Joanne Layh | Special to the 51暗网
On Tuesday night Jasper municipal council heard the first of two public budget presentations scheduled for this week. Tuesday night鈥檚 meeting included presentations from the Finance and Administration, Legislative Services, Culture and Recreation and Community and Family Services departments.
Finance and Administration director Natasha Malenchak led the presentations by explaining some of the challenges facing the community.
Malenchak said that Jasper has experienced a record number of visitors over the last few years, surpassing all previous annual counts since data collection began in 1930.
With a population of approximately 5,000 residents, Jasper hosts close to 2.5 million visitors each year, and although municipal services and facilities are intentionally oversized to accommodate visitor demand, they are paid for primarily with by property taxes levied against local residential and commercial properties.
鈥淧rovincial and federal government revenue and taxation benefits gained from tourism are not shared with municipalities,鈥� Malenchak stated. 鈥淭he proposed 2020 operating and capital budgets reflect these realities.鈥�
The proposed 2020 budget would see an estimated 5.3 per cent tax increase, which would equate to a $7 increase per $100,000 assessed value for residential properties and $35 per $100,000 for commercial properties.
Finance and Administration
Malenchak presented a budget with a tax increase of .56 per cent for the finance department.
In her presentation to council, Malenchak outlined the following upcoming initiatives for Finance and Administration department:
Alternative sources of revenue options;
Reserve and budget policies;
Utility rate bylaw review;
Emergency preparedness;
Electronic fund transfer;
Updating payroll system; and
Continue with housing initiatives.
Malenchak also presented council with the following 2020 capital requests, totalling $453,000:
Exchange upgrade to email system - $20,000;
Replace MDJHost1 Server at AC - $30,000;
Diamond software upgrade - $8,000;
JCHC housing project continuation - $245,000; and
Office meeting space design and construction (administration portion) - $150,000.
Legislative Services
Legislative service manager Christine Nadon presented a budget with a tax increase of .85 per cent for her department.
Nadon identified the creation of a legislative executive assistant position as one of the major initiatives her department would like to undertake in 2020 to help address adequate staffing levels, provide administrative support to the mayor, council and chief administrative officer and support with implementing the new records management program.
Nadon also identified emergency management and the development of a communications plan as major initiatives for her department in 2020.
鈥淲hat we would like to do next year with more help if the new position is approved for the executive assistant that would free up some resources so we could focus more accurately on our communications,鈥� Nadon said.
鈥淚 just want to be clear about the intent of the position and council鈥檚 intent. At a previous time there was $40,000 set aside for contract help on the administrative side,鈥� Mayor Richard Ireland said. 鈥淏ut when I hear you say, 鈥榯o assist mayor and council鈥� that is not, I think, reflective of what we understand this position, although it may assist council to get its job done, it is a position that benefits the organization, but principally, at least from what I understood, principally to assist the CAO鈥y concern, apart from the cost of the position, is where it sits.鈥�
Chief administrative officer Mark Fercho suggested the position could be positioned elsewhere in the organizational chart.
Culture and Recreation
Culture and recreation director Yvonne McNabb presented a budget with a tax increase of .30 per cent.
In her presentation to council, McNabb identified the follow upcoming initiatives for the culture and recreation department:
Centralized asset accounting system (overlaps with other departments);
Recreation services plan review;
Marketing and communications strategy;
Reduce carbon footprint; and
Long term plan for grounds.
McNabb presented the following 2020 capital requests:
Arena
Arena lobby roof replacement (roof is leaking in two locations) - $270,000;
Replacement of slab and boards $1,470,000;
Engineering and architecture construction plans for accessible change rooms - $540,000;
Walk behind floor cleaner $5,000; and
Tractor/floor machine for ice removal - $50,000.
Activity Centre
Retile basement showers - $50,000;
Main entrance upgrades - $245,000;
Storage room in multipurpose space - $75,000;
Activity centre office meeting space design and construction - $250,000 ($400,000 combined total includes $150,000 administration contribution);
Parking lot paving and drains - $250,000;
Exit signs - $15,000;
Activity centre fire spray downstairs - $100,000;
Activity centre automatic door openers - $15,000; and
Curling rink slab and brine lines - $600,000.
鈥淚 think these are some pretty massive projects that we have 鈥� millions of dollars worth of projects for one year. I don鈥檛 think we have the capability of tackling all these within a year. I kind of feel we have to do a bit more prioritizing and have a list of what we really need to get done,鈥� said Coun. Scott Wilson. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e asking for too much here.鈥�
Regarding the replacement of slab and boards, Coun. Bert Journault said before the community spends a whole bunch of money destroying two cement slabs they should be looking at options to repairing it.
Community and Family Services
Community and family services director Kathleen Waxer presented a budget with a .98 per cent tax increase.
Waxer identified the follow upcoming initiatives as priorities in 2020:
Secure funding to develop a family resource network and adjust services to adapt to the new funding model;
Measure municipal inclusion;
Offer community trauma-informed training; and
Recruit and train ESS volunteers.
