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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2013-03-06, Page 32 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, March 6, 2013 Grand Bend Lagoon Rice looking for sewage capaci Lynda Hillman-Rapley Lakeshore Advance At Monday's meeting a report came from Lambton Shores staff recommending that council endorse the additional allocation Of 80n3 of sewage capacity in the existing Grand Bend Sewage Treatment Facility to Rice Development Company Inc. for development of the first phase of their subdivision and direct staff to request that the Grand Bend Sewage Facility Joint Board grant 80m3 of additional capacity to the Rice Development Company inc. subject to reconsideration in 2 years. in a Tetter from Rice Development Company, they are requesting that an additional 80m3 of sewage capacity in the Grand Bend Sewage Treatment Facility be allocated to the development of their lands. Currently Council has allocated 60 The New Office Hours for The Lakeshore Advance will he as follows... Mondays - 8am - 4pm Tuesdays - CLOSED Wednesdays - 9am - 4pm Thursdays - 9 am - 4pm Fridays - 8am - 4pm 58 Ontario St. N., Grand Bend PH: 519-238-5383 FAX: 238-5131 EMAiL: Iakcshore.advance@ sunntedia.ca m2 to this development. McCann assigns approximately 30 m3 of the allocated Rice capacity to the apartment building currently under construction. Rice has serviced 15 single detached dwelling lots and a 26 -unit townhouse block. They are currently proposing to revise the townhouse block to reduce the nuimber of townhouse units to 14 and would like to construct another apartment building with 50 dwelling units. further, with respect to their commercial block, they are in discussions with a number of commercial tenants and are requesting the sewage capacity he allocated to their commercial lands. Finally, there are six single- detached dwelling Tots in the registered portion of the Rice Development, which they woetid also like capacity for. The transfer order for the existing Grand Bend Sewage Treatment Facility assigns the power to approve capacity requests to the Joint Sewage Board. The Joint Board can allocate and reallocate capacity. Council was scheduled to discuss this on Monday and the Joint Board meets on March 22nd in Crediton. 2.57% increase in spending for Lambton Shores Lynda HIllman-Rapley Lakeshore Advance 1.AMB'I'ON SIlORI:S - Lamb - ton Shores residents will see an estimated $37.00 increase in their 201:1 taxes with county and school board yet to come. Municipal council recently passed the $20.96 million budget which is a 2.57% percent increase' in spending over 2012. That works out to an estimated 3.29% percent increase in your tax hill or about $16.59 per every $1(x),000 of assessed value. 1 Iow the taxes effect you depends on how your assessment from Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) changed. Mayor Bill Weber is pleased with the budget. "Staff has done what council had asked 7 he says noting councilors gave staff a target of a two percent spending increase. The budget passed at a February tweeting with councilors Doug Bonesteel, 1,orie Scott and deputy mayor Elizabeth Davis- Dagg voting against. Bonesteel said he would not agree' to anything over 2%. Weber says the budget came in slightly over that as extra spending was added. 'there is an extra $110,000 in the budget for emergency dredging in Port Franks and (;rand Bend. There is also $30,000 more for the new economic development committee. 'Ihere isn't a lot of extra cash in capital projects this year, as funding from upper levels of government dried up. "We will do our regular road maintenance and there is some road resurfac- ing. With our fire department, we put more money into reserves which will help maintain fire equipment in the future," he says. Reserve funds The 2013 budget reflects a 2% increase in the allocation 0 reserve funds with the exception of the Fire Department which was increased by an additional $10,000.00 each department (or $50,000.00 total) to fund the 10 year capital requirements as cur- rently budgeted. Janet Ferguson explained, "When you compare the value of our assets to the reserve fund values, Mlle reserve funis are low. 1.amhton Shores is not alone in this as a lot of Municipalities are in the same situation. This is part allies reason the Province is legislating that all municipalities have Asset Management Plans in place to steer everyone in the right direction for saving funds for infrastructure replacement. '1'his is similar to what we have already done for the water and wastewater departments - mov ing to a full lifecycle costing approach."