DIDSBURY – Council met on Nov. 28 to further discuss the 2017 budget in council chambers. The meeting was a chance for council to review all the documentation and provide instruction to council.
“The meeting was an opportunity for council to prioritize their budget requests for 2017 and make cuts as necessary,” said Christofer Atchison, manager of legislative and development services.
Council met twice the week before to go over budget information.
On Nov. 15 they heard the capital budget presentation, while on Nov. 18 the public operating budget was given with presentations from each department as well as external agencies and boards.
Nita Bartholow, chief financial officer, said the town's debt as of Dec. 21, 2016 is $6,462,090. That number is expected to be $5,787,860 at Dec. 31, 2018 and $4,120,071 on Dec. 31, 2018.
The biggest expense for the town is roads and sewers with an anticipated cost of $1,401,790 in 2016 and $1,444,071 in 2017.
The second biggest expense is the aquatic centre, which comes in at $479,777 in 2016 and $499,775 in 2017.
Coming third is the cost for administration, which is set for $473,952 in 2016 and $520,693 in 2017.
Coun. Joyce McCoy said the budget process has gone well. She was appreciative of how the budget was presented by administration.
“I liked the format they used on Nov. 28 night,” said McCoy “All the things that were optional were in one column, and as we worked our way through it it would change the bottom line and show whether taxes would be raised or not.”
McCoy said it was great to be able to see the “bigger picture” before making decisions.
One of the tough decisions council had to make was to remove the Memorial Complex outlying grounds project from the 2017 budget.
“We're trying to ensure there is no change to the mill rate,” she said.
The outlying grounds project, which was just approved by council at the Nov. 22 regular meeting, is now moved to 2018.
“Council has a lot of other large-scale projects in the works for 2017 so this was delayed by a year,” said Nicole Aasen, manager of community services. “This will give council and administration time to decide on how the project will be phased in, and to gather accurate project costs, and begin the tendering process.”
The budget is scheduled to return to council on Dec. 13 for a final vote.
LAND USE AMENDMENT APPROVED
In other council news, Following a public hearing at the Didsbury regular council meeting on Nov. 22, council voted in favour of third and final reading for both Municipal Development Plan Amendment 2016-13 and Land Use Bylaw Amendment 2016-14.
Both bylaws deal with the redesignation of property located on the 2400 block of 21st Street (Morris Meadows).
“Currently this site is designated for C – Commercial designation,” said Christofer Atchison, manager of legislative and development services, to council before the vote.
“The applicant is looking for it to go to (R) Residential designation. It's not the whole parcel either, just the westerly portion. I believe it's about 35 metres that we're discussing.”
Atchison said that with (R) Residential approved, the applicants will be applying for an (R2) General Residential zoning.
“The reason (R2) general residential was chosen is because the applicant is looking at doing some semi-detached dwellings there,” he said. “We can't hold him to that at this point in time. It's just the redesignation. But the redesignation does allow him to do that type of development in the future. And it is a permitted use in the future.”
In other council news, council carried a motion declaring Kevin Bentley and Kathleen Windsor as Didsbury's Canada 150 leaders, as part of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Canada 150 community leader project.
The Canada 150 program is part of the nationwide celebration of Canada's 150th birthday. The leaders are expected to participate in local Canada 150 activities, like Canada Day celebrations.
For 2017, FCM will be hosting a community focus group that will offer input and volunteer support for celebrations.
