Tag Archives: Taxes

Council Agenda Preview – June 20, 2017

18 Sunday Jun 2017

Posted by in Parry Sound, Town Council

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It’s a very, very light agenda this week. The points of interest include:

  • Formation of the Belvedere Avenue Parking Ad-Hoc Committee (1.2).
  • Goal Plan Update (4.1).
  • 2016 Annual Investment Report (5.1)
  • Wasauksing Bridge Restriction (6.1)
  • Claw Back Percentages (5.1)

Depending on the weather I’ll either be at the meeting or out on a trail. It’s that time of the year where you had better have a good reason to attend a council meeting. Getting paid to attend qualifies as a good enough reason.

Correspondence

4.1 – Harry Kleinhuis, Rosseau resident. Concerns about the lack of sidewalks on Pine Drive. Response provided was that the property is private.

4.3/8.1 – Susan Hrycyna, ED, Parry Sound Downtown Business Association. Re: Request to add a member to the Board of Directors for the DBA

Deputations

5.1 – Vanessa Backman, Parry Sound Tourism. Update on Parry Sound Tourism for 2017

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.1.2 – Belvedere Avenue Parking Ad-Hoc Committee. Resolution. That Council approve the Belvedere Avenue Parking Ad-hoc Committee Terms of Reference, attached as Schedule “A”, and further; That Council appoint the following members to sit on the committee:

  1. Marsha Rivers, CEO, Belvedere Heights Home for the Aged
    2. Mario Buszynski, Board Member, Belvedere Heights Home for the Aged
  2. Kathleen McGill, Home owner, Belvedere Avenue
  3. John Patterson, Home owner, Belvedere Avenue
  4. Representative, DSSAB
  5. Representative, DSAAB

9.2.1 – Council Approved Sign Application – Georgian Bay Airways – Bay St. Resolution. That pursuant to section 3.(4) of the Sign By-law, the Chief Building Official is authorized to issue a permit for a sign on the Bay Street road allowance pursuant to the following conditions and variances:
a) The appearance of the sign shall be substantially according to the application,
b) The location of the sign shall be to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official,
c) The Town reserves the right to remove or relocate the sign on occasion should the lands be required for municipal purposes,
d) A permit may be issued pursuant to this resolution, for the summer of 2018, 2019, and 2020 upon payment of a fee of $50 per season,
e) The 2017 permit pursuant to this resolution shall expire on October 31, and
f) All other regulations in the sign by-law continue to apply except for those revised by this resolution.

9.2.2 – Permit minor variances within two years of a zoning by-law amendment. Resolution. That in accordance with Section 45 (1.4) of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13, minor variance applications are permitted before the second anniversary of the day of a zoning by-law amendment.

9.4.1 – Goal Plan Update – 2nd Quarter. Resolution. That Council approves the June, 2017 Second Quarter Goal Plan update, attached as Schedule “A”.

9.5.1 – 2016 Annual Investment Report. Resolution. That Council accepts the 2016 Annual Investment Report, attached as Schedule “A”, in accordance with the Town’s Investment Policy.

9.6.1 – Wasauksing Swing Bridge Restrictions. Direction. That a follow-up letter be sent to the Ministry of Transportation regarding the planned restrictions to the operation of the Wasauksing swing bridge.

By-laws

10.5.1 – By-law to specify claw back percentages for 2017 property taxes. By-law 2017 – 6749. Being a by-law to Specify the “Claw-back Percentages” in Respect of Properties in the Commercial Class for the 2017 Taxation Year.
I don’t get it, but the amount is too small, $824, to worry about. I’ll need to ask for a tutorial on the whole claw-back process.

Honeysuckle Blooming along the Rotary Algonquin Regiment Fitness Trail (June 2017)

 

 

Council Agenda Preview – June 6, 2017

04 Sunday Jun 2017

Posted by in Parry Sound, Town Council

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This week’s meeting of Council is light on ‘meaty’ issues, but sets the path for some  important future initiatives. I have listed a few of the more interesting items in the sections below, with comments as appropriate.

But first, a few comments on this past week’s Special Meeting of Council to Review Strategic Priorities. From my perspective, it seemed much like a made for show production. The meeting lasted about 35 minutes and was for the most part very formalized. This followed a 60 minute closed session where I imagine all of the relevant discussion was held and general agreements were reached. The ‘Dotmocracy’ process was conducted with little surprise, and even less prioritization. A suggestion to the organizers, if there are five topics for review, provide the users with only three green stickers. That will help folks to make some decisions in terms of what really is a priority. It has been noted that the enemy of the best is the good. Obviously, none of the projects, which included last year’s priorities and this year’s new ones, were likely to be outright rejected, especially if there was previous discussion in Closed Session. So which of the 5 strategic priorities were both important and urgent? I couldn’t tell from the voting or the discussion. One of the best ways to find yourself in debt is to decide that a new car, a new snow machine, braces for the nine-year old, and a nice winter vacation are all 6 Green priority items. Sometimes you need to decide what is really, really the most important, and most urgent.

Here are the Dotmocracy results from Tuesday night:
Great North Road Infrastructure – 6 Green
Parry Sound Road Extension – 6 Green
Closed Item A – 6 Green
Innovation Park – 4 Green, 2 Yellow
Tourism – 3 Green, 3 Yellow

So what is Closed Item A? It seems to be something new, and an initiative that requires Town infrastructure investment. I have an idea of what it might be, but I may be totally wrong. What do others think it might be? Here are some clues:

  1. It ranked among the top of strategic priorities. So it is ‘important’, at least for now.
  2. It’s something new, or at least something that has once again become a priority.
  3. It’s unlikely to be the casino project. That would largely be addressed with the Great North and Parry Sound Road priorities.
  4. The Town recently spent about $1 million on the boathouse properties on the waterfront.
  5. The Town also spent about a quarter million dollars on property across Oastler Park Drive from the Canadian Tire.
  6. The Town last year entered into a memorandum of understanding regarding access and future servicing with the folks at Beatty Big Sound Property. This relates to the property north of the Smelter Wharf.

If you have any ideas you can provide a comment to this blog post or, if you prefer privacy, send me an email at parrysounds@gmail.com. I will share your thoughts but keep your name confidential. Let’s use the “wisdom of the crowd” to see if we can figure this one out.

If you want to skip forward to the more interesting agenda items here is what I suggest: 8.1, 9.2.1, 9.2.2, 9.6.1 and 9.6.2.

Closed Session

b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees (Licensing Appeal, Appointment)
c) a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board; (Request to Transfer Lease)
d) labour relations or employee negotiations. (Performance Review, Director of Emergency and Protective Services)

Correspondence

4.1 – Debbie White, Co-founder World Oceans Day. Raising awareness of World Oceans Day June 8, 2017 asking Parry Sound to recognize and support the need to protect our water, waterways and oceans for the life they give us and offering ways to educate the public on ways to protect our waters.

4.2a&b – Cheryl Gallant, MP Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke. Removal of the tax-exempt portion of remuneration paid to local officials and the Municipality of East Ferris’ resolution. East Ferris Resolution in support of Ms. Gallant.
See 8.1 below for comments.

4.3a&b – Marlene Bisson. Questions about the Service Line warranty program, water and wastewater and tax concerns with responses from J. Boggs & T. Pinn

4.4 – Parry Sound Friendship Centre. Invitation to Mayor & Council to attend their 50th Anniversary celebration June 17th.

Deputations

5.1 – Vanessa Backman, Parry Sound Tourism. Providing an update on Parry Sound Tourism for 2017

5.2 – Margaret Walton. Regarding Habitat for Humanity.

Consent Agenda

8.1 – Removal of the tax-exempt portion of remuneration paid to local officials. Resolution. That Council for the Town of Parry Sound supports the letter from Cheryl Gallant, Member of Parliament for Renfrew, Nipissing, Pembroke and the resolution from East Ferris, attached as Schedules “A” and “B” which are against the removal of the tax- exempt portion of remuneration paid to local officials as stipulated in the 2017 Federal Budget; And further that copies of this resolution be forwarded to Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne, Local MP Tony Clement, Local MPP Norm Miller and the West Parry Sound Area municipalities.
This tax-exempt issue concerns the current situation that about 1/3 of the remuneration received by members of Council is not subject to tax. This is intended to compensate these individuals for their out-of-pocket expenses related to discharging their duties as a Councillor or Mayor. Since most councillors serve in addition to their regular jobs, the tax on this 1/3 of their council remuneration would be rather significant. I believe that members of Council currently are reimbursed for any significant travel expenses, and in some cases receive honoraria for serving on certain boards, so it may be time for this little perk to disappear. If they want to avoid the additional tax burden they should just tuck this amount into their RRSP.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.2.1 – Revised Organization Chart for Development and Leisure Services Resolution. That Council approve the revised Organization Chart for the Department of Development and Leisure Services, per Schedule “A” attached; and That Resolution No: 2013-207 be rescinded.
The actual change here is a matter of tidying up the organogram for Development and Leisure Services. But the organogram is interesting, especially the large number of staff, full and part-time associated with the Stockey Centre. That certainly helps explain why the Town wants to keep it non-union. Click on the image below to see the ‘big picture’.

9.2.2 – 2017 Municipal Assistance Program. Resolution. That Council approve the 2017 Municipal Assistance Program allocations per Schedule “A” attached.
The numbers will be decided in closed session and announced in open session.

9.4.1 – Booth Street Park Water. Resolution. That a water service be installed to the Booth St. Community Park to be funded from the Parks Reserve.

9.6.1 – Train Whistle Cessation. Direction. That the Director of Public Works be directed to bring forward a report and recommendation for the July 4, 2017 Council meeting regarding train whistle cessation.
This is an interesting new initiative. Can they perhaps also look into having the railways better service their ‘greasers’ to reduce the amount of squealing as the trains round corners? We have a few curves in Parry Sound if you haven’t noticed.

9.6.2 – Potential Hotel Tax. Direction. That the Director of Finance be directed to bring forward to the September 5, 2017 Council meeting, pending release of regulations, a report and recommendation regarding a potential hotel tax.
Another interesting initiative. The Town almost totally depends on property taxation for revenue. If more tourists come to Parry Sound and spend more money it doesn’t translate into more revenue for the Town. That may explain why the Town has invested little in the Downtown with the exception of free parking. The bulk of new revenue will come from new construction like the Breakers project at the Smelter Wharf. Adding a hotel or hospitality tax would deliver a new and additional source of revenue. Better to get it in place now before any additional investment is made in capacity. Eventually a restaurant tax?

By-laws

10.2.1 – Bobby Orr Community Centre: Pro Shop Lease Agreement. By-law 2017-6743. Being a by-law to authorize the Mayor and Deputy Clerk/CAO to execute an agreement with 4 Sports Inc., for the purpose of Pro-Shop operation at the Bobby Orr Community Centre for a one (1) year period.

10.3.1 – On Call Municipal Law Enforcement Officer. By-law 2017-6744. Being a By-law to authorize the Mayor and Deputy Clerk/CAO to execute a service contract with Cameron Marshall for the provision of On Call Municipal Law Enforcement Services.

10.3.2 – Appointment Bylaw – Chris Everitt, Earl Smallwood, Tom Evans, Cameron Marshall, Municipal Law Enforcement Officers. By-law 2017-6745. Being a bylaw to appoint Chris Everitt, Earl Smallwood, Tom Evans, Cameron Marshall as Municipal Law Enforcement Officers.

10.5.1 – Business Improvement (BIA) Levy by-law – Downtown business area. By-law 2017-6736. Being a bylaw to Adopt the Estimates of the Board of Management of the Downtown Parry Sound Business Improvement Area and to Strike the Tax Rate Thereon for the Year 2017.

Columbine on the North Shore Rugged Trail (May 2017)

 

 

 

Council Agenda Preview – May 16, 2017 (Revised)

14 Sunday May 2017

Posted by in Parry Sound, Town Council

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2017-05-15 9:00 PM: The original post has been edited to correct and expand certain points based on additional information received in the past 24-hours related to the purchase of property at 3 Bay Street. The original text remains with a strikethrough. The new text is underlined.

This week’s council meeting has a few items that caught my attention. There is correspondence (4.1) as well as deputations (5.1 & 5.2) directed to the activities of the Parry Sound Downtown Business Association. This is consistent with Council’s recent request for an update on the DBA’s plans and actions.

I have made a few comments on the south end Park to Park Trail agenda item (9.1.2). In a related matter, there was a short mention in the Staff R&R that the extension of Parry Sound Road to Oastler Park Drive feasibility study was “put on temporary hold”. The issue of deprioritizing the Parry Sound Road extension was discussed at the last meeting of Council, but no background was provided for the delay beyond that it was a closed session topic. This road extension would be a necessary improvement to support a casino in Parry Sound, so one would wonder if the casino is on the back burner. Some information may be revealed at the Town’s Review and Prioritization of the Town’s Strategic Plan on May 30 starting at 6:00 (Town Office).

I also offer some comments on the Town’s Park Management and Maintenance Plan that might be worth a look if you are interested in the Stockey Centre (9.2.3).

The Town continues to buy up property along the harbour waterfront, in this case the property between the OPP/Service Ontario building and Big Sound Marina (9.5.1). This is the same property as was originally labeld as the Darlington Boathouse. The price being paid is $862,000 which is consistent with the value as assessed by MPAC. An interesting clause in the resolution states that the funds for the purchase, which are taken from the Legacy Fund, will be repaid to the fund should the property be resold. Taken together with the recent purchase of the Darlington boathouse property, and the With the Feds divesting Big Sound Marina, it appears that there may be some near term commercial development planned for this section of the waterfront. When I asked the Town for additional information on the purchase of the Darlington property my request was shot down with the statement that the documents are confidential and would not be provided to me. Something’s going on and it’s a secret. Shhhh! The Town has released to the Public and posted to Town’s website today a copy of the announcement of the Darlington Boathouse purchase that was released to media outlets last month, but not to the Public. Here’s a link to the press release at the Town’s website.

Correspondence

4.1 – Dan DiNicolo, Business Owner. Suggestions regarding the operation of the Downtown Business Association

4.4 – Phillis M. Drury, resident. Questions about naming an island on Georgian Bay.

Deputations

5.1 – Daryl McMurray, President, Susan Hyrcyna, Executive Administrator, Parry Sound Downtown Business Association. Update on DBA’s activities regarding the Downtown Sustainability Report

5.2 – Dan DiNicolo, Business Owner. Suggestions regarding the operation of the Downtown Business Association

5.3 – Bill Parks, President of the South Seguin Snow Mobile Club and Vice-President of the Board for the Park to Park Trail Association. Park to Park Trail south end blockage.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.1.1 – CN Station Sale. Resolution. That Council accepts the offer from Umair Ahmed Sharif for the purchase of the C.N. Station and property located at 1 Station Road, Parry Sound, in the amount of $100,500.00, this purchase offer being the highest offer of three offers received through Royal Lepage; and Further, that Council directs staff to retain the services of a solicitor to prepare the final Agreement of Purchase and Sale; and Further, that the net proceeds from the sale be placed in the Capital Asset Legacy Reserve fund.
We knew this was in the works. Lets hope the property gets the attention and investment that it deserves. It’s worth noting that the property had an MPAC assessed value of $277,000, and that number was the basis of the Chamber of Commerce’s rental agreement. It seems someone was paying too much.

9.1.2 – Park to Park Trail South End Blockage. Resolution. That in response to concerns from the Park to Park Trail Association and OFSCA regarding potential encroachment (allegedly created by Rona in Parry Sound) of municipal property known as the Parry Sound Colonization Road, and specifically the road allowance on or next to Lot 147, Concession A, West Parry Sound District, staff undertake to have a survey completed of where the most southerly points of the RONA property meet the Town’s road allowance; and Further, that staff take appropriate action to ensure free and clear occupancy of the property.
A note to Staff – black and white map of 09.1.2-ATT#1 sure is confusing. What is labeled as Highway 69 is now Bowes Street.  Are you sure that the original trail, the old colonization road, shouldn’t actually follow the dotted lines to what is now Oastler Park Drive, rather than head in from Bowes Street through what is now Rona?

9.2.3 – Parks Management and Maintenance Plan. Resolution. That Council approve the Parks Management and Maintenance Plan, per Schedule “A” attached.
This is a very comprehensive plan of action that is to be commended. There is one very obvious oversight – the Stockey Centre is not included on any of the plans. And it shows when you visit the Stockey Centre. The inside of the concert hall is first class while the grounds look like a former oil tanker field. The reason for why Waubuno Beach looks so much better is that the Stockey Centre is a non-union facility, and as a result Town Staff will not work on the property. That means the Town is required to hire a private contractor to maintain the property. And because the Stockey Centre operates at a loss there is little interest in paying for anything more than the bare minimum. As the current leader of the free world would Tweet: “Sad”.

9.4.1 – Service Line Warranty of Canada Program – Privacy Statement. Resolution. That Council for the Town of Parry Sound approve the Water & Sewer Account Privacy Statement and Notice of Collection, attached as Schedule “A”.
The cost is $73/year sewer, $64/year water, indoor plumbing $73/year. You can apparently choose one or more of the services. You may also want to check with local plumbers, or your insurance company, to see if they are able to offer similar warranty coverage. It’s better to buy local, but it may not be an option.

9.5.1 – Funding Land Purchases – Capital Asset Legacy Reserve Fund. Resolution. That Council hereby approves the use of $862,000 from the Capital Asset Legacy Reserve Fund for the purchase of properties located at 3 Bay Street; and Further, that any proceeds recognized on the disposal of said property up to $862,000 shall first be used to replenish the Capital Asset Legacy Reserve Fund.
This is the property between the OPP Station and the Big Sound Marina. It’s currently being used by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. This is the Darlington Boathouse property that was previously approved for purchase by Council and is also referred to as 3 Bay Street.

9.5.2 – Provincial Offences Act (POA) Write-offs. Resolution. That Council for the Town of Parry Sound, hereby approves the write-offs for the Provincial Offences Act Court outlined in Schedule “A” attached.
The amount in question is about $220,000 and it is from the 1991-1995 era. See, it pays to ignore those fines. Going forward the Town may be able to apply a little more pressure on those who refuse to pay their Provincial Offense Act fines by denying these folks the ability to renew their vehicle license plate registration.

By-laws

10.2.1 – Request for Deeming by-law – 22 Victoria Avenue and Lot 12 of Plan 123. By-law 2017 – 6739. Being a by-law to deem certain lots in the Town of Parry Sound not to be part of a registered Plan of Subdivision (MacDonald – 22 Victoria Avenue).

10.2.2 – Rezoning Application – Z/17/3 – 24 Addie Street (Habitat for Humanity). Consent Application – B/5/2017 (Habitat for Humanity). By-law 2017 – 6740. Being a by-law to amend by-law 2004-4653 (The Zoning by-law), as amendment, for 24 Addie Street (Habitat for Humanity).
Resolution. That Consent Application No. B/5/2017(PS) – Habitat for Humanity, be supported subject to conditions of consent which require:

  1. The payment of $2,677.00 for cash-in-lieu of parkland dedication.
  2. That the applicant enter into a site plan agreement with the Town of Parry Sound which requires wooden privacy fence and the driveway construction as per Attachment #3. The Mayor and Clerk will be authorized to execute the agreement. That the property be successfully rezoned to ensure compliance with the Zoning bylaw; and
  3. That the applicant be advised that each proposed lot requires individual water and sewer connections.

10.5.1 – Striking tax rates for fiscal year 2017. By-law 2017 – 6742. Being a bylaw to Strike the Tax Rates for Municipal Purposes for the Year 2017.

10.5.2 – Business Improvement (BIA) Levy by-law – Downtown Business Area. By-law 2017 – 6736. Being a by-law to Adopt the Estimates of the Board of Management of the Downtown Parry Sound Business Improvement Area and to Strike the Tax Rate Thereon for the Year 2017.

I was out of town for the last meeting of Council and watched it later on YouTube. That was great and I offer my thanks to Staff and Council for making the meeting proceedings available online. I do have a couple of suggestions:

  1. Increase the volume of the audio on the feed. It’s too low.
  2. Councillor Borneman needs to speak a little closer to the microphone. The same goes for Ms. Middaugh. The other councillors came through loud and clear.

No need to improve the video, it isn’t great, but it’s more than adequate. What is important is the audio, and it needs some fine tuning.

I’m going to catch this week’s meeting in person. The deputations should be interesting.

Our Parry Sound

 

 

 

 

 

 

Council Agenda Preview – May 2, 2017

29 Saturday Apr 2017

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It’s the Town of Parry Sound sign and tax levy special edition. For the most part there is little to note about the meeting that requires much public reflection. The Tax Rates for 2017 will be formally approved (10.5.1), I offer a few comments in that section of this post. The Downtown Business Association levy is also being approved (10.5.2). The Town is tidying up sign permits (9.2.1, 9.2.2, 9.2.3) and re-establishing a Façade Improvement Committee (9.2.4, 9.2.5).

I do note that there is not a closed meeting of Council this week, which is a bit of a surprise. Note that there are plans for a Strategic Plan review on May 30th(8.3). I suggest you be there to understand what Council is planning, and ask questions. It’s my sense that Council has a number of things they are working on that they are not sharing with the public. My request for information on the purpose of the purchase of two pieces of property by the Town were refused on the basis of confidentiality. It’s our money they are working with. Perhaps they are taking some cues from what has been going on south of the border. Why bother to be transparent when there is nothing the public can do beyond complain. Or can they?

Public Meeting

2.1.1 – Council will hold a public meeting to consider two proposed Zoning By-law amendments under Section 34 of the Planning Act.The purpose of the first proposed Zoning By-law amendment is with respect to a vacant lot known as 24 Addie Street, or Lot 12, north side of Addie Street, Plan 89 in the Town of Parry Sound. The applicant has requested relief from the Residential Second Density Zone to reduce the minimum lot area from 300 square metres to 253 square metres for each semi-detached unit, reduce the required rear yard setback from 10.5 metres to 5.5 metres, permit an additional 0.5 metre projection for the front staircase and increase the maximum lot coverage from 30% to 35.9%.

2.1.2 – The purpose of the second proposed Zoning By-law amendment is with respect to 11 Salt Dock Road, or as part of Lot 20, Concession A and part of the original road allowance between Concession A and 2, formerly Township of McDougall, now in the Town of Parry Sound, and Part of Parcel J, Registered Plan 137, more particularly described as part of Parts 1, 2 and 3, Plan 42R-19106 located on the north side of Salt Dock Road. The applicant has requested to amend the Special Provision 26.73 zone which would have the effect of permitting an additional eight units on the entirety of the property (previously permitted 84 units between three buildings, now requesting 92 units between three buildings). The existing height restriction of 16.5 metres and all other requirements of the R3 zone shall continue to apply as per the current Special Provision zone restrictions.

Deputations

5.1 – Brad Weiler. Canada 150 – Update

Consent Agenda

8.3 – Notice of Special Meeting of Council. That Council call a Special Council Meeting for May 30th at 6:00 p.m. to review and prioritize the Strategic Plan.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.2.1 – Council Approved Sign Application – Bowes Street – Homelife – Al Boucher. Resolution. That pursuant to section 3.(4) of the Sign By-law, the Chief Building Official is authorized to issue a permit for a sign on the Bowes Street road allowance in front of number 70 Bowes pursuant to the following conditions and variances:
a) Sign shall not be displayed between October 1 and March 30 of the following year,
b) The permit will be valid from 2017 through 2021,
c) The Town reserves the right to revoke a permit related to this resolution and remove the sign if it finds it necessary to use the lands appurtenant to the sign for municipal purposes,
d) Distances from property lines shall be to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official, and
e) All other regulations in the sign by-law continue to apply except for those revised by this resolution.

9.2.2 – Council Approved Sign Application – Hurd Richard`s Pine Drive. Resolution. That pursuant to section 3.(4) of the Sign By-law, the Chief Building Official is authorized to issue a permit for a sign on the Pine Drive road allowance in front of number 119 Bowes pursuant to the following conditions and variances:
a) The first permit will be valid until October of 2017,
b) The permit may be renewed for a six-month period in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 upon payment of the fee for a temporary read-o-graph sign,
c) The Town reserves the right to revoke a permit related to this resolution and remove the sign if it finds it necessary to use the lands appurtenant to the sign for municipal purposes,
d) The sign may be displayed May until October of a year where a valid permit has been issued,
e) Distances from property lines shall be to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official,
f) The permit holder shall trim the grass in the area occupied by the sign and 0.3m beyond it, no less frequently than every two weeks, and
g) All other regulations in the sign by-law continue to apply except for those revised by this resolution.

9.2.3 – Council Approved Sign Application – Remy Group – 64 Parry Sound Drive. Resolution. That pursuant to section 3.(4) of the Sign By-law, the Chief Building Official is authorized to issue a permit for a sign on the Parry Sound Drive road allowance in front of number 64 pursuant to the following conditions and variances:
a) The permit will be valid for five years,
b) The permit may be renewed according to the signs over road allowances section of the sign by-law provided the sign will not be altered,
c) The Town reserves the right to revoke a permit related to this resolution and remove the sign if it finds it necessary to use the lands appurtenant to the sign for municipal purposes,
d) A new resolution and permit will be required if the sign is altered,
e) Distances from property lines shall be to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official,
f) The applicant shall submit an accurate drawing of the sign, which will form part of this resolution, and
g) All other regulations in the sign by-law continue to apply except for those revised by this resolution.

9.2.4 – Façade Improvement Program Committee – Terms of Reference. Resolution. That Council adopt the Façade Improvement Program Committee – Terms of Reference per the attached Schedule “A”.

9.2.5 – Appointments to the Façade Improvement Committee. Resolution. That Council appoint Anne Bossart, Alex Distler and Kathy Dyer to the Façade Improvement Program Committee.

9.3.1 – EMS Power Cot purchase. Resolution. That upon the recommendation of the EMS Advisory Committee the Town of Parry Sound authorizes the expenditure of 56,748.00 +HST to Stryker EMS for the supply of three Power Stretchers.

By-laws

10.3.1 – Renewal of lease for the Seguin EMS base. By-law 2017 – 6734. Being a By-law to authorize the execution of an agreement with The Corporation of The Township of Seguin for the leasing of a portion of Foley Fire Stn. #2 located at 18 McKaig Road.

10.5.1 – Striking tax rates for fiscal year 2017. By-law 2017 – 6735. Being a bylaw to Strike the Tax Rates for Municipal Purposes for the Year 2017.
Here are the tax rates and tax levies for 2017 including the Education Rate. Be nice to our local businesses, especially Commercial, they are carrying a proportionately much heavier portion of the education costs. I’ll provide a quick comparison of Town of Parry Sound and The Township of Seguin 2017 Tax Rates in a separate post.

10.5.2 – Business Improvement (BIA) Levy By-law – Downtown Business Area. By-law 2017 – 6736. Being a By-law to Adopt the Estimates of the Board of Management of the Downtown Parry Sound Business Improvement Area and to Strike the Tax Rate Thereon for the Year 2017.
The levy for 2017 is the same as 2016, $67,000. Despite this the DBA assessment tax rate is going up by 4.9% to account for the drop in the 2016 MPAC Commercial Property reassessment. The net/net should be about the same for Downtown businesses in terms of their out of pocket cost to support the DBA.

10.5.3 – Refinancing Smelter Wharf Loan. By-law 2017 – 6737. Being a By-law to authorize the borrowing of funds between the Bank of Nova Scotia and the Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound for the Smelter Wharf Port.
The Town purchased the Smelter Wharf in 2007 from the Canadian Government with a loan from the CIBC. It’s time to refinance the loan and i/staff is recommending a five-year loan from the Scotia Bank for an amount of about $350,000 at a 2.67% interest rate.

I have business out of town this coming week and won’t be able to attend. But I should be able to catch up on the meeting with the newly introduced online streaming of Town of Parry Sound council meetings. We’ll see, literally and figuratively.

April in Parry Sound (When it’s not Overcast)

Parry Sound 2016 Annual Report

30 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by in Budget/Financial, Parry Sound, Reflections

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The Parry Sound 2016 Annual Report came out yesterday, or at least it was in my mail yesterday. It’s an interesting read and does a good job of summarizing what was accomplished and where the money was spent.

It’s nice to think that as a town we really don’t need any improvements or investments, and that taxes should be frozen, or even reduced. Like any living organism, or organization, growth and renewal require ongoing investment. While you may be perfectly happy with that new kitchen you installed in the 70s, residents and businesses do expect services and facilities to be maintained and refurbished as necessary.

The reality is that as a community we provide, and pay for, services and infrastructure that are a necessity for our low tax neighbours. Our neighbours seem to have problems rationalizing an investment in the high speed internet they insist is critical for their future. But when your neighbour provides most essential services why not look to the Province and Canada to provide for things that Parry Sound doesn’t?

I realize that people are frustrated by the municipal tax load carried by Town of Parry Sound residents and businesses. After attending some five years of council meetings and budget discussions I am unable to accuse Council and Staff of making unwise investments. There are any number of expenditures that I disagree with, but these are nickel and dime items in terms of the whole budget. Even if you consider all of the nickel and dime issues they don’t add up to a loonie. My sense is that if you want Parry Sound services and low taxes, move to McDougall or Seguin. Consider Carling and McKellar if you don’t mind the longer drive to Parry Sound. You will be coming here for one thing or another, pretty much every day.

Council Agenda Preview – February 7, 2017

04 Saturday Feb 2017

Posted by in Parry Sound, Town Council

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Good news for those of you wanting to keep on top of what’s on the Town of Parry Sound council’s upcoming agenda; the agendas seem to be coming out on Thursday, rather than Friday. This provides people with an additional day to provide comments to Staff and Council on items on the agenda, or organize a deputation on an agenda item. But you need to be on the distribution list to get it delivered to your mailbox. Contact the Clerk at the Parry Sound Town Office to be included.

It seems to be business as usual with a hodge-podge of items on this week’s agenda. Among the more interesting items:

  • There seem to be multiple parties interested in the Old Fire Hall (5.2).
  • Activity seems to be developing activity with regard to having railways pay municipal taxes commensurate with their business activities and local community impact (8.4).
  • Treetops is back on the agenda (6.1).
  • Big Sound Marina operating agreement is up for renewal (10.1.1).
  • 2017 Budget and associated rates and policies (10.4.1, 10.4.2, 10.4.3).

As always there is more on the agenda than is noted above and below. Comments on individual items are offered below (italics). Review the full agenda with the supporting documents for more information. You can try and find it one the Town’s website or you could get it directly through this link.

Closed Session:

  1. c) a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land for municipal or local board purposes. (Property Matter)
  1. e) litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board. (Zoning By-law Amendment Appeal)

Correspondence

4.1 – Kevin Baker, Harold’s Barber Shop. Re: Concerns about the rates for his installed water meter.
Commercial water rates continue to be a source of confusion. It’s basically a cost of doing business, or living, in Parry Sound; an underappreciated tax of sorts. The alternative is to set up shop in Nobel or McKellar and see how that impacts the bottom line. Taxes there are lower and you get to provide your own water and sewer.

4.2 – Stephen P. Kaegi, CAO, The Township of The Archipelago. Re: Letter addressed to Transport Canada, Marine Office and copied to Mayor and Council. Questions about the proposed operational restrictions of the Wasauksing Swing Bridge.
A pressing issue that doesn’t directly impact Parry Sound, the proposed restrictions on the operation of the bridge will impact Wasauksing and our neighbouring municipalities. Who is responsible, and who is going to pay for a new bridge, the obvious solution to the issue? Perhaps our rich neighbours can find room in their budget for the improvement, but that would of course negatively impact their low, low tax strategy.

4.3 – John Maheu, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., Executive Director of the Association of Ontario Road Supervisors. Re: Congratulations to Peter Brown, Director of Public Works, for his recent Certified Road Supervisor certification.
Does this mean Mr. Brown is now qualified to be a flag person at a road construction job ;-)

Deputations

5.1 – Brad Weiler, Community Recreation and Programs Coordinator. Re: Update to Council on Community Recreation Programing.

5.2 – Aleesha Mullen, Owner/Operator Parry Sound Bikes. Re: Review of her proposal submitted for the Old Fire Hall.
I suspect that this will be a more acceptable proposal, assuming the offer price for the property meets the Town’s expectations. It will cause less ‘after 6:00’ traffic in this semi-residential area which is a concern to local residents. Both this proposal, which I imagine is a bike shop, and Maurizio’s restaurant, are reasonable uses of the property. Let’s just make sure the building isn’t lost through neglect. What’s up for sale next? The CN Station? The Town really doesn’t have the resources or interest in fixing up and using, or renting out, either of these buildings.

5.3 – Debbie Hill, President of CUPE #2049. Re: Update to Council on the status of the CAS lock out of CUPE #2049.

Consent Agenda

8.3 – Funding Formula for Gas Tax, Resolution. Whereas the provincial gas tax funding formula has not received an increase in over 10 years, since 2006; and Whereas with the implementation of Cap and Trade January 1, 2017 it is more expensive for municipalities consuming the fuel; and Whereas the City of Owen Sound adopted a resolution to send a letter to the Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Steven Del Duca, stipulating these facts and requesting that the formulas be revisited; Now, therefore be it resolved that the Council for the Town of Parry Sound supports the City of Owen Sound and will also send a letter to Minister of Transportation to request a review of the gas tax; and Further that this resolution be forwarded to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities, Norm Miller, M.L.A. for Parry Sound-Muskoka and all Ontario municipalities.

8.4 – Property Taxation on Railways. Resolution. Whereas it has been identified that railway companies in the province of Ontario, do not pay a proportionate share of municipal property tax as compared to other properties in their class, or compared to any other municipal tax class; and Whereas in other provinces and jurisdictions the railway companies do remit a more equitable share of taxes to the local tax base; and Whereas taxes in other jurisdictions for railway properties are calculated using a tonmile concept; and Whereas said fees are reviewed and adjusted on a regular basis according to inflation and ongoing current conditions; and Whereas the Province of Ontario has continued to fall further and further behind in their approach to railroad property taxation over the past 112 plus years; Now, Therefore Be It Resolved That the Town of Parry Sound supports the Resolutions passed by Fort Frances, Atikokan and Marathon and calls upon the Minister of Finance for the Province of Ontario to implement a new system of municipal property taxation for railroad right-of-way properties based on utilizing a per ton-mile concept; and Further that this resolution be forwarded to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities, Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, Norm Miller, M.L.A. for Parry Sound-Muskoka and all Ontario municipalities.
Yup, the railways get a ‘free ride’ from the Feds and the Provinces at the expense of local municipalities. As the Province pulls back local funding, the Municipalities need to look for alternative sources of revenue. The highly profitable railways need to start paying their fair share.

8.6 – 2016 Integrity Commissioner Report. Resolution. Whereas the Council, Boards and Committees Code of Conduct stipulates that the Integrity Commissioner shall file his/her annual report regarding any activities to Council no later than March 31st of each year; and That should there be no complaints/investigations for the year, in this case, 2016, then the Clerk shall report to Council accordingly; Therefore, the Clerk reports that the former Integrity Commissioner, Suzanne Craig, and the current Integrity Commissioner, George Rust-D’Eye have reported that there were no formal complaints filed nor investigations conducted in the year 2016.
No hits, no runs and no complaints. Call it a win.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.3.1 – Bill 68, Modernizing Ontario’s Municipal Legislation Act. Resolution. That Council for the Town of Parry Sound acknowledge receipt of the attached Report and Recommendation regarding changes to the Municipal Act and the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act by the introduction of Bill 68, Modernizing Ontario’s Municipal Legislation Act.
The closed session changes in this legislation really don’t do much to ensure additional transparency. The simple action of having a “closed meeting investigator” does not make me more comfortable. The investigator can only review what is officially recorded in the closed meeting minutes, which of course does not necessarily reflect all of the discussion. I don’t question the integrity of Council; I do question whether the Public gets the benefit of all discussion and concerns that may be expressed in closed sessions that should be shared in open sessions.

9.4.1 – Ontario Regulation 284/09. Resolution. That Council hereby adopts the compliance report for expenses excluded from the 2017 budget outlined in the staff report “Ontario Regulation 284/09”, attached as Schedule “A”, as a requirement of Ontario Regulation 284/09 passed under the Municipal Act, 2001.

9.4.2 – Vacancy Tax Rebate Review. Direction. That Staff initiate the required consultation process for the modification or elimination of the Vacancy Tax Rebate, as outlined by the Ministry of Finance (once available).
This is an interesting rebate program that provides commercial property owners with an effective 30% reduction in property taxes if the property is vacant. This can lead to landlords preferring to leave a property vacant rather than use it, or rent it out. Because of provincial legislation the Town has the opportunity to redefine its local policy in this regard. The Town intends to engage with the community to understand how Parry Sound should define it’s vacancy rate policy.

9.4.3 – Co-location of Lakeland Power Customer Service. Direction. That Staff work with Lakeland Power to develop a co-location agreement which includes the redesign of the front reception office and that staff attain the services of an appropriate consultant to advise on the redesign.

9.4.4 – 2017 Parry Sound Public Library Budget. Resolution. Whereas S.24(1) of the Libraries Act requires that the Parry Sound Public Library provide its annual budget to the Council of the Town of Parry Sound; And Whereas S.24 (2) of the Act provides Council the ability to approve, reject or amend the budget; Now Therefore be it resolved that the 2017 budget for the Parry Sound Public Library, attached as Schedule “A”, is approved.

9.6.1 Request for Donation to the Treetops Community Forest. Resolution. That Council hereby will provide a grant of $____________ to the Treetops Community Forest to be funded from the 2017 Budget; and That the direction passed January 10, 2017 be amended to include the above addition.
I recall that when the project was first brought before Council there was a ‘promise’ that the project would not require funding from the Town. Well here we are with an ask for $10K. It’s hard to oppose the ask, but somehow I feel as though we been ‘duped’. I’m sure there was never an intention to come back to Council for money, but that’s too often the case with poorly planned projects. Better to ask for funding and forgiveness after reality sets in.

By-laws

10.1.1 – Extension of Agreement – Massasauga Management Co. Inc. – Big Sound Marina. By-law 2017 – 6704. Being a By-law to amend By-law No: 2014-6428, the operating agreement between Massasauga Management Co. Inc. and the Town of Parry Sound for operation of Big Sound Marina and the Town Dock, conditional on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada approving the operating agreement and the extension of a head lease between the Town and Department of Fisheries and Oceans or the completion of the divestiture process.

10.1.3 – Rezoning Application – Z/16/07 – 25 Mary Street – Old Fire Hall. By-law 2017 – 6706. Being a By-law to amend By-law No. 2004-4653 (The Zoning By-law), as amended, for 25 Mary Street (Old Fire Hall).
Staff recommends approval of the rezoning application.

10.4.1 – Tax Policies – Capping and New to Class / New Construction. By-law 2017 – 6707. Being a bylaw to specify our Tax Policies, including the claw back percentage, the capping threshold parameters, the minimum tax level for new to class / new construction and to exclude certain properties from the capping program for the year 2017.

10.4.2 – Tax Ratios for 2017. By-law 2017 – 6708. Being a by-law to set Tax Ratios for Municipal purposes for the year 2017.
Staff is recommending that the Town adopt the same ratios as last year with the understanding that while they seem to be in-line with other municipalities in Ontario they are outside the Province’s ‘range of fairness’.

10.4.3 – 2017 Budget. By-law 2017 – 6709. Being a By-law to Adopt the Operating and Capital Budget Estimates for the Year 2017.
No surprises here. I recommend reading the accompanying R&R in the Council Agenda Package to get a nice summary of the 2017 Budget and the factors that impact how it will play out for individual commercial and residential property owners.

10.4.4 – Scale of Cost for Property Tax Sale. By-law 2017 – 6710. Being a bylaw to establish a policy and scale of cost for the sale of land for tax arrears pursuant to Section 385 of the Municipal Act, 2001, c25.
This is an update to 1998 legislation and increases the fees payable to the Town.

Lonely Buoy

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Up, Up and Away…..

31 Saturday Dec 2016

Posted by in Budget/Financial, Parry Sound, Town Council

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taxes that is, especially for those of you who owns a condo.

For condo owners it’s a case of good news and bad news. The good news is that the value of your property as assessed by MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation) has increased substantially over the past four years. The bad news is that almost all other properties in Parry Sound have decreased in their assessed values, meaning more of the tax burden is being shifted to condos.

For residential property owners the news is not so good, and not so bad. Property values on average have dropped, and taxes are going up, but not as much as for condo owners.

For business property owners (Commercial) the news is not so good, and good. The not so good is that the assessed values for business properties have in general dropped significantly, translating into a lower average tax increase. The big box stores who appealed their assessments at the provincial level have seen their local property values drop significantly. For businesses the drop in property assessment values really is good news in that it stabilizes property taxes in a tax increasing environment. Since business sale prices are based on revenue and profit, not property assessment values, the reduction in commercial assessments actually improves the bottom line, and eventual sale prices.

For the Town of Parry Sound the news is not so good; overall assessments are down and unless expenses can be trimmed the burden of taxes needs to be shifted.

For condo owners there is a bit more news, good and bad. Increases in assessed value on properties are phased in over four years, not in the first year. That means if your property was previously assessed at $100,000 and the reassessed value was $200,000 (you wish, but it makes for simpler numbers), your assessed property value for tax purposes would rise to $125,000 in the first year, $150,000 in the second, $175,000 in the third and $200,000 in the fourth. Because of this provision it means your property values, and taxes don’t go up by the full reassessed value of $200,000 in the first year. The bad news is that your property taxes will increase in each of the next four years because of the increased assessed value of your condo, in addition to the Town’s annual spending increase.

How does this all translate in terms of tax increases for 2017 in Parry Sound? The table below if taken from the Staff presentation to Parry Sound Council December 13, 2016. The figures are based on the current budget as proposed by Staff. It’s possible that these figures could go up, or down, by 1% depending on decisions still to be made by Council.

budget-2016-12-31

I have been laisez faire with respect to Parry Sound budgets for the past few years, figuring the new expenses were related to necessary items and services. I feel that if you need new snow tires for your car you probably want to buy them before you have an accident that will cost even more, even it requires a loan. But, do you need to take out a loan for that week in Cuba or Costa Rica, or a new snow machine, or ATV? There is need to spend, and nice to spend. Based on budget meetings to date I’m not sure that Council is paying attention to the difference. At the last meeting of Council a new ’music garden’ park was approved, and I really don’t get it. Yes, it is a nice to have, and yes, much of it was in the reserves, but what about next year if/when one of the existing parks needs some significant repair or it needs an upgrade? As a municipality have we sufficiently satisfied our needs that we can afford to be looking at 2%, 7% and 13% tax increases to support nice to have budget items?

Parry Sound is figuratively taking a pay cut in 2017 because of the MPAC reassessment. Actually it really isn’t a pay cut, it’s a redistribution of who is carrying a larger or lesser portion of the overall tax burden. Condo owners are taking on more, and business owner’s are taking on less. It’s likely that condo owners who are facing an average 13% tax increase in 2017 could be facing 50% higher taxes in four years than they were in 2016 by the time all four years of the reassessed condo value has hit their taxes. Ouch!

I don’t own a condo, and I don’t necessarily think they should be given a ‘break’. Their properties have increased in value and that means they should pay more. I pay more in taxes than some of my neighbours because I have a higher assessed property, and that seems fair. I do think that Council needs to pay attention to what is necessary and what is nice in the budget. Over the past few years they have been remarkably ‘generous’ in their approval of expenses that are more nice to have than need to have. I labeled the 2016 Parry Sound Budget the ‘pickle ball budget’ because budget was allocated to organize pickle ball play, among other recreational activities. I’m not sure that we saw any pickle balling, but it was one of the many reasons for last year’s tax increase. Is pickle ball, or any number of other items in the 2017 Budget, something we need, or are they things we want? Do we even want these nice to have items?

Is anybody else paying attention to the Parry Sound budget? Council is made up of good people who want to do the right thing, and not feel as though they are a Grinch stealing joy from the residents by cutting services or rejecting new initiatives. They need your input to understand what you feel is need to have and what is nice to have. Here are links to the various budget documents. At least look at the Capital Budget Overview and Tax Impact Presentation (December 13th) to get a short overview of where the 2017 Budget stands at this point and how it impacts your property taxes.

2017 Budget Schedule

Proposed 2017 Budget

Budget Overview Presentation

Capital Budget Overview and Tax Impact Presentation (December 13th)

Note: not all condo owners will see the full 12.98% increase in 2017 because their condo assessment might not have risen as high as the average. Others may see an even higher increase if their property assessment increase was above the average. That will be the case for all property owners, you are seeing the average impact, not necessarily how the 2017 increase will impact you.

The Path Less Chosen. A bit more demanding but more rewarding.

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North Shore Rugged Trail

2017-11-29 Parry Sound Budget Meeting Notes

30 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by in Budget/Financial, Parry Sound, Reflections, Town Council

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I noticed that none of you were in attendance yesterday evening at the Town of Parry Sound’s first open budget meeting. If you don’t like the menu perhaps you should  spend some time in the kitchen talking to the cook.

The 2017 budget is likely to lead to a 4.5% or so increase in taxes. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is a normal increase in the cost of existing services, as well as some service enhancements. This accounts for about a 2.5% increase. The second reason is the recommendation of Town Staff to establish a reserve fund for major infrastructure projects. This amounts to a recommended 1.8% increase. A 3.6% figure would be better but seems a bit too steep. The whole issue of infrastructure investment is a major issue in Canada and the USA. You may have heard about President-Elect Trump’s promise to invest $1 Trillion in US infrastructure. The question is where he hopes to find the money. The same infrastructure challenge faces Canada, Ontario and Parry Sound. We are better off than most communities who are facing a 5-8% annual increase in tax rates to make up for their past decisions to forego infrastructure investments in exchange for lower taxes.

It also doesn’t help that the overall assessment of properties has dropped by 3%. This has implications for the tax rate, but not the total levy. It shouldn’t directly ding people in terms of their overall tax bill, except those of you condo dwellers who saw a slight assessment increase. But, that increase in taxes will be phased in over the next four years, so it may not even be noticeable in 2017.

Yes, the general provincial and federal grants have dropped over the years, but that’s not a significant overall budget issue as we have done well in securing infrastructure funding support. They take with one hand but give with the other. Ultimately the higher level governments feel we should be truly self-funded, just as you hope with your kids (eventually), which is why we need to look closely at what facilities and services we are able and willing to pay for, without government handouts. I see that our neighbors want $25 million or so from the province and the feds for an internet infrastructure. They may get it, but if it’s that important why aren’t they funding it themselves? Perhaps they feel it’s critical infrastructure that should be ‘given’ to them. Well I feel the same way about the proposed Waubeek Road reconstruction, and the extension of Great North Road. We need to be prepared to carry the costs of those infrastructure projects we judge as critical and hope that the province agrees and kicks in a portion of the funds, not hope they pay for it all.

There is a clear choice for those of you who feel that taxes are too high in Parry Sound, move to the neighboring communities where property taxes are 25% to 60% lower on assessed value. There are fewer local services and much less infrastructure, but the taxes are lower and you can always drive to Parry Sound for your shopping and services. Don’t worry about the bears, we have them here already. After spending time going over the budget and listening to the presentation and discussion last night I am happy to defend the implications of the draft budget. Sometimes you have to spend more to just stay in the same place.

You may see me get a bit more animated if there is any serious discussion of an aquatic centre in Parry Sound lacking a clear plan of how that expense will not end up on my tax bill. Without considerable regional participation it would add another 5-8% to our tax bills for just operating expenses, plus another 5% for the debenture to cover the cost of construction assuming a reasonable time of facility life term for the debenture, not a thirty year daydream. Town Staff did decide to defer investment in a ‘splash pad’ beyond 2017. Splash pad? This was the suggestion of a councillor no longer on Council, and to date I have never seen a plan for where it might be installed, a firm budget for construction and maintenance, and a plan for how it would be operated (season, time, …). We have enough trouble maintaining a couple of small fountains and we want to operate a splash pad?

Back to the budget, you need to go over it to understand the implications. There are four areas of new discretionary spending that Council has been asked to decide on:

  1. Recreation programmer.
  2. Economic development officer.
  3. Tourism intern.
  4. Enhanced transfer station service (mostly increased hazardous waste service).

All four have merit. If you have a question or comment about the budget be sure to pass it on to Council. The next meeting, when I expect many of the decisions will be made, is scheduled for December 13th, 6:00 PM in the council chambers. Let Council know what you are thinking and come on down on the 13th to see how budgets are discussed and agreed.

Note: The North Star attended the budget session so I expect they will share some of their observations and thoughts in Friday’s Beacon Star and next week’s North Star. With James King having left Moose-FM is seems they are no longer covering Parry Sound Council events. On the upside there is a proposal before Council to budget $2,500 for audio visual equipment to permit council meetings to be made available over YouTube, including these smaller budget type meetings. That would be an important step forward in ensuring transparency in local government.

Yes, there was much more, but nothing too critical in my opinion. If you want to know what goes on you should attend; admission is free.

And no, there was no mention of the casino project. Better perhaps that werestrict our ‘pipe dreams’ to water services for the near future at least.

Budgets are All About Getting Things to Line Up

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Feeling Lucky? Prospects of a Parry Sound Casino

23 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by in Parry Sound, Reflections, Town Council, Urban Development

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I’ll start this post by stating my support for gambling and casinos. I would also like to confirm my support for cigarettes and alcohol sales. I look to these simple human pleasures as contributing to lower taxes for those of us who choose not to indulge. In this regard I guess I’m painting myself as a libertarian; people can do what they want as long as they are aware of the consequences, and they don’t impact the rights of others. But, I think we need to ensure that people are properly informed of the possible consequences of indulging these simple human pleasures. Businesses and individuals who profit off these activities should not be permitted to suggest that they don’t have possible, and quite likely, consequences.

I have been asked by a few people what I think about a casino in Parry Sound. I don’t have a strong opinion at this point, but I am interested in understanding what the impact of a casino might be on tax revenues, expenses and the community. I have read that Mayor McGarvey supports the idea of a casino in Parry Sound as it will be a boon to businesses on a twelve month a year basis. I won’t dispute this suggestion, but I wonder how it will benefit me as a Parry Sound taxpayer, and what provisions can be made to ensure I don’t end up subsidizing a casino, in the near and long term.

Let me explain.

The Town of Parry Sound currently has two major sources of revenue – government grants and property taxes. Yes, there are other sources of revenue, for example water services, but these are largely self-sustaining and have no impact on the property taxes that we pay quarterly. How might a casino in Parry Sound impact taxes?

Well, the obvious benefit to the Town is that a casino will involve the creation of facilities and businesses that would be subject to municipal taxation at a commercial rate. One could imagine that the development would include a casino building, probably one or more waterfront hotels to house the visitors, and possibly a marina to service clients who prefer boating, rather than driving, to make their supplemental tax payments.

What might the tax revenues be from these facilities? Will Parry Sound end up ahead, break even, or end up in a hole? Well I could imagine that a reasonably full build of a casino and supporting hotels might have a property only assessment on the order or $20 to $50 million. (Let’s hope for the sake of all of us it won’t be done on the cheap. The quality of any casino will have an impact on how Parry Sound is viewed, upscale or tacky.) How much might the Parry Sound tax revenue be increased? At first I thought the assessment would be based on the value of the buildings with a commercial tax rate applied to that figure. Doing a little research, it seems that this isn’t the case. The value of a casino and probably the associated hotels is more likely to be calculated based on what these businesses generate in revenues. But I’m not sure. Here is a link to an article at MPAC that outlines the process for assessing the value of a casino. MPAC presents three different approaches to determining valuation for assessment purposes, not all of which necessarily converge. I’ll be looking forward to a detailed analysis from the Town and the developers at an appropriate time, well before any decision is made to approve a casino development.

What expenses will the Town be responsible for in any casino development? We have considerable infrastructure in place but I suspect that there will be a need for upgrades ‘all round’; water services as well as new and upgraded roads immediately come to mind. There will also be considerable legal and consulting fees. Do we pay for all of this upfront with a hope that it will be paid off in the near term? Probably not, which suggests we will be taking on long term debt for future generations to pay. Let’s remember that the only way the Town benefits from a casino is from taxes related to property or business assessment. The Town doesn’t get a cut of the take unless that’s part of the assessment model decided by MPAC.

But what about the jobs that will be created and the construction work itself? Well, that benefit is not likely to flow to Parry Sound directly if recent history repeats itself. At best, it may help the surrounding municipalities, but that might be a stretch. The hospital certainly created jobs, but Parry Sound saw less of the municipal tax benefits benefits than the surrounding municipalities. Most of the higher end people, physicians, nurses and administrators, choose not to live in Parry Sound because of more desirable properties (waterfront) and lower taxes in Seguin, McKellar and Carling. Why live in Parry Sound if you can have a waterfront property a kilometre away on Rose Point Road? Will it be different with a casino? Not really, casinos don’t deliver that many high paying jobs, so it would be unlikely to raise local residential property values and taxes. What about new construction jobs? Hmmm, is a local company doing the Cascade Street build? And how many of the high value materials that are required for the Cascade project, notably concrete and the pre-engineered parts, come from businesses in Parry Sound? Concrete might be coming from Seguin, helping a business in that municipality, or it might be coming from as far away as Bracebridge. The engineered parts are coming from Southern Ontario. The trades doing the work also seem to be sourced from outside Parry Sound. It was the same situation with the build on Seguin Street across from Tulloch. The work was contracted to out-of-town, actually out-of-district, suppliers.

But the added traffic, twelve months a year, will be good for local businesses, won’t it? Yes, but Parry Sound won’t be sharing in the upside unless these businesses receive a higher assessment value and pay higher property taxes. It’s interesting that what is good for businesses doesn’t necessarily show up in increased tax revenues for the Town, and then pay for the associated increase in costs for town services.

What about the social issues? The new Parry Sound District OPP commander has stated that his experience suggests casinos attract seniors, especially if they are slot type casinos. Seniors are beyond any type of criminal activity aren’t they? Who knows, but let’s assume there will be additional policing costs associated with a casino if only because there will be more people and there will be more ’social friction’. You don’t add more of this type of activity without a corresponding increase in police services, and probably EMS services as well.

Will people on the Carrington side of Parry Sound bit by bit be pushed out by the local development? Possibly, but probably not. There is enough land with redevelopment of the former petroleum properties that there shouldn’t be too much real estate pressure. Perhaps it won’t be a very family friendly area to live. I don’t know. I don’t frequent casinos nor have I studied their impact on local communities. A good proxy for a Parry Sound casino might be the casino in Gananoque, a small town about 50 km outside Kingston. For those of you interested, an article in the Kingston Whig-Standard goes into considerable detail, financial and social, about Ganaonoque’s casino as part of a decision by the voters of Kingston to reject a casino in their own town. I suspect much of the analysis is well considered as it was probably developed in discussions with the Queen’s University School of Urban and Regional Planning. Here is a link to that 2014 Kingston Whig-Standard article. I heartily recommend the article to anyone interested in the topic of a Parry Sound casino. It’s well written and easy to understand. It has a conclusion that may be surprising.

Here are some other casino related links that may be of value to the interested.

http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/2013/02/24/city-of-niagara-falls-fuming-over-casino-tax-cuts

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/ontario-casinos-to-pay-host-municipalities-more-money-1.1304652

http://business.financialpost.com/financial-post-magazine/can-casinos-spearhead-economic-development-efforts-in-canadas-cities

http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Real-Cost-of-a-Casino_Wellesley-Institute_2013.pdf

Still feeling lucky? Let’s hope that Parry Sound Council decides to provide local residents and businesses with a full analysis of the implications of a casino if the discussion ever get that far. Let’s not have one of those Closed Session discussions that is then brought into Open Session and voted on without any input from the residents and businesses of Parry Sound. It’s our town, and we have a right to not only understand what is going on, but to express our support or opposition.

Will This Be the Way It Was?

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Multi-Residential Property Classification – Correction

10 Thursday Nov 2016

Posted by in Correction/Clarification, Parry Sound

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In an earlier post I noted that there was a higher tax rate, the Multi-Residential rate, for properties that that were multi-residential. The tax rate for these properties is about 50% higher than for residential units that have five or fewer units. (Contact the Town of Parry Sound for the exact number of units that are required to qualify for these higher rates.) This was why a new tax classification was required for affordable housing properties, where it was agreed the the lower residential tax rate should apply.

At the time I suggested that the higher multi-residence rate might apply to properties such as Granite Harbour and Silver Birch. I was wrong. These units, because they are individually owned, are subject to the same tax rate as non multi-residence properties, the baseline 1.000 rate. It seems then it is multi-apartment properties such as the converted hospital on James Street, the Pine Lodge Apartments, that are subject to the higher assessment rates.

I apologize for the confusion.

The Pine Lodge Apartments in Downtown Parry Sound

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