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2002-09-21_Minutes 89-273 COMMON COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 21, 2002 At a meeting of the Common Council, held at the City Hall in the City of Saint John, on Saturday, the twenty-first day of September, AD. 2002, at 8:00 o'clock a.m. present Shirley McAlary, Mayor Councillors Ball, Chase, Court, Desmond, Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, Titus and Trites - and - Messrs. 1. Totten, City Manager; J. Nugent, City Solicitor; A Beckett, Commissioner of Finance and Commissioner of Corporate Services; P. Groody, Commissioner of Municipal Operations; J. Baird, Commissioner of Planning and Development; G. Yeomans, Comptroller; B. Belyea, Budget Officer; D. LeBlanc, Senior Manager - Real Estate Services; Ms. S. Greer, Communications Officer; Mrs. M. Munford, Common Clerk; and Ms. C. Mosher, Assistant Common Clerk. 1. MeetinQ Called To Order - Prayer Mayor McAlary called the meeting to order, noting that its purpose was to hear presentations as part of the 2003 budget process. 2. Saint John Free Public Librarv Consideration was given to the 2003 operating budget proposal submitted by the Saint John Free Public Library, the 2003 request being for $332,061. Nicholas Barfoot, Chair of the Finance Committee of the Saint John Free Public Library, Chairman of the Board Martha Edwards, Commissioners Eileen Travis and Starr Dashwood, and staff members Ian Wilson and Barbara Malcolm were present at the meeting, and Mr. Barfoot, in addressing Council on the Board's 2003 budget proposal, commented on the shared Provincial-Municipal funding commitment under the Libraries Act of the Province of New Brunswick for the operation of libraries, as well as on the changing role of libraries with computers and access to the World Wide Web; and advised that the Board's 2003 budget proposal was the same as that for 2002 with a forecast to hold that for 2004 as well, and also that, with particular reference to the requirements in the letter from the Commissioner of Finance with respect to service reductions or modifications, to achieve any substantial and sustainable reduction of the operating budget would mean a decision to close either the West Branch Library or the East Branch Library or both, with an eventual saving to the City of around $100,000 with the closure of either Branch. Mr. Barfoot questioned the cost to the City with such closures, the Board's view being that, with approximately 12,000 citizens as members at these two Branches with 25% being children, it would be disastrous for the City; and noted the inclusion in the 2003 budget package of facts and figures relative to the use of City Library facilities as indicative of the usage and need for libraries to serve the citizens of Saint John. Mr. Barfoot requested that Council continue the level of support necessary to sustain the services provided by the East Branch and the West Branch Community Libraries. (Councillor Desmond entered the meeting.) As to the basis of the Commissioner of Finance's letter to the Library and whether or not the Board's presentation satisfied what was requested in that letter, Mr. Beckett advised that agencies, boards and commissions were not given any specific guidelines in terms of reductions but were requested to submit a two-year budget and performance guidelines and to be cognizant of the City's finances and recognize that the City was stretched in terms of its ability to contribute anything to their operations and to provide information in relation to what the impact of cuts would be; and indicated his satisfaction with the Board's response to that letter. 89-274 COMMON COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 21, 2002 On motion of Councillor Titus Seconded by Councillor Trites RESOLVED that the 2003 budget presentation on behalf of the Board of Commissioners of the Saint John Free Public Library be referred to the City Manager. Question being taken, the motion was carried. 3. Saint John Industrial Parks Ltd. Consideration was given to a letter from Saint John Industrial Parks Ltd. setting out its 2003 operating budget proposal, the request being for $95,000 broken down into four sections - land management for property taxes and right-of-way maintenance, land sales and development including legal fees and expenses related to survey and engineering consultants, marketing in terms of web page development and participation in the Saint John Manufacturing Partnership, and general operations covering membership in various board and associations, telephone service and supplies and travel. Dan LeBlanc, General Manager of Saint John Industrial Parks Ltd., highlighted the 2003 budget proposal which, he advised, was similar to the 2002 budget request, although Saint John Industrial Parks Ltd., unlike previous years, no longer had retained earnings to offset any budget shortfalls due to the fact that it was contributing $110,000 to the Mcilveen Drive Extension Project; and requested that the City of Saint John consider granting Saint John Industrial Parks Ltd. $95,000 for 2003. Mr. LeBlanc recognized Saint John Industrial Parks Ltd.'s President - Councillor Trites; Secretary - Mary Munford; and Vice President - Councillor Fitzpatrick. Mr. LeBlanc responded to questions in the above regard during which time he noted that his salary was covered by the City of Saint John and explained the purpose of the Company's two accounts - a restricted and an unrestricted account; and advised that, if the Company were required to reduce its budget, he would make a number of suggestions on how to do so to the Board for a decision. On motion of Councillor Trites Seconded by Councillor Fitzpatrick RESOLVED that the 2003 budget presentation on behalf of Saint John Industrial Parks Ltd. be referred to the City Manager. Question being taken, the motion was carried. 4. Enterprise Saint John Consideration was given to a letter from Dale Knox, Treasurer of Enterprise Saint John, submitting Enterprise Saint John's proposed budget for the year 2003; noting that in 2002, in exchange for the Province contributing an additional $123,000 for core funding, Common Council agreed to fund Enterprise Saint John at 2001 core funding levels ($409,000) for 2003 and 2004, in 2000 the four municipalities agreed to fund a three-year growth strategy at $134,000 per year for years 2001, 2002 and 2003 (City of Saint John portion $100,000) and the growth strategy had deferred revenue of $110,500 for 2001 and a projected surplus of $45,000 for 2002 (total - $155,500), and the growth strategy contribution required by the municipalities was as follows: total deferred from 2001-2002 - $155,500,2003 requirements - $62,000 for a total of $217,500, with Saint John's growth strategy contribution being 75% or $46,500; and requesting from the City of Saint John (1) core funding of $409,000 for 2003, and (2) $46,500 for the growth strategy for 2003, a reduction of $53,500, as well as an anticipated request of $409,000 for 2004, representing an 11.8% reduction in 2003 and a 34.4% reduction in 2004, compared to 2001 levels. Raymond French, Chairman of the Greater Saint John Community Economic Development Agency, introduced Dale Knox, Treasurer; Roly Macintyre, Secretary; Shelley Rinehart, Director; Stephen Carson, General Manager, Lois Vincent, Manager of Entrepreneur Development, and Keith Melvin, Economic Development Officer; noted the efforts of Matthew Fisher and Stephen MacMackin in working towards 89-275 COMMON COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 21, 2002 an economic development strategy in anticipation of the creation of a community plan by the end of the year; and advised that the Agency, in its 2003 budget proposal, tried to accommodate the City's position in terms of financial restraints, the request being for the City to continue its core funding at the same level at which it existed in 1993-1994 when economic development was a department within City Hall. Mr. Knox, in highlighting Enterprise Saint John's 2003 budget proposal, advised that Enterprise Saint John was currently going through a process with Matthew Fisher to address performance-related compensations and the whole way in which the Saint John operation worked; and made the observation that, as the City's core funding of $409,000 leveraged an additional $1,260,115 for a total of $1,669,115 for economic development initiatives in the Greater Saint John area and this core funding and the $141,000 from the other municipalities was specifically allocated to business development and investment attraction activities not financially supported by the Province or ACOA, any reduction in core funding would reduce the amount of leveraged funds and restrict business attraction efforts. During discussion Mr. Knox responded to questions, and advised that the five participating Municipalities in the Saint John Community Economic Development Agency were Saint John, Grand Bay-Westfield, Rothesay, Quispamsis and St. Martins and, as for the request of the City in core funding and for the growth strategy, the Mayor, noting that the City in 2002 contributed $100,000 for the growth strategy and reduced the $409,000 in core funding by $123,000, referenced a letter sent to the Province after a meeting with The Honourable Norman Betts indicating that the City would pay the extra $123,000 for 2003 and 2004 if it were able financially to do so. On motion of Councillor Trites Seconded by Councillor Fitzpatrick RESOLVED that the 2003 budget presentation on behalf of Enterprise Saint John be referred to the City Manager. Question being taken, the motion was carried. Adjournment The Mayor declared the meeting adjourned. Common Clerk