The following are brief reports of items discussed during an Oct. 13 Minden Hills committee-of-the-whole meeting.
Minden Hills’ OPP bill for 2017 will be $1.95 million up more than $104000 from its 2016 bill which totalled about $1.85 million.
That increase will amount to a 1.52 per cent increase in the township’s tax levy which will most likely be passed directly to taxpayers.
OPP officers received a 2.65 per cent wage increase for 2015 and 1.95 per cent wage increase for 2016. Under an arbitrated wage settlement with the Ontario Provincial Police Association officers will receive a 1.9 per cent increase for 2017 and a 1.75 per cent increase for 2018.
Revising renewable energy policy
Council will be reexamining Policy 100 the township’s renewable energy policy to make it more expedient and straight-forward for staff.
“I look to council to review this policy” planner Ian Clendening told councillors.
“Obviously it has to work for staff” said Reeve Brent Devolin. “It has to be understandable. I would definitely like to see some further work.”
Devolin also said that having all of the renewable energy project proposals received by the township reviewed by its renewable energy task force is proving impractical since feed-in tariff (FIT) program applications typically come with such a constricted time period attached.
“They’re not all going to the task force it just can’t happen” Devolin said. “If you send them all there it becomes another level of bureaucracy.”
Expanding social media presence
“Our social media currently only resides with the cultural centre” community services director Mark Coleman told councillors.
The Minden Hills Cultural Centre operates Facebook and Twitter accounts it uses to promote its activities.
Under new website management and social media policies the township will create corporate administrative Facebook and Twitter accounts as well as Facebook and Twitter accounts for the Minden Hills Community Centre.
Moving quonset hut
The township will pay Fowler Construction $150000 for the relocation of the quonset hut once located near the arena parking lot to a new location near the ball diamonds.
A total of $80000 had been budgeted for the project.
The building had to be moved to make way for the affordable housing complex currently under construction near the arena.
The largest part of that bill nearly $75000 is for the pouring of a new engineered concrete slab. There will also be a storage room extension for $25000.
Fowler had the only qualifying bid for the job.
