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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-05-11 Annual General Meeting (Annual General) MinutesCounty of Newell Minutes of Annual Meeting May 11, 2017 The 2016 Annual Meeting of the County of Newell was held at the Community Hall in Bassano, AB on Thursday, May 11, 2017 commencing at 7:11 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT: M. Douglass, Reeve C. Amulung G. Simpson A.M. Philipsen W. Hammergren T. Fyfe K. Christman E. Unruh B. de Jong L. Juss MEDIA PRESENT: S. Stanway, Brooks Bulletin 6 Ratepayers STAFF PRESENT: K. Stephenson, Chief Administrative Officer L. Johnson, Director of Corporate Services M. Fenske, Manager of Finance M. Patton, Accounting Clerk M. Harbicht, Director of Municipal Services T. Schroeder, Manager of Operations G. Tiffin, Manager of Engineering Services R. Fernell, Director of Information & Technology T. Green, Director of Agricultural Services K. Martin, Manager of Fire & Emergency Services M. Marshall, IT Administrative Assistant A. Nielsen, Executive Assistant 7 ratepayers and media were in attendance for the 2016 Annual Meeting of the County of Newell. Reeve M. Douglass called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. 1. 2. 9 Welcome & Introductions The Reeve welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the Councillors and staff in attendance. Approval of the Minutes of the 2015 Annual Meetinq MOVED BY WILL SCHAAP that the 2015 Annual Meeting minutes be adopted as presented. MOTION CARRIED Presentations a. Presentation of 2016 Year End Audited Financial Statements & Financial Overview The Manager of Finance presented the 2016 Year End Audited Financial Statements, giving an overview of the highlights. The Statement of Financial Position shows a net increase of $7.8 million. He indicated that debt level has increased over the past few years as funds were borrowed to finance the County of Newell Water Project, and that those debts are being aggressively repaid. The Manager of Finance provided an overview of non-financial assets, which have increased by $5.7 million. Significant Tangible Capital Assets acquisitions include rural water infrastructure, Tilley infrastructure upgrades, road drainage, paving, and reconstruction projects. He displayed a chart showing the Restricted Surplus dollar amounts over the past five years. The Statement of Financial tivities Annual General Meeting (May 11, 2017) shows how revenues were earned and how funds were expended. He indicated that revenues for 2016 were higher due to local improvement taxes in the Hamlet of Tilley and better than expected investment returns. The Manager of Finance explained the property tax breakdown, indicated that 2% of property taxes were shifted from linear to non-residential. Ten ratepayers paid 77% of property taxes within the County. The Manager of Finance gave an overview of expenses, indicating that the County is under budget and that there was a surplus of $13.5 million at the end of 2016. The Manager of Finance indicated that Council is focused on improving the County and that the municipality is in a good financial position. b. Fire & Emerciencv Services The Manager of Fire & Emergency Services indicated that an assessment of fire and emergency services in the County was conducted in 2010. The information gathered confirmed inconsistencies in governance, funding, and operational capacity and a more extensive review was initiated. The Manager of Fire & Emergency Services outlined the objectives of the review and provided an overview of the key findings. Proposed changes are based on uniform funding, administrative support, operational support, and management of fixed assets and major apparatus. The Manager of Fire & Emergency Services provided an explanation of each of these four pillars. Fire & Emergency Services is now funded through the municipal mill rate. The Manager of Fire & Emergency Services works directly with each divisional fire chief to determine budget requirements and the County is moving towards funding capital equipment and major apparatus. A regional approach for soliciting donations has been adopted. Administrative responsibility is provided by the County. He provided further information on training for volunteers, mutual aid protocols, standards for acquisition of equipment in the event of major incidents. A replacement plan for fixed assets and apparatus is being developed. The Fire Chiefs are developing uniform minimum standards for apparatus replacement and prioritizing the placement of equipment. He indicated that there is a fixed amount in the County's annual budget to be used for the sustainable replacement of apparatus based on a 20 -year schedule. The Manager of Fire & Emergency Services provided a summary of the actions taken towards uniform delivery of services, benefits, and Workers' Compensation Board coverage. He indicated that discussions with the Village of Duchess and the Village of Rosemary will continue with the goal of an agreement that aligns with the Fire & Emergency Services agreement currently in place between the County and the Town of Bassano. The contract for Fire & Emergency Services in Division 5 & 10 will also be assessed to ensure consistency. Volunteer firefighter recruitment and training efforts will continue along with community engagement to ensure a clear understanding of needs. C. Recreation Services The Accounting Clerk gave an overview of the objectives of the Recreation Review. An inventory of recreational facilities identified 91 facilities and associations throughout the County. Each facility was given a questionnaire that was used to determine revenue and expense details, the expected remaining useful life, the ability to replace the facilities, and usage rates. The Accounting Clerk indicated that 85 facilities participated in the review and that financial statements were collected and analyzed. The average expected remaining useful Annual General Meeting (May 11, 2017) life is 24.7 years and the general ability to replace these facilities is low with the current savings. There is no formal or consistent usage tracking throughout the region, making it difficult to determine whether a facility is worth replacing. The Accounting Clerk provided an overview of the key findings of the study. She indicated that recreation is a regional benefit to ratepayers with no lines drawn on who can use which facilities. By implementing a singular recreation tax rate, the County is attempting to equalize recreation funding and save for the future replacement. d. Countv of Newell Water Proiect The Manager of Engineering Services provided an overview of the County of Newell Water Project. The initiative to provide potable water to all residents and businesses in the County of Newell is now complete and all areas are able to connect to the system. He provided statistics for each of the contracts, including the amount of pipeline installed, the number of crossings, the number of active services versus possible service connections, and costs. The total cost of the project was $53,634,601. 000 and the majority of the funding was obtained through from provincial grants and debenture financing. The Manager of Engineering Services outlined the process for landowners who want to install service at a new location and provided an overview of the costs. He explained some issues that may arise with the installation of a new service. e. Countv of Newell Website & Online Services • Website Overview (R. Fernell, Director of Information & Technology) The Director of Information & Technology gave a demonstration of the new County of Newell website, which has a responsive design for viewing on all devices. Menu items have been arranged by function and there are several new features available. Public Documents (A. Nielsen, Executive Assistant) The Executive Assistant demonstrated the Laserfiche Public Portal, which will allow public access to certain areas of the County's records. Records that are currently available are current bylaws and policies; minutes past of Council, Municipal Planning Commission, and Annual General Meetings, and various publications. She gave an overview of the menu options available, noting that the search feature will be available in the near future. • Public Map (R. Fernell, Director of Information & Technology) The Director of Information & Technology gave a demonstration of the public web map, noting layers and features of interest. Virtual County Hall (M. Fenske, Manager of Finance) The Manager of Finance introduced Virtual County Hall, which will allow users to access information about their accounts online. To sign up, users will be required to register with their Roll Number (Property Tax Account) and their Customer ID. He gave a demonstration of the property search function, noting that the Assessment Roll is viewable without an account. Registered users will be able to view their property tax, utility, and accounts receivable accounts. A summary by tax year and transaction history will also be available. E -billing will be available for utility accounts. Additional functionality will be grante o 3 Annual General Meeting (May 11, 2017) realtors and lawyers to allow them to request tax certificates. Virtual County Hall is expected to be available to the public in the next few weeks. f. Communitv Enciaaement The Director of Corporate Services provided background information on this item. Changes to the Municipal Government Act will require municipalities to adopt and implement public participation policies that outline methods for engaging with stakeholders. He provided a definition of stakeholder engagement and consultation and outlined core values for the practice of public participation. The County will be reviewing and updating their communication efforts to incorporate the website, Newell Connect, and social media in addition to the traditional methods. The formal regulation is expected to be released this fall. The Director of Corporate Services requested feedback on what can be done to enhance the ongoing flow of information, what issues should be treated formally and informally, and what the County can do to increase the level of public interest and communication. 4. QUESTION & ANSWER PERIOD Reeve M. Douglass opened the floor for questions. There were no questions from the ratepayers in attendance at this meeting. 5. ADJOURN Reeve M. Douglass adjourned the meeting at 8:41 p.m. CHAIRMAN ETARY 4