Timmins council is back in action tonight.
The agenda for city council's first meeting of October includes the tax sale of a west-end trailer park and changes that could make way for new apartment buildings in South Porcupine. With budget season on the way, Schumacher's councillor is also calling for a more transparent process.
Before the regular meeting, there is a closed session to talk about pumping station 4 in Porcupine. The city notice about the meeting says it's to talk about an item that is subject to solicitor-client privilege. Upgrading the system is required for the city to meet a Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) director’s order.
Here's a look at what's on the regular agenda:
- With the cost of building materials increasing, putting up a garage at the Mattagami Wastewater Treatment Plant could cost the city more than anticipated, according to a staff report. Staff is recommending that Buildcor Construction be awarded the $219,300 contract to erect the garage. City staff has already done most of the work to prepare the land and build the foundation. The tender work is to put up the walls and trusses, which are being supplied by the city, install doors and apply finishing and roofing. This contract would bring the total cost for the project to date up to $361,657, however, by the time it's done the cost will be more than $600,000. The approved budget was $335,000. The report says this year's shortfall will be taken from the upgrades to the generators at Beaurivage and Park because the units will not be delivered until 2022 now. For the wastewater treatment plant project, staff say an additional $240,000 will be needed next year for the concrete slab, electrical and mechanical equipment. Read the full report here.
- The Timmins Fire Department is giving an update on calls for 2020 as well as five and 10-year capital projects expected at each station. It also takes a look at some of the challenges the department faces such as capital, bunker gear, building maintenance, training for Class DZ licenses, volunteer recruitment and the airport fire truck and building. The full presentation is available here.
- Praztek Construction is working for approval to build two apartment buildings on Crawford Street in South Porcupine. Tonight's agenda includes a request to rezone 185 Crawford from residential second density to residential medium density to allow for two, three-story, six-unit buildings. Praztec had previously asked to rezone the site to allow for a larger building. The company asked for that to be deferred while it worked on a new proposal for the property.
- The Pine Ridge Trailer Park could be sold as a tax sale. Oct. 20, 2020, the property was tax registered for not paying taxes. At the one-year mark, the tax sale is required to be advertised for five weeks, with the tax sale date being Nov. 30, 2021, reads a staff report. The advertisement would indicate that it's the land being sold and the purchase doesn't include the mobile homes on the land.
- Coun. Joe Campbell is trying to make the budget process more open and transparent. Tonight's agenda includes a resolution from Campbell stating that council can only do its due diligence "by having all financial information available for public consumption." The item calls for a number of things, including that all budgets that are given funding from the tax levy are presented "individually, in detail, at an open and transparent public meeting by the various department heads or their designates." It's also asking for departments to clarify what part of its budget is from the tax levy and what's from other income sources, and include the total number of fulltime, part-time and seasonal employees are in each department's presentation. There is no report on the item. You can see the full request here near the bottom of the agenda under motions of council.
None of the items have been approved by council.
The meeting is at 6 p.m. in council chambers. It can be watched online here.
The full agenda is available here.
