant
[1:10:22] cost. Savings, both in utilities and staff time to replace
[1:10:25] these undersized water heaters. We've included funds to replace the
[1:10:30] siding and the sliding door at the pony barn at
[1:10:34] the legacy recreation center. We use the pony barn for
[1:10:37] storage of a lot of community services equipment. A lot
[1:10:40] of our lawn mowing equipment and benches that we need
[1:10:44] to bring in, among other items. We've included funds as
[1:10:49] well for Port franks and tennis pokeball court resurfacing. So
[1:10:53] that's the rubberized surface that you see. There in the
[1:10:58] picture, the green, blue and white. So it will replace
[1:11:00] that rubberized surface it does not include new asphalt. Asphalt
[1:11:05] is in good shape and does not need to be
[1:11:06] redone. But the rubberized surfaces deteriorating. We've included funds for
[1:11:13] utter park ball diamond lighting. So, as I noted in
[1:11:15] the operational budget. We have five of our six ball
[1:11:18] diamonds, our lit ball diamonds. The replacement of lighting. Our
[1:11:25] lighting is old. At all of our ball diamonds. It's
[1:11:30] becoming obsolete. Difficult to fix, difficult to find parts. So
[1:11:34] our intention would be to replace the utter park ball
[1:11:36] diamond lighting, because it is the most used ball diamond
[1:11:40] for both tournaments and our adult leagues, and then we
[1:11:43] can repurpose the parts from that replacement to repair our
[1:11:48] other ball diamond lights. In the short term. We've included
[1:11:52] funds for the. Village green Pavers this is a continuation
[1:11:57] from 2025. Again, we're just doing a section at the
[1:12:00] time to minimize the impact to the park so it
[1:12:03] stays open. And it's minimally disruptive. Same approach as we
[1:12:07] did down at the Grand Ben beach when we replaced
[1:12:09] the pavers there. So this is year two, I believe,
[1:12:12] of that project. And other highlights include fleet edition of
[1:12:16] a pickup truck. Just because we have been renting a
[1:12:19] pickup truck in the past, and that's getting very costly.
[1:12:22] So it made more sense to purchase a truck to
[1:12:25] use year round. We have funds in there for replacement
[1:12:29] of Thomas hall chairs. And tables that are just at
[1:12:32] end of life. They're starting to get broken. They're very
[1:12:35] well used. We've included funds for Port Frank's community center,
[1:12:40] a new sound system there, which has reached end of
[1:12:42] life. We have funds for an HVAC unit for the
[1:12:45] legacy center, which we continue? To replace annually lake track
[1:12:51] centers for each track units in that facility. Funds for
[1:12:54] harbor buoys. A new pump out at the Grand Ben
[1:12:58] Marina flagpole replacements in both Arcona and forest. The decommissioning
[1:13:03] and engineering for replacement of fuel tanks at Grand Ben
[1:13:06] Marina. That project was started in 2025. You should see
[1:13:11] a tender out for that. Shortly in the new year.
[1:13:16] And then led conversion for our remaining community centers. So
[1:13:20] our Kona community center, our Kona. Senior center. There were
[1:13:23] some areas at both the shores and legacy, particularly dressing
[1:13:26] rooms and storage areas, that were not completed. And will
[1:13:29] be this year, as well as the grim bend beach
[1:13:32] hose. Councilor Wilcox. In the initial budget.
[1:13:43] That the finance committee seen. Was there a roof on
[1:13:48] the legacy center? So that's just been pushed off of
[1:13:52] the future. So through the mayor that's proposed now for
[1:13:56] 2027. And that's a complete redo. Like you've looked at
[1:14:01] all options to try. To fix what the problem is
[1:14:04] there, or that's the only way to do it. So
[1:14:08] through the mayor, we did have a third party review
[1:14:10] of that roof. Done. The roof has been sealed. In
[1:14:15] the past, but it is an original roof to that
[1:14:16] building, so it has absolutely reached its end of life.
[1:14:20] There are two options. We are recommending the less expensive
[1:14:24] option. It's in a future budget now. Anyway, thank you.
[1:14:27] It's still getting addressed. It's just. No worries and. We'll
[1:14:30] continue to repair leaks as required and needed. Yes, of
[1:14:33] course. I just want to speak a little bit to
[1:14:36] that. So we did talk about at a staff level
[1:14:38] as well. One of the things we looked at is,
[1:14:39] could we do bits and pieces as we move along?
[1:14:44] Frankly, I was the one that said that is not
[1:14:46] the way to do a big roof like that. And
[1:14:48] the reason I say that is because the bits and
[1:14:50] pieces you do always join together. At some type of
[1:14:53] flashing wall. Whatever. If you have any issues. It's not
[1:14:58] the guy that just did it. It must be the
[1:14:59] other guy's. Fault, so we opted to push the whole
[1:15:02] thing off and do it as one. Contractor. They're responsible.
[1:15:07] As opposed to trying to do it in bits and
[1:15:08] pieces. So. We discussed this fairly thoroughly. Surveilling through you.
[1:15:16] I've got some questions about the boat launch in Grand.
[1:15:19] Bend and any needed repairs. I noticed they're not in
[1:15:22] the capital budget. Do we have a plan here. So
[1:15:28] through the merit. Yes. We have submitted applications to do
[1:15:32] some in water work for repairs to both the grand
[1:15:34] Bend and the portfronts boat launch in 2026 that will
[1:15:37] be conducted through operating. As opposed to capital needs through
[1:15:43] the Marriott. That's correct. Yes. Thank you. Councilor mcguire.
[1:15:56] Gear worship. For the condensers or the compressor you have
[1:15:59] to repair. At the legacy center there. Have you looked
[1:16:04] at getting a heat exchanger to possibly heat water? From
[1:16:07] the energy made by the condenser and cooling tower. I
[1:16:11] know we use that in our facility to reduce hot
[1:16:13] water use. So for the condenser or the hot water
[1:16:18] heater, the compressor, the whole cooling system. We actually take
[1:16:22] the heat off it to heat hot water. Yeah. So
[1:16:25] through the mayor, this is. Just one component of the
[1:16:27] entire ice plant. So there are other components, like the
[1:16:30] hot water cooler. That are included, just not this year.
[1:16:34] So it's a component of the. Ice plant. It's not
[1:16:36] part of the condenser, though.
[1:16:50] Water capital. So on the water side. We are continuing
[1:16:57] or proposing to continue with our water meter change out.
[1:17:00] So we're proposing. To do about 1000 meters this year.
[1:17:04] Pretty good chunk of what we have outstanding. We have
[1:17:08] the winter Springer, water main and Thetford. That tender closes,
[1:17:11] actually, very shortly. We got funding for that project. It's
[1:17:17] a big portion of that project, and then we're proposing
[1:17:20] Northville Tower maintenance. So that's the water tower out here
[1:17:23] there's? A picture of it right there. And that's based
[1:17:28] on? We do regular inspection reports on that facility, so
[1:17:31] there's a number of recommendations in that report. To do
[1:17:36] there. So that's a project we're proposing. And also capital
[1:17:40] water. So there's a Highway 21 chamber maintenance project we're
[1:17:44] proposing. So. If you're driving to Grand Bend, it's across
[1:17:50] the road, kind of on the park View area. Where
[1:17:54] that street is. So the main water main that feeds
[1:17:58] the north end of Lampton Shores comes in across the
[1:18:00] highway, and then there's a chamber there. It opens and
[1:18:04] closes to fill, actually the tower here in Northville. So
[1:18:07] it's something. That was originally built back in 2008, and
[1:18:12] it has been running since that time. So it's just
[1:18:15] a lot of times gone by, it just needs some
[1:18:17] maintenance, some stuff. To repair some valves to repair. Sort
[1:18:20] of proposing that project this year. On the wastewater side.
[1:18:26] We're proposing a project at the Arcona sewage treatment plant.
[1:18:30] There's some filters. There that are at the end of
[1:18:32] their useful life, they become very maintenance heavy and there's.
[1:18:36] A lot better technology out now. That's a lot less.
[1:18:39] There's a lot less moving parts. And it's just a
[1:18:43] project that is necessary for the long term operation of
[1:18:47] that facility. And we're proposing a project at the forest
[1:18:50] lagoon. So if you look at the picture, at the
[1:18:53] bottom right, the lagoon cell that's showing. The process at
[1:18:58] the forest plant is the sludge that's generated from that
[1:19:02] sewage treatment. Facility actually gets pumped across and stored in
[1:19:05] that lagoon cell. Since that plant's open, that lagoon cell
[1:19:08] has never been dredged of the sludge that's built up.
[1:19:12] It's just in the past year, it's become a problem.
[1:19:16] With the operation. It's built up a lot, so it's
[1:19:18] time to dredge. That out. So we're proposing $500,000 to
[1:19:23] remove the sludge there and. That should. Buy us 20
[1:19:27] years ish of space there, so we're proposing that project.
[1:19:32] You got a question there, councilor Wilcox? A couple of
[1:19:35] questions, your worship. Thank you. Just with that new water
[1:19:39] main, the Springer Road one. It appears to be running
[1:19:44] down the side of Whitter Road. Is it? On the
[1:19:49] west side. In that drawing. It is. Or. No, it's
[1:19:59] on the east side. I know what's on the east
[1:20:01] side. Yes. It's on the east side. Yeah. Regardless which
[1:20:04] side it's on, are we. Going to queue up with
[1:20:05] the business owner that operates a business on both sides
[1:20:07] of the road. There to make sure we're not negatively
[1:20:10] impacting their operation when they're busy. Like, as part of
[1:20:14] our projects, we always make people aware of what's happening
[1:20:17] and try to work with them as best we can
[1:20:20] to avoid impacts in this project. There'll be multiple ways
[1:20:24] again. Like you said, there'll be multiple ways around it.
[1:20:26] There'll be. Periods where the road will have to be
[1:20:29] closed. But we'll always make sure that there's detour roots
[1:20:33] in place that people can get where they need to
[1:20:35] go, even where I know. The business that operates on
[1:20:40] the east side. They have an entrance at one end
[1:20:42] of the building. And an exit of the other to
[1:20:45] make sure. We're just queuing up what they can and
[1:20:47] can't do there. Have a conversation with that owner. Somebody,
[1:20:52] please. You all know that for sure? And then the
[1:20:58] lagoon. I imagine we got to pay to get rid
[1:21:02] of. What comes out of there. Is that part of
[1:21:08] that cost? So, like, the way the contract works is
[1:21:13] someone will have to come in and remove that material.
[1:21:18] There'll be a lot of water in it, like it's
[1:21:20] a lot of labor. So we'll be paying to get
[1:21:22] rid of it. If whoever the contractor is will be
[1:21:26] responsible to find a disposal site. Usually this stuff is
[1:21:29] land. Applied, but it'll be up to them to figure
[1:21:32] that out. Councilor Scott. So we're looking at. The forest
[1:21:41] lagoons. How are the lagoons and any other lagoons we
[1:21:45] have? Are they all in good shape? Or are they
[1:21:49] going to be upcoming in the next few years that
[1:21:51] we're going to have to do sludge, remove a lot
[1:21:54] of them. Yeah, through the mayor. I'm not aware at
[1:22:00] this point that any of the other ones are a
[1:22:02] problem. The forest. One definitely snuck up on us. But
[1:22:10] the other ones. We're not aware of a problem at
[1:22:12] this time.
[1:22:30] It didn't sneak up on you. It crawled up on
[1:22:39] you. Ted virtually a lot younger. Next section that we
[1:22:47] have. Is the financial outcome and affordability section. Here you
[1:22:56] can see we've listed what the impact is going to
[1:23:00] be on the typical or median property. So the median
[1:23:03] property is the one that falls directly in the middle.
[1:23:08] If you stack all of the assessments from lowest to
[1:23:10] highest, 50% of the properties will be less than 50%
[1:23:14] will be more. So, on the first line, we see
[1:23:17] that the single family home. The assessment, of course, hasn't
[1:23:22] changed, and the assessed value is $252,000 and that household
[1:23:28] could expect to see a tax change of $38.66 that
[1:23:34] represents a tax change of 2.73%. In terms of frequency
[1:23:40] distribution. So I introduced. This chart last year. What we
[1:23:46] can see is for the residential properties. We have 7900
[1:23:52] properties. Approximately 96% of those properties are going to see
[1:23:56] an average change. An increase of $39. And no residential
[1:24:02] properties will see a decrease. You will see. Some outliers
[1:24:06] there with bigger amounts. Those are all going to be
[1:24:08] ones that had some additional assessments. So they probably had
[1:24:12] a permit, did some work, which makes them an outlier.
[1:24:17] Historically, this chart shows some of our taxation rates, so
[1:24:21] you can see they have been on an upward trend
[1:24:24] in terms of. The municipality and the county, but the
[1:24:28] education. Tax rates have been frozen, and they're frozen once
[1:24:32] again for 2026. And then we also have a comparison
[1:24:36] chart where we show all the other municipalities in Lampton.
[1:24:40] County with Lampton shores, they're highlighted in red. I have
[1:24:45] also included some information in regards to debt repayment. We
[1:24:51] do have some debt that's going to end in 2020.
[1:24:56] Six regarded to the beach parking lot. One of the
[1:24:59] recommendations included in the asset management plan was. That an
[1:25:03] option would be that these funds would go to help
[1:25:05] offset that infrastructure gap. Funding gap. So, next steps. Council.
[1:25:13] You have an opportunity now. To discuss the budget presented
[1:25:18] and if any changes are made, staff will implement those
[1:25:21] changes as directed. By council. And then later on, we
[1:25:24] will bring back the tax rate bylaw, so won't. Come
[1:25:27] back right away. We need to wait for the county
[1:25:30] to come up with the tax. Ratios. So we're here
[1:25:35] for questions. We finished the budget presentation. I guess questions
[1:25:45] have been asked on it. There are a few reports
[1:25:48] here that we still need to go through that may
[1:25:50] affect. I don't know if they're going to affect the
[1:25:55] budget. That we need to discuss regarding. Policing cost. Fire
[1:26:02] protection grant. And vibrancy fund request. So if we go
[1:26:08] through those. Item 6.2. Is regarding the policing costs for
[1:26:16] 2026. Saying that continuing liais with the
[1:26:26] Lampton OpP. Officers, staff pardon me requesting the options related
[1:26:32] to additional seasonal resources required in lamp insures in an
[1:26:37] effort to manage the overtime costs currently charged the lamp
[1:26:40] insurers, and I think everybody realizes that. A large portion
[1:26:46] of what we do. Pay extra is our overtime, summertime
[1:26:49] that we need. For the opp. At this point, CaO
[1:26:55] and myself are trying to arrange a meeting with staff
[1:26:59] Lampton opt. To figure out kind of what we're going
[1:27:01] to do for this moving forward. Forwardcocks. Thank you, worship.
[1:27:09] I know you guys are working hard on what you
[1:27:12] can do. Best for the municipality, so I'll move the
[1:27:14] recommendation. To my councilor Gwyer any further discussion. All in
[1:27:21] favor? Thank you. Do you want to talk to us?
[1:27:25] Sure. Sorry, your worship, I just wanted to add. Mayor
[1:27:29] Cook and I have talked about this, and we will
[1:27:30] try and meet with our detachment commander. And potentially some
[1:27:34] other politicians. My frame of mind is still that we've
[1:27:38] paid for the pilot study. Now time for them to.
[1:27:41] That's what you need to lease lamp asshores, that's what.
[1:27:43] You need so we can make that argument whether. Mayor
[1:27:47] Cook made it already to the OPP commissioner. But again,
[1:27:53] nothing changed. But I will add that. The attachment. Commander
[1:27:56] has sent an email out. To me about coming and
[1:28:00] presenting to council just on the general occurrences in Lambda
[1:28:04] shore. So what? My plan was for the mayor and
[1:28:07] I to meet with him, and then. Have him come
[1:28:10] and address all of council. Just so council is aware
[1:28:13] that will be coming. Just a comment from my perspective
[1:28:18] in Bedford. It seems to me we're getting back to
[1:28:22] community policing, where the officers are regular. They're friendly. They're
[1:28:29] talking to people. And it just seems like old school
[1:28:33] community placing. They're listening to what residents have to say
[1:28:36] they're addressing what they can, when they can. And. I
[1:28:42] don't think we have a lot of local crime so
[1:28:44] much as transient crime. When others come in, so I
[1:28:47] think they're doing a good job if you can relay
[1:28:49] that. Too. Item 6.3. Regard to a fire protection grant.
[1:29:05] The addition of grant funding in the amount of $84,230
[1:29:11] in materials purchased in the amount of $84,230. The mayor's
[1:29:15] budget for 2026 be approved. So this is an offset,
[1:29:19] obviously. And it represents 100% of the eligible funding for
[1:29:24] the project cost moved by Depp and Mayor Sageman, second
[1:29:27] by councilor Ferguson. Any questions? All in favor? Thank you.
[1:29:44] Six point. Four. Bailey's declaring conflict. This is regarding the
[1:29:52] vibrancy grants for community vibrancy grants for 2026. There's quite
[1:29:58] a number of them there. Total amount of 66,738.60. That
[1:30:05] excludes the ones that are still outstanding. Or not. So,
[1:30:12] Mr. Mayor. There is an application requiring council direction within
[1:30:16] the report. So the 66,000. 400 and something dollars includes
[1:30:22] the eligible costs that are included in this report, including
[1:30:27] application. For the 41 26, 40, 112 76 for lamps
[1:30:33] and Shores minor baseball. Are excluding. So, Mr. Mayor, that
[1:30:36] one's been included for council discussion and direction. Okay? Thank
[1:30:39] you. So there's a total on the floor. For the
[1:30:46] vibracy grants. How does council. Councilor Scott. Move the recommendation.
[1:30:54] Second councilor Ferguson. Any discussion. Questions. On questions. Sure. Are
[1:31:02] we going to discuss? The one that's not there, or
[1:31:04] we do that after. Discuss it now. Yes. There was
[1:31:10] two, right? Mr. Mayor, there is just the one application
[1:31:19] requiring direction from the Lampton Shores minor baseball association. Just
[1:31:25] to be clear, so everyone's clear, because I want to
[1:31:27] make sure I am. The 66,000 does not include. It
[1:31:31] doesn't include this one. Right, right. This is the 40.
[1:31:35] 112 would be in addition to the 66. It's already.
[1:31:39] I guess I didn't ask my question properly. I read
[1:31:43] that section over a couple of times. Why did it
[1:31:45] not go through? What's the hold up on that. What,
[1:31:48] they didn't qualify? Why? So through the mayor. This one
[1:31:54] is. We're asking for direction on this one because. The
[1:31:58] applicant. Is a sports association. So just to catch up
[1:32:05] to my brain, just give me 1 second. They are
[1:32:10] not an eligible applicant under the vibrancy because vibrancy does
[1:32:15] not fund sports groups, however. Council can make an exception
[1:32:22] if the project. Or purchase. Is open to the public,
[1:32:29] so as an association, they are not eligible. This is
[1:32:33] an event that is a fundraiser for the association. It's
[1:32:38] the Falcon fund day. That's correct. And that's a whole
[1:32:42] community. Event. So through the mayor. It is an event
[1:32:46] operated by the association that is open to the community.
[1:32:50] That serves as a fundraiser. For the minor ball Association.
[1:32:56] Does the minor ball association ask us for revenues from
[1:32:59] the taxpayer or anything? So
[1:33:09] don't fund minor sports. No. As far as ball goes,
[1:33:16] they get the facilities for free, but. They don't get
[1:33:21] money. I think the nuance in there is that our
[1:33:25] vibrancy fund is specifically set up. That it doesn't fund
[1:33:28] so. Minor hockey. Can't put an application. Can we get
[1:33:33] vibrancy fund to reduce our. Registration fees for our players.
[1:33:36] Right. I think the thought process during the vibrancy discussion
[1:33:40] was. That's a closed group and that type of thing.
[1:33:45] This one's a bit different. Because. It's a sports association,
[1:33:49] but the event they have is open to the public.
[1:33:51] But it is meant solely to fund their association, so
[1:33:55] that's why we bring it to council. So it would
[1:33:58] fit in the rules. Just thinking out loud here is
[1:34:02] if they worked with an Optimus club. And then they
[1:34:06] asked for it, and then that money was. I'm just
[1:34:08] using that as. An example was then donated to their
[1:34:11] association. Would that have qualified then? So through the mayor.
[1:34:17] Yes. An Optimus club is eligible. Events run by Optimus
[1:34:21] clubs are eligible. There are several events that council. Is
[1:34:28] making a decision on throughout the vibrancy applications. The challenge
[1:34:32] here, as the CIO mentioned, is because they are. A
[1:34:37] sports group. They are not eligible under our policy. So
[1:34:42] if they worked with another social club, they could maybe
[1:34:46] bring this back in and be successful. Applications are closed,
[1:34:50] right? So? Yes, Mr. Mayor. The application is closed in
[1:34:56] September for this. I'll leave it up to council to
[1:35:01] see if there's any other direction. Councilor? Scott. I think
[1:35:05] that we should move ahead on the six that are
[1:35:07] already approved. And then we should discuss the other one.
[1:35:11] We already have a motion for those six. And we
[1:35:15] have a seconder. I think that these ones are already
[1:35:18] acceptable. By. The community policy. And I think we should
[1:35:24] be voting on this. And then coming back to that
[1:35:29] because I think it's a totally different. So I'd like
[1:35:33] to call the vote. We have a mover in secondary,
[1:35:36] so. Okay. We can do that. So we move our
[1:35:39] second or on the 66,000. 738, 60. All in favor?
[1:35:47] Opposed. Carried. Thank you. All right, so then we just
[1:35:52] have. Correct. We still have the minor baseball to discuss
[1:35:56] if we want to discuss it further. At my pace.
[1:36:00] Hopefully they're listening. Where? Are you recommending it? I'm not
[1:36:06] making a motion. I just have a discussion, okay? Now
[1:36:09] that I understand. Councilor Ferguson. Councilor Dodge. Sorry.
[1:36:21] Well, just a point, Mr. Mayor. What's the difference who
[1:36:24] applies for it? It's still not. In the rural book.
[1:36:32] So why would you bother discussing that? There is no
[1:36:35] way to get this through the grant. Is that correct?
[1:36:47] I don't think it matters just because the optimists are
[1:36:49] quantitative or somebody applied. I make a motion that we
[1:36:54] deny the request. Isn't the
[1:37:03] previous motion accomplished that?
[1:37:25] Deputy mayor, do you want to step in? Yeah. We'd
[1:37:31] like the emotion to deny. I'll be back.
[1:37:52] Deny it. We have a motion.
[1:38:02] Here's your mic, sir. Please. Sorry, I'm new to this.
[1:38:08] It just happened really quick. Did you read the motion
[1:38:18] again, please? For number seven. There's no motion on the
[1:38:26] table.
[1:38:52] I was going to say. It's come back, okay? We
[1:39:00] were just about to send the search and rescue for
[1:39:02] you. If I thought it was serious. We kind of
[1:39:07] did. A change in the mayor's. Deputy mayll Doug exactly.
[1:39:16] And the mayor, Lee. Way to stick it with me
[1:39:20] at the last sector. Meet a coup when you're away.
[1:39:23] Can it be the deputy mayor's budget at that point.
[1:39:28] You get a car, you get a car. All right,
[1:39:32] so we're moving on to. Item seven. Which is the
[1:39:42] Forest Lampton Museum. Increase from 70.
[1:39:52] Commotion. Deputy mayor. Pardon me by, councilor Dodge.
[1:40:14] Over the motion. Just for clarity. So that one item
[1:40:22] that was discussed earlier in the presentation, the request from
[1:40:25] the Forest Lamptom Museum Society. For their annual grant be
[1:40:30] increased from $7,000. That's an item that. We need considered
[1:40:36] by council. If you. Choose to make that change, then
[1:40:41] that would be an amendment to the mayor's budget and
[1:40:43] I know. Councilor Bailey. Got it right off the top
[1:40:46] there, Councilor Bailey. Is possibly interested to adding to that
[1:40:52] recommendation or one of his own. Right now, I have
[1:40:54] that. The Forest Lamptom Museum Society annual grant be increased
[1:40:58] from $7000 to $10,000. Yeah, and I have a mover
[1:41:02] councilor dodge. Second by Councilor Ferguson. Councilor Bailey, I make
[1:41:11] a friendly amendment that the amount increased to the forest
[1:41:14] museum be matched to. Include the Grand Bend Chamber of
[1:41:19] Commerce for the same activities. Councilor Wilcox. Shouldn't that be
[1:41:24] made by the chamber? Council has the decision, they could
[1:41:28] make what they want. If they decide to do it,
[1:41:35] they can do it. Should be coming forward and asking.
[1:41:38] If I could. Well, it's a conflict of interest, I
[1:41:42] think. He just signed one for the other ones. Is
[1:41:51] it withdrawing? Don't mean to point out the obvious. So
[1:41:58] we don't know that they need money at this point.
[1:42:00] Is that true? Not our question. We haven't received a
[1:42:05] request from them at this point. So right now, we're
[1:42:09] just going to deal with. The forest Museum. Any further
[1:42:15] discussion. All in favor? Okay, carried. Are there any other
[1:42:23] amendments to the forest budget? To the mayor's budget. For
[1:42:32] discussion. Councilor Wilcox. I'd like to make a comment, your
[1:42:36] worship. It's been a different type of budget cycle. And
[1:42:46] I just like to thank staff. There's a lot of
[1:42:48] unknowns, especially for myself. Going into this cycle with the
[1:42:52] mayor's budget, and I just want to comment, I think
[1:42:55] Staff and the mayor has done a great job. And
[1:42:58] thank you for your hard work. Very difficult to make
[1:43:01] everybody happy in this day and age. I think what
[1:43:05] we've proposed here is reasonable for this year, so thank
[1:43:07] you. Jeffrey mayor sageman. Building on what councilor Wilcox just
[1:43:13] said. Just the thought I've had throughout this process. Is,
[1:43:15] I feel like I've understood this budget more. There's been
[1:43:18] more involvement that I feel more comfortable with this budget
[1:43:21] than I have with others in the past in terms
[1:43:23] of the amount of information that we've assimilated. I think
[1:43:25] the finance committee part of it really helped. Thanks. Worship.
[1:43:30] I'm going to jump in, too, and. I'm going to
[1:43:35] point the finger straight at our director of financial services
[1:43:39] for this budget. I think she's done amazing job. She's
[1:43:43] put hours of work into this, I don't know, last
[1:43:45] two months. Oftentimes one of the last leave. But she's
[1:43:49] still here. So kudos to her. And as a CEO,
[1:43:54] I just want to say appreciate all that hard. Work
[1:43:56] from her. You were taking her coffee every day. Seems
[1:44:02] to me that it choked up the mirror. I didn't
[1:44:09] know how to get it across the finish line. And
[1:44:12] I guess I just want to add my thank you.
[1:44:16] To financial staff and senior staff, everybody. It's been a
[1:44:21] different process this year, I think, as I pointed out
[1:44:23] at the beginning, the mayor's budget is something that was
[1:44:27] foisted on us by the provincial government. And regardless of
[1:44:30] whether you wanted the mayor's mayor's superpowers or not, This
[1:44:35] is something that is legislative that you have to do,
[1:44:38] and I appreciate all the input from senior staff, and
[1:44:41] especially Rebecca, for what has happened. Thank you. Councilor Scott
[1:44:46] like to make a comment to this morning at 07:00
[1:44:49] I was reading this book for the third time. And
[1:44:53] I don't think I've ever seen a budget that has
[1:44:56] made sense as it followed through. Like, as I went
[1:45:00] through each module and I went through each thing, I
[1:45:03] think the explanations were excellent. And I thought that everything
[1:45:07] just fell into place and made sense, and with you
[1:45:11] guys standing. Up here explaining things. Even a little more
[1:45:16] in depth than what we've normally had. I think it
[1:45:19] was a great budget. I'll jump on this bandwagon. I
[1:45:23] wanted to say that the normal complaint is. About government
[1:45:28] waste, whether it's from people who aren't involved and they
[1:45:31] just want to opine. And this budget process and the
[1:45:35] experience I've gained over the last three years has given
[1:45:37] me the ability to look people in the eye and.
[1:45:42] To tell them that their municipal monies are well spent.
[1:45:46] Fair and honest all along the way. And this puts
[1:45:49] it in black and white, but it's. The day to
[1:45:51] day activities of the entire staff, all 50 or 70
[1:45:55] or, depending on how many are in the summer, but.
[1:45:59] It makes representing. The constituents. Easy when you have faith
[1:46:05] in the staff and in the process. And I'd like
[1:46:08] to collectively thank you all for being able to make
[1:46:13] my life a little easier. Okay, so one last thing.
[1:46:21] With this being a new process this year and this
[1:46:23] being the mayor's budget, as everyone is aware. Once the
[1:46:26] mayor's budget is put out for review, council and the
[1:46:29] public have 30 days to review it. 30 days for
[1:46:32] this budget is, it's the 18 January, so. I'm going
[1:46:36] to say the 19th, because that's next Monday. So council
[1:46:40] has the opportunity to pass a resolution. To shorten that
[1:46:44] period. So if everyone is happy today, you have another
[1:46:47] council meeting tomorrow. Where? You could bring something else forward,
[1:46:50] I suppose, but after tomorrow, you don't really have any.
[1:46:53] Other opportunity as a council to amend the mayor's budget.
[1:46:56] So I ask if you would consider a recommendation or
[1:46:59] a resolution to shorten the 30 day period. To 23
[1:47:05] days so that we can put an end to the
[1:47:07] budget review period today, and then adding on to. That.
[1:47:13] If you recall, there's a 30 day review period, then
[1:47:16] the mayor has ten days. To consider vetoing, and then
[1:47:20] council has 15 days to override the veto, so. If
[1:47:25] we shorten the 30 day period to 23 days. Today.
[1:47:29] That puts an end to the review period. To today.
[1:47:32] Then I will ask the mayor to do a direction
[1:47:35] to shorten his veto period. To 1 minute and then
[1:47:40] I'll also ask council to Shorten. Their override of the
[1:47:44] veto. To half a minute to shorten all these things
[1:47:48] so that everything can be completed today. Motion. To shorten.
[1:47:53] That.
[1:48:06] Any discussion. So that's 30 days from when the budget
[1:48:10] was published and released public. So the public has already
[1:48:15] had time to have comment. To council or the mayor.
[1:48:21] As the draft budget was posted on the 19 December.
[1:48:27] For 23 days now.
[1:48:38] Any comments? Always about the public having an opportunity to
[1:48:46] have a comment. So even if we waited till tomorrow,
[1:48:49] to do this. I'd sleep a lot better tonight. But
[1:48:54] we got a motion on the floor. We could change
[1:48:58] the date to tomorrow. If you want. They got a
[1:49:03] day. An amendment to tomorrow, and I'll second to the
[1:49:09] amendment. Public didn't know what the approved budget
[1:49:19] was till right now, counsel. And the mayor has done
[1:49:21] it. So even if they've got a day to have
[1:49:24] a look at it and make comment. If nobody gets
[1:49:26] a call, so be it. If the phones ring off
[1:49:29] the wall, then we can discuss it. Maybe tomorrow night.
[1:49:32] Quickly, through the merit. You're somewhat correct. The approved budget
[1:49:37] is not approved anymore. It's adopted. It's. The mayor's budget.
[1:49:41] The mayor really didn't have to have this meeting to
[1:49:43] talk it over at you if he chose not to.
[1:49:46] So it isn't really approved today. But you've collectively talked
[1:49:51] about it today, correct? I understand. What we're doing is
[1:49:55] we give one more day to the public for comment.
[1:49:57] If they choose to, great if choose not to. Have
[1:50:00] a good night. Mr. Bailey. I agree with council at
[1:50:08] Wilcox. It's only a day, but it's only a day.
[1:50:12] Super good for tomorrow. As long as the two are.
[1:50:18] What was the amendment? Just tomorrow? Councilor Dodge and Council
[1:50:20] Marsh. Yes, it's fine with. Me. One day we'll make
[1:50:24] a difference. I don't know how long I got to
[1:50:27] go. You're not feeling well, Ron. You're not feeling well,
[1:50:33] I'm starting to choke up. I don't really give a
[1:50:38] damn. I just said my motion is to shorten to.
[1:50:42] Figure out how short you want it. To be that
[1:50:46] out. Agree to shorten. Okay, so. No vote required. That's
[1:50:51] right. We don't need a vote, we need a loop.
[1:50:52] Here. It's adopted to beep that out, okay? So we're
[1:50:57] adopting it tomorrow. That's the motion on the floor right
[1:50:59] now. Morrow, I will ask council to pass the resolution
[1:51:03] to shorten the review period. Two days, three, whatever. Everybody
[1:51:09] be here tomorrow. All right, so there is a couple
[1:51:11] of bylaws. That we need to discuss. Motion pass. From.
[1:51:20] Breed them first. Get our director to read out the
[1:51:22] motion, the bylaws first. So. The first bylaw being authorization
[1:51:27] to sign the fire services grant that you dealt with
[1:51:29] in a previous report and the confirming bylaw for this
[1:51:32] afternoon. By councilor Dodge, second by deputy mayor Sageman. All
[1:51:38] in favor? And at 227, we'll call this budget meeting
[1:51:44] to a close, most to adjourn. Councilor Ferguson, councilor Scott,
[1:51:49] all in favor? Thank everyone again. Thank you to staff
[1:51:54] Chief.