Budget discussions continue at council

January 28, 2015 · 0 Comments

Discussions around the draft budget for the Town of Shelburne continued to be the focus for Council this week as the Councillors looked for ways to trim and redirect funds where needed. Treasurer Carol Sweeney presented changes made at the special budget session held January 19th.
The Treasurer laid out options to aid in the decision making process showing what loans for capital projects would look like over a period of 5, 10, 15 and 20 years – reminding Council that interest rates were a moving target.
Ed Crewson returned to Council Chambers to thank staff and Councillors for their work on the gala event in his honour January 22nd. Beverley Ford-Arnold was honoured with a Community Excellence Award for her 25 years of serving on the Shelburne Public Library Board. Rose Dotten Head Librarian, who attended the presentation said, “When someone like Bev comes along it’s amazing.”
The agenda for January 26th included a delegation from Joe Bojin of Turnstone Contracting updating Council on the industrial strip mall project. The six acre site behind Shelburne Storage at 30th side road is a four phase development started in 2004. Mr. Bojin said the project would be a $15 million dollar expenditure by the time it was done and “a proud part of Shelburne.” He stressed the frustration of the company over costly site plan changes and disagreements with the Town. The Mayor asked for a copy of the delegation so that Council might study the figures and requests presented by Mr. Bojin.
Brian Horner of Land and Sky, a green energy corporation, presented further information on the proposal for solar panels at the Centre Dufferin Recreation Complex (CDRC) under the Feed In Tariff (FIT) program. Carol Sweeney followed up with a return on investment report that showed a return over a 20 year contract that was lower than previously suggested. Council decided to delay further application movement until determining the time line for a new roof at the CDRC and reassessing the project.
Other discussions included the importance of a strategic plan for the Economic Development Committee and the format for a more cost efficient Town news letter. Additional items on the agenda included reports from the Director of Public Works on new stop sign installations, the CAO ‘s reports on capital considerations, and the Special Events Co-ordinator’s report on Pan Am Torchbearer nominations. Council meetings minutes can be seen on line at www.townofshelburne.on.ca

By Marni Walsh