While the details of the 2023 budget are worked out, the city's fleet plan for the next two years has been given the green light.
Timmins council recently approved the 2023-24 fleet plan worth $3.9 million. It's the first time a two-year plan has been approved.
To address ongoing challenges in the industry, it includes different strategies for replacing vehicles and downsizing some of the greater fleet to rent equipment where it makes sense.
The document was first presented to council in February, a week before it was brought back for council's approval.
Work on the overall 2023 budget is still ongoing. The date of the next budget meeting hasn't been publicly announced.
The first draft of the proposed budget includes a 3.32 per cent net budget increase. At $46.16 million, the net expenditure is $1.48 million more than 2022.
The 2023 water and wastewater rates have already been approved. The average five-room household will pay an extra $56 — $23 for water and $33 for wastewater. The low-income utility rebate was also increased by $50.
When the fleet plan was being approved, Coun. Bill Gvozdanovic questioned why it was being voted on early.
“It’s typically how we’ve been doing the fleet budget — present it and then bring it back. Ideally, we would get the approval so we could start ordering equipment given the long lead times,” said CAO Dave Landers.
With Landers suggesting at an earlier meeting that council should take another look at the Enterprise Fleet Management agreement from 2021, Coun. Lorne Feldman asked how approving the two-year plan could affect that.
The agreement pitched in November 2021 would see the city no longer paying costs upfront for light vehicles through the capital budget and instead paying a monthly fee through the annual operating budget and allowing for more consistent costs.
Should the city go ahead with that proposal, Landers said some of the vehicles the city is looking to buy in the fleet plan could be picked up in the Enterprise agreement.
He said the process would also include an analysis of the fleet. It would consider if an SUV would work for some employees instead of a truck, for example, and if trucks need the pulling same pulling capacity as sought after in previous purchases.
What's in the fleet plan
Totalling $3.9 million over two years, staff expects it will break down to spending $2.2 million in 2023 and $1.68 million in 2024. It also includes a two per cent increase each year to the charge-out rate affected departments pay to create revenue in the account.
The 2023 purchases and the estimated prices included are:
- Landscaping truck, $100,000
- Two trackless (sidewalk tractors), $400,000
- BIA sweeper, $160,000
- Co-collection truck, $550,000
- Grader, $500,000
- Plow combo, $400,000
- Ancillary equipment, $118,000
The 2024 purchases are:
- Various light vehicles, $480,000
- New vac truck, $630,000
- New Traffic line painter, $200
- Trackless (sidewalk tractor), $200,000
- Sweeper, $310,000
- Ancillary equipment, $40,000
The staff report on the plan is available here.
