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MINUTES - General Committee - 20161114 Town of Aurora Special General Committee 2017 Operating Budget Meeting Minutes Council Chambers Aurora Town Hall Monday, November 14, 2016 Attendance Council Members Mayor Dawe in the Chair; Councillors Abel, Gaertner (arrived 9:08 a.m.), Humfryes (arrived 10:18 a.m.), Kim, Mrakas, Thom, and Thompson Members Absent Councillor Pirri Other Attendees Doug Nadorozny, Chief Administrative Officer, Techa van Leeuwen, Director of Corporate Services, Ilmar Simanovskis, Director of Infrastructure and Environmental Services, Dan Elliott, Director of Financial Services, Al Downey, Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, Marco Ramunno, Director of Planning and Building Services, Jason Gaertner, Manager of Financial Planning, Stephanie Mackenzie-Smith, Manager of Corporate Communications, Lisa Lyons, Town Clerk, and Linda Bottos, Council/Committee Secretary The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:06 a.m. General Committee consented to recess at 10:35 a.m. and reconvened at 10:54 a.m. General Committee consented to recess at 12:37 p.m. and reconvened at 1:22 p.m. Councillor Thom returned to the meeting at 1:24 p.m., Councillor Abel returned to the meeting at 1:25 p.m., and Councillor Humfryes returned to the meeting at 1:37 p.m. General Committee consented to recess at 2:21 p.m. and reconvened at 2:37 p.m. Councillor Thom returned to the meeting at 2:40 p.m. Special General Committee – 2017 Operating Budget Meeting Minutes Monday, November 14, 2016 Page 2 of 7 1. Declaration of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof There were no declarations of pecuniary interest under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. 2. Approval of the Agenda General Committee approved the agenda as circulated by Legislative Services, with the following change: • Public Consultation speakers to be considered following Delegation (a) and prior to Delegation (b). 3. Delegations (a) Barry Bridgeford, Resident Re: Invasive Plant Species, Invasive Species Act, Funding for Control Mr. Bridgeford presented a brief overview of the province’s new Invasive Species Act and background to the invasive plant species that are spreading throughout North America, including the Town of Aurora. He requested that Council recognize the need to protect the Town’s parks and open spaces, and to authorize the appropriate funding for the control and eradication of three specific invasive plant species: Phragmites; Japanese Knotweed; and Dog- strangling Vine. General Committee received and referred the comments of the delegation to to staff for further investigation. (b) Doug Nadorozny, Chief Administrative Officer, and Dan Elliott, Director of Financial Services – Treasurer Re: 2017 Operating Budget Delegation (b) was considered following the Public Consultation section of the meeting. General Committee consented on a two-thirds vote to waive the requirements of subsection 3.8(c) of the Procedural By-law to allow the delegation more than five minutes. Special General Committee – 2017 Operating Budget Meeting Minutes Monday, November 14, 2016 Page 3 of 7 Mr. Nadorozny, on behalf of the Executive Leadership Team, provided an overview of the proposed 2017 Operating Budget and the improved budgeting process. He noted that the draft Budget is consistent with the direction to staff from Council and includes an increase of 1.9%, plus an additional 1% fiscal strategy increase, for a total increase of 2.9%. Mr. Elliott presented aspects of the 2016 BMA Municipal Study results related to regional municipal comparisons of 2016 residential tax rates, total municipal burden, including comparable residential, total average municipal burden, and total municipal burden as a percentage of household income. He further presented the results of a municipal comparison of the 2015 total administra- tive cost as a percentage of total operating spend, as sourced from the 2015 Municipal Performance Measurement Program (MPMP) Reporting. General Committee received the comments of the delegation for information. 4. Public Consultation – Open Session – Opportunity for Members of the Public to Provide Input Regarding the 2017 Budget Aurora residents, including Helen Roberts, Bob McRoberts, Ron Weese, Nancy Black, Corrie Clark, and Greg Smith, spoke in support of the budget requests for the Aurora Museum and Archives. General Committee received the comments of the public for information. 5. Closed Session None 6. Consideration of Items General Committee consented to discuss Binder Tab 3, Corporate Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Summary, and Binder Tab 4, Impact of Strategic Plan of 2017 Budget – Summary of Strategic Plan Initiatives, prior to consideration of Item 1 (Binder Tab 6). Special General Committee – 2017 Operating Budget Meeting Minutes Monday, November 14, 2016 Page 4 of 7 Binder Tab 3 – Corporate Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Summary General Committee recommends: 1. That the Corporate Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Summary be referred back to staff for verification of the numbers, to be reported back for further discussion. Carried Binder Tab 4 – Impact of Strategic Plan of 2017 Budget – Summary of Strategic Plan Initiatives General Committee recommends: 1. That the 2016 Objectives Overview be referred back to staff for verification and additional comment, to be reported back for further discussion. Carried 1. 2017 Operating Budget – Departmental Business Plans (Binder Tab 6) Presentations by Department General Committee consented to consider all Presentations by Department prior to consideration of the Departmental Business Plans. (a) Infrastructure and Environmental Services Ilmar Simanovskis, Director of Infrastructure and Environmental Services Mr. Simanovskis presented a brief overview of the department’s functions, 2016 successes, challenges, and 2017 objectives. General Committee received the presentation by Ilmar Simanovskis, Director of Infrastructure and Environmental Services, for information. General Committee recommends: 1. That the 2017 Business Plan for Infrastructure and Environmental Services be approved, with the exception of the staffing request for a Special General Committee – 2017 Operating Budget Meeting Minutes Monday, November 14, 2016 Page 5 of 7 Facilities Evening Supervisor, which is to be moved to the Budget Options list. Carried (b) Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Al Downey, Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Mr. Downey presented a brief overview of the department’s functions, 2016 successes, challenges, and 2017 objectives. General Committee received the presentation by Al Downey, Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, for information. (c) Financial Services Dan Elliott, Director of Financial Services – Treasurer Mr. Elliott presented a brief overview of the department’s functions, 2016 successes, challenges, and 2017 objectives. General Committee received the presentation by Dan Elliott, Director of Financial Services – Treasurer, for information. General Committee recommends: 1. That the 2017 Business Plan for Financial Services be approved. Carried (d) Corporate Services Techa van Leeuwen, Director of Corporate Services Ms. van Leeuwen presented a brief overview of the department’s functions, 2016 successes, challenges, and 2017 objectives. General Committee received the presentation by Techa van Leeuwen, Director of Corporate Services, for information. (e) Corporate Communications, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer Stephanie Mackenzie-Smith, Manager of Corporate Communications Special General Committee – 2017 Operating Budget Meeting Minutes Monday, November 14, 2016 Page 6 of 7 Ms. Mackenzie-Smith presented a brief overview of the division’s functions, 2016 successes, challenges, and 2017 objectives. General Committee received the presentation by Stephanie Mackenzie- Smith, Manager of Corporate Communications, for information. (f) Planning and Building Services Marco Ramunno, Director of Planning and Building Services Mr. Ramunno presented a brief overview of the department’s functions, 2016 successes, challenges, and 2017 objectives. General Committee received the presentation by Marco Ramunno, Director of Planning and Building Services, for information. (g) Fire and Emergency Preparedness Fire Chief Ian Laing, Central York Fire Services General Committee consented to consider the presentation of (g) Fire and Emergency Services prior to the presentation of (d) Financial Services. Fire Chief Laing presented a brief overview of the department’s functions, 2016 successes, challenges, and 2017 objectives. General Committee received the presentation by Fire Chief Ian Laing, Central York Fire Services, for information. (h) Corporate Revenues and Expenses Dan Elliott, Director of Financial Services – Treasurer Mr. Elliott provided an overview of aspects of the Corporate Revenues and Expenses business plan and budget. General Committee recommends: 1. That the 2017 Business Plan for Corporate Revenues and Expenses be approved. Carried Special General Committee – 2017 Operating Budget Meeting Minutes Monday, November 14, 2016 Page 7 of 7 (i) Council Administration Dan Elliott, Director of Financial Services – Treasurer Mr. Elliott provided an overview of aspects of the Council Administration business plan and budget. General Committee recommends: 1. That the 2017 Business Plan for Council Administration be amended by increasing the budget for Conferences to $20,000; and 2. That the 2017 Business Plan for Council Administration be approved as amended. Carried 7. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 4:01 p.m. _________________________________ _________________________________ Geoffrey Dawe, Mayor Lisa Lyons, Town Clerk The minutes of the Special General Committee – 2017 Operating Budget meeting of November 14, 2016, are subject to being received by Council on December 13, 2016.