Tag Archives: Taxes

West Parry Sound Amalgamation – Part 2 (Analysis)

06 Wednesday Mar 2019

Posted by in Amalgamation, Budget/Financial, Parry Sound

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This post follows up Part 1 which laid down much of the financial information required to understand what amalgamation might mean for the municipalities of West Parry Sound. Here is a link to the first post. The intent of this second post is to add a little more colour to the numbers along with some general observations and commentary.

In response to a few comments to the first post I want to categorically state that it is not my intention to make a case for, or against, amalgamation. What I am hoping to do is provide a framework for better understanding the implications of amalgamation. It’s bit like a pre-Brexit analysis. In the case of what was to become called Brexit I believe too many people voted without the benefit of any real analysis or understanding of the implications for and against. Their vote was mostly based on whether they held a ‘screw the EU’ or an ‘EU is our future’ mindset based on their personal experience, advertising and ‘gut feelings’.

I am in a situation where I understand the Town of Parry Sound budget reasonably well and the underlying expenses. I am hard pressed to find fault in the budget decisions that Council has made that underlie the current Parry Sound tax rates. The cost is what it is, and I am able to afford my property taxes. Any reduction in taxes through amalgamation would not have an impact on my quality of life. I do understand that this is not the case for many others in Parry Sound or one of the other communities.

Okay, let’s look at the numbers and perhaps tease out some meaning.

Tax Rates

In the previous post I laid out the more important tax rates for the municipalities. I won’t go into details about the relative tax levels of the municipalities. The Town of Parry Sound has the highest overall tax rates by far, with Seguin and Archipelago having the lowest. Perhaps more relevant is understanding the property class tax rates set by individual municipalities.

Table 1 below is an expanded version of Table 1 from the first post (Part 1). It provides a summary of the various municipal property and educational tax rates and the premium charged to the Commercial and Industrial classes relative to the Residential Rate. For example, in the case of Carling the Industrial Property Tax Rate is 2.6 times that of the Residential Property Tax Rate.

Table 1 – Residential, Commercial and Industrial Tax Rates (Selected West Parry Sound District Municipalities 2017)

Table 2 – Residential, Commercial and Industrial Tax Rates Factors (Selected West Parry Sound District Municipalities 2017)

Note: Residential Tax Rate is assigned a value of 1 for each of the municipalities. Comparisons are only valid within a single municipality and tax rate class.

I am not familiar with the details of what limitations municipalities have in assigning taxation rates by class. I recall discussions at Parry Sound Council where it was mentioned that there were provincial guidelines on how much the various property class rates could be adjusted. Nonetheless, it seems that all the municipalities consistently place higher tax rates, Property and Education, on Commercial (i.e., Walmart, Fireplace & Leisure Centre…) and Industrial (i.e., Connor industries, Shaw-Almex …) properties in comparison with Residential properties.

Commercial Property Tax Rates

The premiums for Commercial Property Tax Rates vary from a low of 1.1x in Seguin and Archipelago to a high of 1.9x in McKellar versus the Residential Rate in that municipality. An even larger premium is seen with Education Rates which range from a low of 1.4x in McDougall to a high of 4.8x in Parry Sound. Combined, the Property and Education Rate premiums for the Commercial Property tax rates vary from a low of 1.9x in Carling, Seguin and Archipelago to a high of 3.1x in McKellar.

Industrial Property Tax Rates

The premiums for Industrial tax rates relative to the Residential Rates vary from a low of 1.1x in Archipelago to a high of 2.6x in Carling and McDougall. The Education Tax Rates premiums for Industrial Properties range from a low of 3.7x in Parry Sound to a high of 7.8x in Seguin. The combined rate premiums range from a low of 1.8x in Parry Sound to a high of 4.1x in Seguin.

What these differences mean is hard to understand without some sense of intent. Here are some thoughts:

Carling and McDougall – tax rates seem to be much more favourable for Commercial rather than Industrial properties. Is this an intentional attempt to encourage Industrial businesses to look to other area municipalities to establish their businesses? It’s not clear to me how properties in the industrial park in Carling are taxed. They may well enjoy some tax benefits or reduced costs for land and or services.

McKellar – the tax rates for Industrial and Commercial properties are essentially the same. The overall McKellar Industrial Tax Rate is the lowest in the area with the exception of Archipelago, which isn’t part of the amalgamation scenario and obviously offers many fewer amenities.

Parry Sound – the tax rates for Commercial is among the lowest in relation to the Residential Property Tax Rates at 2.0x. The Industrial Tax Rate is the lowest at 1.8 times the Residential Property Tax Rate. Given that the Parry Sound tax rates are so much higher than all the other municipalities this lower premium is of no real competitive significance. The Commercial Rate for Parry Sound is almost three times that of Carling and Seguin and twice that of McDougall. This may help explain the apparent interest of businesses to establish a commercial presence in Seguin on the outskirts of Parry Sound. A $1 million property would pay on average about $10,000 less in property and education taxes annually and still be within walking distance of the south end big box centres. With respect to Industrial Tax Rates, Parry Sound actually has a tax rate comparable to that of McDougall and an overall property and education tax rate about 25% higher than the other municipalities, with the exception of Archipelago. This may explain some of the attraction of industrial businesses to locate in Parry Sound if they require certain services. A $1 million assessment would only cost $5,000 per year more in Property and Education Taxes in Parry Sound relative to other municipalities.

Seguin – with the lowest Residential Tax Rates in the area, excepting Archipelago, it either is seemingly discouraging industrial development with its much higher taxes on industrial properties (4x Residential Tax Rates), or attempting to have these businesses take some of the tax load off of residential property owners.

Property Tax and Municipality Population

So, how much Property Tax do the various municipalities collect as a function of the population they serve; their residents? In the case of Parry Sound the town actually ‘serves’ more people than the official population but that is a point not everyone would agree with, so I will raise it and let it rest in the same sentence.

Table 3 – Weighted Assessments, Property Tax Revenues and Population Figures (Selected West Parry Sound District Municipalities 2017)

Note: Numbers in this table are taken from Table 1 in Part 1 of this series. Sources and explanations can be found there.
1. “Population and Dwelling Count Highlight Tables, 2016 Census”. Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. From Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_municipalities_in_Ontario) sourced 2019-03-04.
2. Calculated by dividing Property Tax Collected by Population.

There are some major differences in the tax collected by the various municipalities. On the low-end Parry Sound and McDougall collect about $1,500 in Property Taxes per resident to provide the necessary services. That figure increases by 70% when you get to McKellar’s and Seguin’s $2,700 per resident. There is then a large jump up to Carling’s $5,500 followed by a hop, skip and jump to reach Archipelago’s almost $21,000.

In some cases the differences can be accounted for the size of these municipalities and the relative lack of efficiency related to size. You still need one mayor, one CAO and so on to service a population of 1,100 or 6,000. You may pay these folks a bit less, but not one-sixth of the amount in Seguin or Parry Sound. That type of basic service cost does impact the smaller municipalities budgets. Another reason may be related to seasonal residents, the cottagers. These people still require services that aren’t accounted for in the official population count and obviously skew the per capita cost figures.

Attention though should be paid to where a municipality with a considerable seasonal population under invests in a particular budget area as calculated using the permanent resident basis (Table 3). Assigning seasonal residents a one half or one quarter equivalent weighting would certainly change the results. I may do that type of analysis in a separate post. I can imagine the results but have not yet run the numbers.

What is obvious is the efficiency with which Parry Sound and McDougall are operated and the benefits of urbanization. For all of the grief that Parry Sound receives for its higher taxes it seems to put its tax revenues to good work whether by keeping expenses low or capturing revenue other than through property taxes. I regularly shake my head when people outside the Town of Parry Sound suggest that the Town is not properly managing its budget and that this is the cause of its higher taxes.

Enough of these numbers, let’s take a look at how the municipalities spend their money.

Expenditures by Line Item

It’s possible to look at the financial statements for the municipalities and get an idea of how their spending compares on some common line expenses. It’s not possible to compare their total budgets because in a number of cases Parry Sound collects and books revenues and expenses for the municipalities. This is the case of EMS and POA court costs. There are other line item expenses that are more directly comparable and are presented below.

Table 4 – Expense Lines (Selected West Parry Sound District Municipalities 2017)

  1. Estimated values for McDougall. 2017 Financial Statements not posted as of 2019-03-04. It’s possible that the McDougall figures are low on the Protection to Persons / Property expense line.

Table 5 – Expense Lines Normalized for Permanent Residents (Selected West Parry Sound District Municipalities 2017)

Let’s start with some general similarities:

  1. Transportation Services sees the municipalities spending similarly high amounts on a per resident basis to keep the roads patched and cleared in the winter. Parry Sound and McDougall being more urbanized see some savings in this area.
  2. Planning and Development expenses are pretty similar except for McDougall. Perhaps there is some overlap in responsibilities in McDougall, or there is no particular investment in this area.
  3. Protection to Persons / Property is mostly similar on a per resident basis. This is a little surprising as the McKellar and Seguin have significant seasonal populations and high-end properties that require both police and fire protection. McDougall may be unreasonably low in this category because OPP rates were revised in the last couple of years and McDougall’s financial statements are not available online as of this posting.

There are some differences:

  1. General Government sees Carling and McKellar on the high side on a per resident basis. This may well be a function of a relatively smaller resident population and the need to provide a full suite of services.
  2. Social and Family Services finds Parry Sound on the very low end of this expense on a per resident basis. This is largely due to the fact that these services are charged on a weighted assessment basis, not on population. Combined with Parry Sound’s larger population the per resident expense is low. This is offset is to a large extent by the many religious, cultural and social services located in Parry Sound that use Town services but are not subject to property taxes.
  3. Recreational and Cultural Services are the opposite with respect to Parry Sound where it spends almost five times what McDougall does on a per resident basis. Why spend the money if Parry Sound is a five minute drive away? McKellar and Carling spend more in this area but still only half of what Parry Sound does. Seguin with its many community hubs and public facilities falls only a little short of Parry Sound on a per resident basis.

Here are some additional thoughts on the actual expenditure amounts:

  1. General Government: in the case of Parry Sound the expenses include a number of unique services including POA Court that make the figures hard to compare at a top line level. In many cases these figures are offset by cost sharing or revenues.
  2. Protection to Persons / Property: this is largely a combination of OPP and Fire Department costs. Because Parry Sound is home to the area hospital, a number of government buildings and high-rise residences it is obliged to have more substantial fire management equipment. The last ladder truck was more than $1 million. OPP services are also higher because of the out of towners that come into Parry Sound and shoot the place up (kidding!). But if a Carling resident comes to Parry Sound and robs a local store or is caught buying or selling drugs that cost is borne by Parry Sound. I am not familiar with the Seguin budget and can only suggest the reasons for the higher costs are similar with the exception of the need to protect high rise developments, hospital and government and social service facilities.
  3. Social and Family Services: here we see Seguin carrying the larger load. This is the result of the cruel requirement, at least in the opinion of some in Seguin, that the Belvedere Heights expenses are apportioned on the basis of Weighted Assessment. That also explains the higher expenses paid by Carling. Here is one case where the seasonal residents are shouldering more of the load for the larger area and not just their slice of heaven.
  4. Recreational and Cultural Services: this is one area where the municipalities have some ability to make decisions on what is important. In the case of Parry Sound, the Bobby Orr Community Centre, the Waterfront, numerous parks, and the Stockey Centre represent a major portion of the expense. In the case of Seguin, the community maintains a number of community centres spread over the township. I believe that Parry Sound has done its part in this area and would be looking to the other municipalities to shoulder a larger portion of any costs for an aquatic centre. Even when apportioned for population Parry Sound is far ahead of area municipalities in providing community recreation and cultural services.
  5. Planning and Development; the only outlier here seems to be McDougall. I’m not sure if they don’t believe in active planning or the expense is budgeted under another line item. Looking a little closer it’s half of Carling’s and McKellar’s expenditures so perhaps it reflects the longer-range investment in their futures.

That’s more than enough for now. I was hoping to discuss the Muskoka tax rates as a model for how an urban, rural and seasonal residence community handles the obvious differences in service levels. You wouldn’t expect to have access water and sewer services on a lake in the backwoods of Muskoka. That’s where I will head with the next post.

West Parry Sound Amalgamation – Part 1 (The Numbers)

03 Sunday Mar 2019

Posted by in Amalgamation, Budget/Financial, Parry Sound

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This series of posts was stimulated by a question posed by friends of ours in McDougall during a dinner discussion. The host asked me why it would be in the interest of McDougall residents to consider amalgamation. My immediate response was that it wouldn’t be. Amalgamation I imagined would lead to a property tax increase of about 10-20% for McDougall residents. But that was a wild assed guess.

I have not seen any numbers on how amalgamation might impact the various municipalities. It is generally understood that amalgamation would benefit Town of Parry Sound residents but not the residents of the other municipalities. But there are no detailed numbers to look at. I wondered if I could do a rough pro forma estimate of the impact of amalgamation on property taxes based on the publicly available data. It turned out that I can, without too much difficulty. The results are surprising.

But as my wife would say, why get to the conclusion when there is a good story to tell. In this case I will present some of the background related to local municipal taxes. It really is hard to properly understand how amalgamation will impact the various municipalities without understanding where they are now in terms of tax rates and expenses.

Warning: if you don’t aren’t comfortable with numbers don’t venture further. There are lots of numbers and assumptions. Wait until the next post where there will be fewer numbers and some interpretation of what the numbers suggest.

Baseline Assumptions and Important Concepts

  1. The analysis of amalgamation tax rates includes: the Town of Parry Sound (Parry Sound), the Municipality of McDougall (McDougall), the Township of Seguin (Seguin), the Township of Carling (Carling) and the Township of McKellar (McKellar). The Township of the Archipelago (Archipelago) is not included. As a municipality the Archipelago is quite different than the five listed above. I also figure that they have enough old money in the municipality to wield an unreasonable amount of influence in Queen’s Park. Our local MPP has already gone on record as not supporting the Archipelago being part of any amalgamation. I have also not included the Township of Whitestone or the Township of McMurrich/Monteith because they are not only quite distant, but have better things to worry about.
  2. The tax rates used in this analysis are based on published 2017 figures. While the 2018 tax rates are public, the corresponding financial statements for the various municipalities are not yet available. Using 2017 as a basis provides relevant figures. For the most part tax rates have only increased a couple of percent in each of the municipalities.
  3. The assessment values for the various municipalities are Weighted Assessments. These are figures that are publicly disclosed, although not easy to find, and are based on 2017 values.
  4. From a tax rate calculation perspective the most important figure to consider is the Property Taxes collected by each of the municipalities. This is not the same figure as the budget figure for total revenue/expenses. The total revenue figure is the sum of property taxes collected plus grants (Provincial, Federal and other) plus revenues from charged services (building permits, water services and other). A municipality totes up all of the revenue it expects to receive from all sources other than Property Taxes and calculates the shortfall in revenue versus expenses. For example, the total municipality budget might be $18 million with $10 million coming from Grants, Charged Services and Other. That means the $8 million shortfall is collected from residents as Property Tax. This Property Tax is then assessed to property owners on the basis of the property assessed value and the tax rate. Each municipality has a variety of tax rates by property class. Residential property enjoys a lower tax rate for the same assessed property value than commercial or industrial properties. In total then the tax rate is adjusted in each municipality to bring in the needed revenue. In the example above this would amount to $8 million. This is why the Province’s cut in municipal grants has a major impact on tax rates. Any reduction in these grants obliges a municipality to either raise the Tax Rate, reduce expenses, or take on debt, to address the shortfall.
  5. A note about assessed property values. Property values are assessed by MPAC according to metrics that are supposed to be common for all municipalities in the province. A property with a 5,000 square foot home, two acres of land and 500 feet of waterfront should have the same general assessed value whether it is in the Archipelago, Seguin or on Lake Simcoe. There may be additional factors to consider but the idea is that there should be parity in property values based on inherent value of the property. This is important when setting tax rates. In the past it was possible for municipalities to play with both property assessments and tax rates. Currently municipalities have no control over what properties are valued at and can only adjust tax rates to meet their budget needs. This is particularly important for district type expenses, for example education and social services. These services are generally charged at the same rate, regardless of municipal tax rates, in each municipality based on MPAC assessed values. That means the Town of Parry Sound and Seguin and McKellar all have the same education tax rate for residential properties. There is however some difference in the tax rate according to class of property, for example residential, commercial and industrial. These numbers are shared in the analysis for the purpose of completeness.

Current (2017) Tax Rates for Select West Parry Sound Municipalities

This section is divided into three sections. Section One provides a summary of the 2017 Tax Rates for each of the municipalities. While there are a number of tax rate categories only the three most relevant categories are included. The full rates for each municipality can be easily found online. This section also provides the Education rates for each of the municipalities. This is relevant for the the third section where pro forma taxes by property value are presented for each of the municipalities. Tax Rates for the Archipelago are included for the purpose of comparison even though this municipality is not being considered in the standard amalgamation scenario.

Section Two summarizes the Weighted Assessments for each of the municipalities. Information on the Assessments by tax category is not readily available.

Section Three summarizes sample taxes for a variety of different property values for each of the municipalities and residential, commercial and industrial properties.

Section One – Current (2017) Tax Rates

Table 1 provides a summary of the tax rates by municipality and includes Property Tax and Education Tax Rates.

Table 1- 2017 Tax Rates by Municipality

 

Section Two – Weighted Assessments and Property Tax Collected (2017)

Table 2 – 2017 Weighted Assessments and Average Property Tax Rates

  1. Notes:
    Weighted Assessments are sourced from Belvedere Heights 2019 Levy Apportionment letter to Town of Parry Sound, February 27, 2019. Confirmed with Province of Ontario 2017 FIR Data by Year. (https://efis.fma.csc.gov.on.ca/fir/MultiYearReport/MYCIndex.html)
  2. Property Tax Collected figures were sourced from the individual municipality Financial Statements for 2017 as posted on their websites. These figures do not include Education Taxes. (Note: the Township of McDougall did not have their 2016 or 2017 Financial Statements posted online as of 2019-02-28 and had not posted the statements at the time of this post after being contacted about the oversight. Estimates were made on the basis of the posted 2015 and 2016 financial statements and posted budget information.)
  3. The effective tax rates were calculated by dividing the Property Tax collected by the total weighted assessments for each municipality. This total does not include Education Taxes.

Section Three- Pro Forma 2017 Taxes by Property Assessment

The tables below provide a summary of sample Property Tax, Education Tax and Total  taxes for properties in the municipalities. A selected number of assessments have been chosen for the sake of simpleness. Calculating other values is as simple as multiplying one of the defined figures by the appropriate factor. For example, a $200,000 assessment in Carling would have a Total Tax of $1,232 ((200,000/25000) x $1,540). Property and Education Taxes unlike income taxes are not progressive. The values chosen reflect a variety of real world assessment values. While there are no $1 million or $5 million residential properties in Parry Sound there are commercial and industrial properties with valuations on this order. In contrast there are a limited number of commercial properties with these valuations in McDougall, Seguin and Carling, but there certainly are numerous residential properties.

Table 3 – Residential Property Taxes for Defined Assessment Values (Pro Forma)

 

Table 4 – Commercial Property Taxes for Defined Assessment Values (Pro Forma)

 

Table 5 – Industrial Property Taxes for Defined Assessment Values (Pro Forma)

 

Reflections and Next Steps

As promised, there are lots of numbers. Getting a handle on these figures, which represent the current taxation situation, is critical to understanding where taxes and tax rates might head in the case of amalgamation.

The next post will provide some comments on the numbers presented in this post regarding the apparent similarities and differences in taxation approaches taken by the  municipalities. The next post will also take a look brief look at Muskoka and what types of ‘flexibility’ there might be with regards to amalgamation taxes.

(Note: I also link this post to Facebook for the convenience of some readers. I do not monitor comments or questions on Facebook. You can reach me by posting comments at this WordPress sight or by email – parrysounds at gmail.com.)

Council Agenda Preview – February 19, 2019

17 Sunday Feb 2019

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I want my 2019 Draft Budget (to the tune of I want my MTV). I can empathize with the Town’s challenges with regards to their Finance Director, but that is where senior management is supposed roll up their sleeves and get it done. Stuff happens but we still get the roads plowed, if not in the next hour or two, at least in the next six hours. Even the Director of Operations will get behind the wheel if necessary. I am concerned that we will have a budget administered to us without any public review and input. I am usually sympathetic to the challenges of running any type of operation but this is starting to have overtones of negligence.

There really is nothing of importance on the agenda. The finance folks are investing time in making sure that members of Council are properly topped up with respect to salaries (Item 9.3.1). Council and Staff are spending time on telling our neighbours what they would, and would not, like them to do with the zoning of their properties (Item 9.2.1). It’s a bit like asking your neighbour for input on an in ground swimming pool you are planning to have installed and they say they would rather you didn’t. What are you going to do?

We finally get a report from the Economic Development Officer (Item 9.3.3).

Council and Community Member remunerations are reported (Item 9.4.1). I have pasted the most relevant tables from that section at the end of this Council Agenda Preview.

One last thought: Where is the draft 2019 budget?

Closed Session

b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees (Planning Matter); (Board Appointments).

Correspondence

4.1– Marion Cross. Recycling Policy at BOCC.

4.2– Georgian Bay Forever. Requesting partnership support regarding Divert & Capture Program: The Fight to Keep Microplastics out of our Water.

4.3– Chris Cardy. Rotary Splash Pad Positive supporters advocacy to install Splash Pad.

4.4– Anna May Gillingham. Concerns about sidewalk conditions on William Street.

Deputations

5.1– Mayor Ted Comiskey, Town of Ingersoll. Ontario Municipalities Demand of “Right to Approve” Landfill Sites in jurisdiction.

5.2– Christina Bossart, Ian Sproule. Hidden Bay March Break Camp.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.2.1– Comment on Seguin Zoning By-law Amendment Application. That Council directs staff to advise the Township of Seguin that Parry Sound Council is generally supportive of regional economic development initiatives and requests that:
1. The property be rezoned to a site-specific zoning category rather than a general C3 Zone that only permits the requested uses;
2. Outlet retail uses be defined to ensure that they are not uses which would be more suitably located within the Town of Parry Sound as per Section 1 of the PPS or which would negatively impact the vitality and viability of the Parry Sound Downtown (ex. beer or liquor stores, banks or boutique retail uses);
3. Innovative technology-type uses be specifically defined in a manner which ensures they are not uses which compete with the Seguin Airport Industrial Park (in which the Town is a partner), which would be more suitably located in a serviced Settlement Area or negatively impact the environment;
4. The Zoning By-law Amendment specifically note that municipal water and sewer services will not be provided to the subject property unless the property becomes part of the Town of Parry Sound. This is to ensure the natural environment is protected and that any potential developer does not have expectations about the extension of Town of Parry Sound municipal services;
5. The appropriate studies are undertaken and implemented to ensure the protection of the natural environment, which includes the northerly waterbody (Anderson Lake) which is partially within the Town of Parry Sound, or the property be split zoned to ensure these commercial uses do not have a negative impact upon the waterfront’s features and functions; and
6. The Township of Seguin provide a notice of decision to the Clerk of the Town of Parry Sound.

9.3.1– Council Members 1/3 Tax Exemption. Direction. That staff be directed to implement remuneration increases of elected officials retroactive to January 1, 2019, as recommended in this report and consistent with Council direction as set-out in By-law 2015 – 6554.
Direction. That staff bring Council group benefits options (health/dental) for consideration to a future Council meeting.
Direction. That upon approval of Council direction regarding: remuneration increases retroactive to January 1, 2019; and consideration of Council group benefits (health, dental); staff present a comprehensive compensation by-law for Council members to a future Council meeting.

9.3.2– Bobby Orr Gift Shop Renovation. Resolution. THAT the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame gift shop renovation budget of $50,000 be approved; and the required funds be withdrawn from the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame Special Projects Reserve Fund.

9.3.3– Economic Development Report. Presentation for Council Information.

9.4.1– 2018 Statement of Remuneration to Council and Board Members. Resolution. That the 2018 Statement of Remuneration Paid to Council and Appointed Board Members, attached as Schedule “A”, be accepted.

By-laws

10.4.1– Debenture By-law. By-law 2019 – 6896. Being a By-law to Authorize the Borrowing Upon Amortizing Debentures in the Principal Amount of $4,585,451.59 Towards the Cost of the Reconstruction of William Street with Drainage Improvements, and Reconstruction of Emily St.

Council Agenda Preview – January 15, 2019

12 Saturday Jan 2019

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This week’s council meeting has a number of Closed Session items that are worth noting. I’m most interested in the whole issue of “Claim Against the Municipality Regarding 2018 Municipal Election”. Oh boy. This is the same person who suggested that a high-rise development in town should not be approved because there were not enough fire department resources to handle a fire at this new development and one of the existing higher rise developments. OMG – what if we had a fire at all four of the high-rises at Silver Birch, the three high-rises at granite Harbour and the hospital. Oh, and don’t forget the old hospital development. Would one more complex really raise the threat level? Sheesh.

I note the continuing interest and complaints regarding the proposed Splash Pad (4.1, 4.2). My suspicion is that some folks are concerned that a splash pad at Waubuno Beach would delay any potential pool complex. So, putting a stop to the splash pad would be good for a pool complex. It’s a bit Trumpian. The suggestion that the splash pad be constructed at another site makes no sense. There are no other public properties in Parry Sound that have the necessary existing space, parking, supervisory staff (lifeguards) and infrastructure (bathrooms and such) to support a splash pad. Only a pool complex would have the necessary infrastructure if Waubuno Beach can be knocked out. If Waubuno Beach is eliminated, and you really want a splash pad, then you need to support the pool complex. I wonder how many of the people chiming in on the splash pad discussion have really spent time in the public spaces in Parry Sound to realize what alternate options exist. If they had they would recognize there is no real alternative. And if they really want a quiet place to live without the ‘bother’ of visitors and tourists they should move to one of the area municipalities. They could be on a lake, or the bay, and enjoy lower taxes.

There is a resolution before Council (9.2.1) to opt-in and permit cannabis stores in the Town of Parry Sound.

Item 9.2.2 raises a point that has come up before. The Town’s effective subsidizing of regional community social services by hosting a number of tax-exempt resources (public housing, places of worship, social services …) creates a burden on Town services and by extension a financial burden on Town of Parry Sound taxpayers. This resolution acknowledges and accepts the Town’s responsibilities but requests that it be able to more easily address the unreasonable burdens placed upon it by existing legislation.

Closed Session

b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees. (Lay Appointees to Boards)
c) a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land for municipal or local board purposes. (Town`s Input as Interested Third Party to a Land Lease application)
d) labour relations or employee negotiations. (Municipal Office Hours during Festive Time)
e) litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board. (Claim Against the Municipality Regarding 2018 Municipal Election)
f) the receiving of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose. (Claim Against the Municipality Regarding 2018 Municipal Election)

Correspondence

4.1 – Susan Telford. Request for more discussion on location of proposed Splash Pad
4.2 – Colleen O’Hare. Opposition to splashpad at proposed Waubuno Beach location.
4.3 – J. Hinchliffe. State of property after infrastructure work on 40 Waubeek Street easement.
4.4 – Harald Themer. Request for formal permission to use area at 60 Seguin Street for parking.

Deputations

5.1 – Darrin O’Brien, Gord Harrison. Appeal of municipal taxation on 86 Gibson St.
5.2 – John Myer, Rebecca Pollock. Parry Sound Area Active Transportation Current Priorities
5.3 – Ruth Beattie, Nancy Regan, Parry Sound High School Parent Council. Recommended amendments to provincial guidelines governing retail cannabis stores.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.2.1 – Opt-in to permit Cannabis Retail Stores. Resolution. That Council for the Corporation of The Town of Parry Sound opts-in to permit cannabis retail stores in its community.

9.2.2 – Increasing Housing Supply. Resolution. Whereas the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Hosing has requested comments by January 25, 2019 in regard to Increasing Housing Supply in Ontario consultation document, as part of the Housing Supply Action Plan; and Whereas the Town of Parry Sound supports the goals of this document, being to expand the housing supply in Ontario, increase quality rental housing and enable home ownership; and Whereas the consultation document wishes to expand all housing types, which includes affordable housing; and Whereas Section 3(1)12iii. of the Assessment Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. A.31 provides an exemption from property taxation for any land owned by a charitable, non-profit philanthropic corporation organized for the relief of the poor if the corporation is supported in part by public funds; and

Whereas the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) has determined this provision has been applied to certain affordable housing initiatives in Ontario and resulted in a 100% tax exemption for some of these developments; and Whereas these developments still place a demand on municipal services and their tax relief must therefore be recouped from other property owners, resulting in increased taxation; and Whereas this Section of the Assessment Act will adversely impact the goals contained in the Increasing Housing Supply in Ontario consultation document, by creating a negative stigma towards affordable housing and a reluctance to support future affordable housing projects; and Whereas it is very difficult to monitor an exempt development over time to determine if the development has changed its mandate or operations such that it would no longer qualify for the exemption; and Whereas an appeal of MPAC’s decision to exempt a property cannot be appealed to the Assessment Review Board but must be done through a Court Application which can be time consuming and costly.

Now therefore be it resolved that the Town of Parry Sound supports increasing the overall housing supply and supports affordable housing projects; and That Section 3(1)12iii. of the Assessment Act which places an unfair tax burden upon municipalities, should be amended such that the local municipality that bears the financial burden should be permitted flexibility and the ability to determine the extent of any financial relief provided in their community; and further That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Honourable Steve Clark, MPP, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Mr. Norman Miller, MPP, Parry Sound – Muskoka, the Director of the Market Housing Branch of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).

9.2.3 – EMS Ambulance Replacements for 2019. Resolution. That upon the recommendation of the EMS Advisory Committee, the Town of Parry Sound approves the replacement of three ambulances to be delivered in late winter 2019; and That the supplier of record, Crestline, be awarded the contract for the supply of these three ambulances in the amount of $126,578.78 + HST each, with funding from the 2019 EMS equipment reserve fund; and That the upon delivery of the 2019 ambulances, the three being replaced be deemed surplus with two of them being donated to the First Response Teams in McKellar and Argyle, and the third being traded into Crestline for the sum of $10,000.00.

 

By-laws

10.3.1 Downtown Business Association/Town of Parry Sound Memorandum of Understanding: Downtown Standard of Care. By-law 2019-6888. Being a By-law to authorize the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound and the Parry Sound Downtown Business Association for Downtown Standard of Care, and to repeal By-law No: 2017-6783.

Council Agenda Preview – December 18, 2018

16 Sunday Dec 2018

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I initially thought that the meeting on the 18thwould simply be a public meeting to get public opinion on the retail cannabis stores but it seems to be a full meeting of Council. I provided my written comments to the Town regarding the retail cannabis store issue a month ago. I support the establishment of a cannabis retail store presence in Parry Sound. It seems that it will be some time before Parry Sound might see a commercial presence based on a recent announcement that the Province intends to start with only 25 retail stores. I suspect that Parry Sound won’t be among the twenty-five. The local cannabis black market will be secure for at least another year or two.

The other notable issue that seems to be getting people’s knickers in a twist is the issue of a splashpad. I’ll share my thoughts on this later in the week after I’ve had a chance to hear arguments on the issue at Tuesday’s deputation portion of the council meeting.

An abridged version of the agenda is presented below. Refer to the full agenda package at the Town’s website for a complete agenda with the supporting documentation.

Closed Meeting

b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees. (Appointments to Boards and Committees);
d) labour relations or employee negotiations; (Non-union Salary Schedule); (Personnel Update)
e) litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board; (Assessment appeal/court application); (Planning Matter);

Public Meeting

2.1.1 Public Consultation on Permitting Cannabis Retail Stores in Parry Sound.

2.1.2 Cannabis Retail Stores and the Municipal Option to Permit or Prohibit

Correspondence

4.1 – Julia Mader, Keep Waubuno Green. Request that an alternative location to the Waubuno Beach Park be considered for the proposed splash pad.

4.2 – Colleen Moore, Parry Sound resident. Opposition to proposed splash pad and request to support pool instead.

4.3 – Peter Scotland, Parry Air H.T.G. Parking by-laws in place at lower end of James Street.

4.4 – Jim Marshall, Chair, West Parry Sound District Museum. Request for 2019 contribution of $31,800 from the Town of Parry Sound.

4.5 – Susan Hrycyna, DBA Executive Administrator. Appointment of Directors for term 2019-2022.

Deputations

5.1 – Julia Mader, Keep Waubuno Green. Request that an alternative location to the Waubuno Beach Park be considered for the proposed splash pad.

5.2 – Peter Scotland, Parry Air H.T.G. Parking by-laws in place at lower end of James Street.

5.3 – Nadine Hammond, Curator/Manager, Museum on Tower Hill. 2018 Museum statistics and 2019 Museum special exhibits

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.2.1 – 2019 Land Ambulance Budget. Resolution. That upon recommendation of the EMS Advisory Committee, the Council of the Town of Parry Sound adopts the 2019 Land Ambulance Budget in the amount of $9,734,405.00.

9.3.1 – Recognizing Employer Support of our Volunteer Firefighters. Direction. That Mayor and Council send a letter of appreciation to those employers that permit their employees to respond to emergency calls during work and to those who are self-employed.

9.3.2 – Support the Creation of a Founders Circle in Parry Sound. Resolution. That Council hereby supports the Parry Sound Muskoka Community Networks (PMCN) initiative to create a Founders Circle in Parry Sound by the Town becoming a member at a cost of $1,000 annually.

9.4.1 – General Insurance Renewal and Cyber Insurance. Resolution. That Council hereby approves the renewal of the Corporation’s general insurance policy with BFL Canada at the premium of $283,050 plus tax for the one-year period ending December 15, 2019; and That Council hereby approves the purchase of a cyber insurance policy from BFL Canada at the premium of $12,494.00 for the period from the policy inception date to December 15, 2019.

9.5.1 – Status Update on the Parry Sound Area Cultural and Recreation Master Plan. Direction. That staff be directed to provide a status update on the Parry Sound Area Cultural and Recreation Master Plan as part of upcoming budget deliberations, for consideration of 2019 budget allocation for a revised or new Parry Sound Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan.

By-laws

10.4.1 – 2019 Interim Tax Levy. By-law 2018 – 6886. Being a By-Law to provide for an interim tax levy, for the payment of taxes, and for penalty and interest at 1 1/4 percent per month for the 2019 taxation year.

The Vacancy Tax Issue – Seth Godin

24 Wednesday Oct 2018

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From a Seth Godin blog post earlier this month. It’s worth a read and it’s worth subscribing to his posts. Was he thinking about Parry Sound? No, but if the shoe fits.

Considering the vacancy tax

seths.blog · by Seth Godin, October 9, 2018 

Landlords are notorious for having a bias toward raising the rent. They’re in it for the long haul, they’ve seen downturns before, and while they’re quick to raise rents in good times, they are loathe to lower rents, even if it means sitting with an empty storefront for months at a time.

While this math might be compelling for some landlords, it’s terrible for the cities those buildings are located in.

Empty storefronts deny residents accessible services.

They lead to vandalism and other crime.

And they suck the vibrancy from the neighborhood.

They also deprive the municipality from sales tax revenue, cost jobs and take watchful eyes away from the neighborhood as well.

If we view the ability to have a well-cared for, civil neighborhood as a privilege, it’s logical to consider a vacancy tax for landlords as an incentive for them to lower rents when decreased demand happens because retailers can’t afford the old rent.

It could be something like: For any storefront that’s empty, after two months of vacancy, the landlord has to pay a tax of 20% of the average rent they’d be receiving. All the money would go to neighborhood improvements and policing.

Lower rents create new innovations, which leads to more interaction and more vibrant neighborhoods. And in the long run, it gives landlords an incentive to do what actually generates more of what they seek as well.

seths.blog · by October 9, 2018 · October 9, 2018

Council Agenda Preview – August 16, 2018

11 Saturday Aug 2018

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Reviewing the Town of Parry Sound Council Agenda and the attachments provides insights into the issues the Town faces and is wrestling with that don’t surface in most discussions or editorials. This week’s agenda is a reminder of a couple of these issues:

4.5, 10.1.2 – Intensification. The Town of Parry Sound occupies a unique position in the larger region with respect to real estate and services.

Properties represent an especially interesting dilemma. With two trans Canada train lines running through the Town with the accompanying noise and pollution, and no available waterfront property, there is little incentive for the construction of higher end residential properties in Parry Sound. If you want peace and quiet, albeit with a bit of travel for services (and limited high-speed internet) you build your dream home in one of the neighbouring municipalities. As a bonus you pay about half the property taxes that you would in Parry Sound. That leaves Parry Sound property best suited for lower cost, and higher density, development, including subsidized housing. Since there is such a shortage of lower cost rental properties in the area, renters really can’t quibble about the trains. This is neither good nor bad, it reflects market realities. There is little possibility that Parry Sound will ever be subject to gentrification. It’s all about the trains, an issue that no one wants to acknowledge and address. (Yes, there is little that can be done, but sometimes acknowledging a reality can lead to creative solutions.) The issue is that Parry Sound is undergoing the opposite of gentrification, and that’s probably not ideal, certainly not balanced. There are too many landlords, and would be landlords, in Parry Sound who want to cram as many people as possible in the smallest space possible with the lowest construction costs possible. There is nothing wrong with this approach, it makes the best possible use of the available land. This may explain in part why Parry Sound isn’t as pretty as Port Carling or Bracebridge or Huntsville. Why spend money on aesthetics if it’s a rental property? An architect with an inspired design, and a few more windows, only cost more and likely will have higher operating costs. Many of the stately older homes in Town have been renovated to permit multiple apartments, and it’s likely that more and more will be converted. Why would an individual spend the money to buy and update an older home when they can get more for less in one of the neighbouring municipalities?

Both 4.5 (subsidized housing) and 10.1.2 (triplet to quadplex) represent another step in this direction. Like putting on a few pounds, it’s best to acknowledge the change rather than ignore it or pretend our underwear has shrunk. Perhaps adding on a few more pounds is exactly what we wanted, or perhaps not.

9.3.1– Expenses: The most interesting part of this short item is the decision by Council to refinance the Smelter Wharf loan rather than pay it off as planned. I wonder what the thinking was on this? Also notable is the uncollectable amounts related to tax appeals. It seems that the Big Box stores continue to appeal for lower assessments, and the town doesn’t expect to win. From the agenda package (bold highlights are my addition):
“Total tax levy surplus in 2017 amounted $197,319, mainly due to the refinancing of the Smelter Wharf loan ($324k) which was budgeted to be paid off, and a one-time grant from the Province to compensate for the loss of tax revenue on the Lakeland Long-Term Care facility ($173k), offset by higher allowance for anticipated uncollectable tax amounts for the properties under appeals (-$240k)and winter control expenses (-$83k). During the year, staff adjusted the timing of some approved expenditures based on operational needs and resource availability. As a result, some expenditures that would be funded by reserves or reserve funds have been delayed into 2018. The delay will have no impact on the 2018 levy.”

Closed Session

(c) a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board; (Agreement of Purchase and Sale)

Correspondence

4.1 – Parry Sound Active Transportation Committee. Writing with concerns about the safety of St. Charles crossing on Isabella St for pedestrians and cyclists.

4.3 Parry Sound Anglers and Hunters Sportsman’s Gun Show, August 25th, 2018. Concerning denial of their request for a sandwich board sign near McDonald’s for their gun show which will be held in MacTier this year due to their temporary relocation due to scheduled renovations at BOCC.

4.5 – Parry Sound Affordable Housing Development Corporation. Requesting support in principle in the development of an affordable housing initiative on Waubeek Street in partnership with Parry Sound DSSAB.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.1.1 – Application for Council Approved Sign – 21 William Street. Resolution. That pursuant to section 3.(4) of the Sign By-law, the Chief Building Official is authorized to issue a permit for a ground sign in front of 21 William Street pursuant to the following conditions and variances:
a) The appearance and size of the sign shall be substantially according to the application,
b) The setback for the sign may be as little as 1.0m from the back of the sidewalk, and
c) All other regulations in the sign by-law continue to apply except for those revised by this resolution.

9.3.1 – 2017 Year End Transfers. Resolution. That Council approves the transfers to and from Reserves as summarized in Schedule A attached; That Council approves the transfers to and from Reserve Funds as summarized in Schedule B attached; And That 2017 capital projects which were previously budgeted to be funded from reserves or reserve funds may be completed in 2018.

9.3.2 – 2017 Audited Financial Statements. Resolution. That Council for the Town of Parry Sound does hereby approve the Draft Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2017 as attached in Schedule A.

9.5.1 – Sandwich Board signs for events outside of Parry Sound borders. Direction. That staff be directed to explore the option of delegating approval and terms/conditions for the placement of signs on town property to advertise events outside of the boundaries of the Town of Parry Sound to the CAO.

By-laws

10.1.1 – Declaration of Surplus Lands. By-law 2018 – 6856. Being a By-law to declare Lot 1 of Plan 63 in the Town of Parry Sound surplus to the Town of Parry Sound.

10.1.2 – Rezoning Application – Z/18/5 – 24 Albert Street (Jackson on behalf of Moore). By-law 2018 – 6857. Being a By-law to amend By-law 2004-4653 (The Zoning By-law), as amended, for 24 Albert Street (Jackson on Behalf of Moore).

10.1.3 – Big Sound Marina Agreement One Year Extension with Massasauga Management Co. By-law 2018 – 6858. Being a bylaw 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, and supersede amending By-law No: 2017-6704 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.

10.4.1 – Establish Bobby Orr Hall of Fame (BOHF) Scholarship Reserve Fund. By-law 2018 – 6859. Being a By-law to provide for the establishment of a reserve fund to be known as the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame Scholarship Reserve Fund.

 

 

Council Agenda Preview – June 19, 2018

17 Sunday Jun 2018

Posted by in Parry Sound, Town Council

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There are a few items on this week’s agenda that caught my attention, and at least one of them had me shaking my head. A bit of commentary precedes the key agenda items.

Closed Session c) – a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land for municipal or local board purposes. (Two potential Property Purchases) The Town is looking at acquiring more land. I wonder what’s up. Is it related to a pool complex, the Parry sound Road extension? Let me know if you have some inkling as to where the Town is planning on spending money.

4.2– Seeking payment for damage done when a tree on town property fell on her home. My response is wow. Sometimes is easier to just accept responsibility and move on – but that might create precedent, so deny responsibility. The big organizations can do this because they have the resources to wait out the ‘little people’, (aka the taxpayer). This has to do with a tree branch that fell off a Town tree and pulled down a power line leading to a home. The homeowner is asking the Town to reimburse them for the $900 cost to have the power standard repaired. I am familiar with the situation as it took place in the home across the street from us. After more than 33 pieces of correspondence, and 3 months the claim was denied based on the contention that the tree was healthy and the branch falling down was an act of God. The Town of course proceeded to take the tree down at a cost of about $3,000 by my estimate. There was evidence that the tree was diseased but no one is willing to accept responsibility or declare the tree diseased and a Town responsibility, especially the Town’s insurer. I have attached the full correspondence thread from the agenda package through this link (40 pages). It’s a not very artful example of ‘passing the buck’. The buck it seems stops with the taxpayer.

9.1.1 – Façade Improvement Program Recommendations.There is quite a bit being invested by the Town in improving business signage.

Closed Session

  1. a) the security of property of the municipality or local board. (Boundary Matter)
    b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees. (Internal Staff Issue)
    c) a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land for municipal or local board purposes. (Two potential Property Purchases)

Correspondence

4.1 – Richard and Marilyn Mooder. 16 Rosetta Street. Concerns regarding the flushing of wastewater pipes on Rosetta in 2017 as part of the annual maintenance and how it effected their house.

4.2 – Elaine Pelleboer, 7 Redwood Drive. Seeking payment for damage done when a tree on town property fell on her home. Response from Staff provided.

Deputations

5.1 – John Meyer and Teryl Faulkner, Parry Sound Area Active Transportation. Presentation of a proposed Bicycle Route on Bowes Street

5.2 – Brenda Muller of Whispering River Orchestra. Information regarding the Whispering River Orchestra and the search for a new home for the Orchestra in Parry Sound.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.1.1 – Façade Improvement Program Recommendations. Resolution. That upon the recommendation of the 2018 Façade Improvement Review Committee, Council approves:
a) 93 James Street (No Ordinary Days) in the amount of $18,606.61;
b) 15 James Street (Bearly Used Books) in the amount of $6,100.00;
c) 10 Bowes Street (Sound Ideas Audiology) in the amount of $2,875.00; and
d) 25 Mary Street (Parry Sound Bikes) in the amount of $12,418.39.
And further that Agreement Letters be drafted and executed by the successful applicants.

9.1.2 – Consent Application – B 14/2018 (PS) (Downing) – 8 Edward Street. Resolution. That Consent Application No. B14/2018 (PS) (Downing) – 8 Edward Street, be supported subject to a condition which requires an easement over the drainage course in favour of the Town; and That the owner of 8 Edward Street be advised that it is their responsibility to restore the drainage course to its original abilities to dispose of stormwater should any drainage issues result from their recent alterations.
Resolution.
That the Mayor and Clerk are authorized to execute the easement documentation. That all legal costs to register the easement be paid for by the Town.

9.1.3 – 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 summers of 2019 and 2020 upon payment of a fee of $50 per season, and
e) All other regulations in the sign by-law continue to apply except for those revised by this resolution.

9.2.1 – 2018 International Sports Heritage Association Conference, San Francisco, California. Resolution. That Council authorizes Caitlin Dyer to attend the 2018 International Sports Heritage Association Conference in San Francisco, California September 26th – 28th, 2018, further to By-law No:2008-5173 which requires prior Council approval for attendance at seminars, conferences and conventions outside of the Province of Ontario.

9.2.2 – Council Member Pregnancy, Birth and/or Adoption of Child Leave Policy. Resolution. Whereas the Ontario government passed legislation under Bill 68, Modernizing Ontario’s Municipal Legislation Act; and Whereas the Bill received Royal Assent on May 30, 2017 and is now in effect; and Whereas a number of Ontario Regulations were provided with the Bill; one of which was the policy development of a Pregnancy/Parental Leave policy by all Ontario municipalities;
Now, therefore be it resolved that Council for the Town of Parry Sound approve the Council Member Pregnancy, Birth and/or Adoption of Child Leave Policy attached as Schedule “A”.

9.2.3 – Second Quarter Goal Plans Update. Resolution. That Council approves the June, 2018 Second Quarter Goal Plan update, attached as Schedule “A”.

9.3.1 – 2017 Annual Investment Report. Resolution. That Council accepts the 2017 Annual Investment Report and the attached Schedule “A” in accordance with Town’s Investment Policy.

By-laws

10.2.1 – Amendments to the Election Sign By-law. By-law 2018 – 6838. Being a by-law to regulate Election Signs in the Town of Parry Sound in federal, provincial and municipal elections and to repeal By-law 2018-6831.

10.3.1 – DBA Lease Agreement Renewal. By-law 2018 – 6839. Being a by-law to authorize the execution of an agreement between the Parry Sound Downtown Board of Management and the Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound for a lease renewal for use of a specified portion of the Municipal Office.

10.3.2 – By-law to specify claw back percentages for 2018 property taxes. By-law 2018 – 6840. Being a By-law to Specify the “Claw-back Percentages” in Respect of Properties in the Commercial Class for 2018 Taxation Year.

10.4.1 – Union Gas Franchise Agreement. By-law 2018 – 6841. Being a by-law to execute the Union Gas Franchise Agreement and repeal by-law 98-4008.
Resolution. That Council hereby resolve that:
1. This Council approves the form of draft by-law and franchise agreement attached as Schedule “A” and authorizes the submission thereof to the Ontario Energy Board for approval pursuant to the provisions of Section 9 of The Municipal Franchises Act; and
2. This Council requests that the Ontario Energy Board make an Order declaring and directing that the assent of the municipal electors to the attached draft by-law and franchise agreement, attached as Schedule “A”, pertaining to the Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound is not necessary pursuant to the provisions of Section 9(4) of the Municipal Franchises Act; and
3. That the Clerk be directed to provide Union Gas with four certified true copies of this resolution and attachment per their request.

 

Council Agenda Preview – April 3, 2018

30 Friday Mar 2018

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Things are again light this coming week. A few points worth noting:

Closed Session a) – I wonder what’s up with this Oastler Park Drive property. The Town purchased this property for several hundred thousand dollars last year. I was refused information on why the Town purchased the property and its future plans. It’s our money and their secret.

4.1 – Letter / Splash Pad discussion. I agree with the writer’s question about the timing for the start of serious splash pad discussions. The concept of connecting discussions for a splash pad with a municipal pool complex seems strange for all sorts of reasons, unless of course there are thoughts about a pool complex in the vicinity of Waubuno Beach. Then it all makes sense, but I don’t think so.

10.3.1 – Ontario’s Main Street Revitalization Initiative Transfer Payment. This is a very nice $43K present from the Province that is intended for use to ‘spruce up’ the Town.

The more material items on the agenda are listed below.

Closed Session

a) the security of property of the municipality or local board (property on Oastler Park Drive, Various Economic Initiatives)
b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees (Licensing Appeal, Recruitment)

Correspondence

4.1 – Chris Cardy, resident. Letter regarding both the proposed splash pad and the pool complex. Is asking why they cannot be dealt with separately.

4.3 – BDO Planning Report. Audit Plan for the consolidated financial statements of The Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound for the year ending December 31, 2017

Deputations

5.1 – Dianna Allen, Rick Harrington and Delaina Arnold, Parry Sound Area Food Collaborative. Raising of Backyard Chickens

5.2 – Anne Bossart. Update on Tower Hill Activities

5.3 – Stuart Morley of PSM Community Net. Graham Porter of Network Space. Town Crier WiFi Project for downtown Parry Sound.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.1.1 Commencement of Fees and Charges By-law for the Installation of Water, Sewer and Storm Services. Resolution. Whereas Lots 7-15, 37-41, and 43-48 of Plan M405 are zoned with a Holding Provision which precludes development until municipal water and sewer services are delivered to the subject properties; and Whereas the majority of property owners and Town of Parry Sound Council wish to see the lots serviced to facilitate residential development. Now therefore be it resolved that Town Council:
1. Directs staff to initiate the tender process to provide water, sewer and storm sewer services to the properties;
2. Authorizes that the project will initially be paid for by the Town of Parry Sound through the General Working Reserve;
3. Directs staff to prepare a Fees and Charges By-law that will recover the costs of the infrastructure from the benefitting property owners;
4. Agrees to pay for the engineering report and legal costs of the project; and
5. Directs staff to remove the “h” symbol for all eligible lots.

9.2.1 – Election Sign By-law – Draft #2 Direction. That staff be directed to bring back the draft Election Sign By-law to the May1st, 2018 Council Meeting, for disposition by Council after the 14-day public notice period so the public may have the opportunity to provide comments.

9.4.1 – Georgian Bay Forever Request for Town assistance with a Pilot Project. Resolution. That upon the review of the documentation provided by Georgian Bay Forever, the Town of Parry Sound support, in principle, their pilot project to identify the amount of microplastics/fibres that enter the waterways from washing synthetic materials used in clothing; and That the Town of Parry Sound allow limited, guided access to the Town Wastewater Treatment Plant at times convenient to staff to take collections and samples; and That any promotion for the project be the responsibility of Georgian Bay Forever; and That Georgian Bay Forever take full responsibility for any involvement with the public related to the installation and any ongoing maintenance of any filters on private property.

9.4.1 – Tender for Grass Seed. Resolution. That Council accept the quotation from Speare Seeds for 2030 kgs of grass seed in the amount of $9,706 including HST, this quotation being the lowest quotation of five (5) received.

By-laws

10.3.1 – Ontario’s Main Street Revitalization Initiative Transfer Payment Agreement. By-law 2018 – 6822. A By-law to authorize the execution of a Transfer Payment Agreement between Her Majesty the Queen in right of the Province of Ontario (as represented by the Association of the Municipalities of Ontario) and the Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound on the Ontario’s Main Street Revitalization Initiative.

10.3.2 – Extension of Time to Pay Tax Arrears with the owner of 107.5 Church Street in Parry Sound. By-law 2018 – 6823. Being a by-law to authorize an agreement for an extension of time to pay tax arrears for property roll number 4932 050 003 15210 0000.

10.4.1 – Weeks Construction Inc. Contract – Waubeek Street. By-law 2018 – 6824. Being a bylaw to authorize the execution of a Contract Agreement between Weeks Construction Inc. and the Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound for the reconstruction of Waubeek Street.

 

Wet Dreams? Part 4

05 Monday Feb 2018

Posted by in Budget/Financial, Parry Sound, Reflections

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It was about a month ago that a CBC article arrived in my news feed. It said that one third of Canadians live paycheck to paycheck. It stunned me, although I wasn’t surprised. I don’t think that Parry Sound has any reason to believe that its residents are any better off.

A Thought Experiment

Let’s take a family in Parry Sound with two children. Let’s assume that they rent and pay $1,000 per month not including utilities. That’s not an unreasonable estimate for an apartment big enough for two or three children. Rent represents a large portion of their disposable income. Let’s also assume that a pool is built in a multi-municipal partnership and as a result Parry Sound taxes go up by 2%, a best-case scenario. That means the landlord’s taxes will go up and be passed on to tenants. Let’s assume it’s a simple 1% rent increase to cover the cost of the tax increase. A landlord has more than taxes as part of expenses. This family now is paying another $10 per month or $120 per year to support a municipal pool. If they want to use the pool they need to find another $1,000, or a month’s rent, to pay for a family membership at the pool. Can they swing this? Not if they are living paycheck to paycheck.

A Pool for Exactly Who?

Exactly who is a municipal pool intended to serve? Well, it will obviously only serve those who want to swim and have the resources to get to the pool. That’s not everyone and it may not even be a majority of residents. A pool will also serve only those who can afford a pool membership. That further shrinks the ‘pool’ of users. Everyone else will be helping to subsidize the pool for those who want to swim recreationally or competitively, are able to access it, and can afford it.

Actually, it will be only a tiny minority of people who use the pool. Any pool will operate much like a commercial gym. Gyms price their memberships to entice people to buy in, realizing that it will only be a small percentage who actually use it regularly. Most gyms are unable to properly serve all of the people who have paid for a membership if they were to show up regularly. The net/net is that the gym owner makes a profit and the people who actually use the facility are paying less than they really should because of the effective subsidy of others. In this case of a pool all taxpayers are being asked to cover the cost for what will be used by only a few. According to StatCan there are 16,000 people living in the municipalities considering participating in a pool. How many of these can you fit into a pool at one time? Or in one week?

Don’t believe or like this line of thinking? Here is a link to an article in the Washington Post that discusses the business of gym memberships. They note that one gym has 6,000 total members but only capacity for 300. That sounds about right for a pool, but with a 16,000 to 300 ratio.

All-Star Game – Magic Johnson to Darryl Dawkins for a Dunk

There is the point being made that a pool would help with the recruitment of medical professionals to the West Parry Sound Health Centre (WPSHC). That opinion was made clear a couple of years ago when the CEO of the WPSHC made a presentation of Parry Sound Town Council. After the presentation the Parry Sound CAO soft lobbed a question to the CEO asking if a pool would assist with recruitment. Like a Magic Johnson pass to Darryl Dawkins at an All-Star game, the CEO grabbed the alley oop and not only slammed it home, he broke the backboard. Beautiful. And like any All-Star Game it really didn’t make any difference.  A pool can make a difference in recruitment, but ….

Is it enough? Can a pool really make a difference? It’s an 11-million, or even 20-million-dollar bet.

Talking to others I have come to understand that perhaps the biggest reason recruitment is an issue may not be the lack of the pool, but the lack of good opportunity for two career families. Heck, it’s a problem for all families thinking of moving to the Parry Sound area, not just physicians. A physician may be married to a lawyer, or a chartered accountant, or an engineer, or a biologist, or a management consultant, or …. How easy is it for both adults to find good career advancing jobs in the Greater Parry Sound Area?

There is also the issue of educational resources. You have seen the local academic scores. Health professionals are presumably competitive academically, and probably want the best learning environment for their children. That means children learning in an environment where it is not only the teachers that challenge them, but also other students with similar goals and advantages. Do we have magnet schools for the musically or scientifically gifted? Rosseau Lake College is excellent, but as a private school has its own set of pros and cons for a parent to consider.

It’s perhaps better for physicians or top medical professionals to work in an urban centre and provide their families with all of the available benefits and cottage in the Greater Parry Sound Area. Win-win. Weekdays, a vibrant multicultural urban centre, access to educational resources, a local church, synagogue or mosque, and of course a pool and much, much more. Weekends, the relaxation and connection to nature on a lake or river in the West Parry Sound area.

Perhaps that too negative. It’s possible that a pool can help with medical professional and executive recruitment, but it needs to be part of a larger recruitment plan. Let’s see the plan.

It All About Access

How do we make a case for a pool recognizing that at this point it is largely the pet project of a relatively limited number of folks wealthy enough to take advantage of it?

The answer in my opinion is to make it accessible to children, through a school program. That doesn’t necessarily mean attaching it to the new ‘super school’. I understand that there is no room, and more importantly no budget. That’s okay. If we want the pool to be part of the community, we need to introduce children to it. Even if they only get a dozen dips in a school year it is an important experience that might have lifelong implications, and one they would not have been able to enjoy otherwise. There may be a future Olympian waiting to have their potential revealed.

That family who saw their rent go up $120 per year because of a new pool might be okay with the increase if their children we able to use the pool without any additional charge.

Lessons of the Bobby Orr Community Centre

Let’s not use the Bobby Orr Community Centre model as a template for a municipal pool. At this point the taxpayers of Parry Sounds subsidize the BOCC to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars per year. Beyond its use for meetings as well as community and private events the BOCC is primarily used as an ice rink. But as an ice rink its use is pretty much limited to organizations who pay for ice time. The organizations who pay for ice time play an important role in subsidizing the BOCC expenses and are given top priority in terms of ice time assignment. This results in other taxpayers, casual skaters, having very limited use of the facility, sometimes depending on the Mayor or Tim Hortons to cover the cost of a free skating period. People do have access to free skating at the Kinsmen Park, but that depends on the weather and the contribution of volunteers. Let’s not hope that a municipal pool would, like the Bobby Orr Community Centre, be limited to those who pay a premium or participate in programmed content while all others are relegated to Waubuno Beach, and subject to season and weather.

If a pool is a municipal resource that is subsidized by the taxpayer, the taxpayer needs to have access. A pool cannot become a resource that is reserved for those who can afford to pay more or are willing to participate in structured programs. Structured programs, swimming lessons and swim club, will be necessary, but shouldn’t preclude regular casual public access.

Concluding Comments and Suggestion

Building a pool for the right reasons and with the financial involvement of the neighbouring municipalities can make sense if it is done for the right reasons with a plan that encourages use by all. Or at the very least doesn’t create any artificial barriers.

How about we forgo any basic user fees and make it free to all municipal residents? Add in another $300,000 to the annual expense line that might come from user fees and spread the cost among the communities. You pay just a very little bit more in your taxes but that’s all it costs to access the pool unless you use the programming. That family with two kids could then afford to go for a Saturday morning swim in the middle of January.

There is an election coming up, let’s put it to the voters to decide. Let’s not leave the decision up to a few dozen individuals who raise enough fuss that they get their way. That has worked too well in the past, perhaps not to the benefit of the larger community. In Parry Sound the squeaky wheels, as long as there are enough of them, get the budget. Let’s remember the many folks who live paycheck to paycheck when we look at how tax money should be spent.

That’s it for me on this topic. I may chip in with some comments at some future point. I will be interested in watching how this initiative progresses. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

(Disclosure: I can afford my portion of any tax increase that is part of a joint municipal pool initiative. I can also afford a $1,000 per year pool membership.)