TOWN OF SMITHERS. Councillor Brienesse, Chair, called the meeting to order (2:45 p.m.).

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1 TOWN OF SMITHERS MINUTES OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OPERATING BUDGET PART 1 MEETING HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1027 ALDOUS STREET, SMITHERS, B.C. ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2016, AT 2:45 PM Council Present: Phil Brienesse, Councillor/Chair Taylor Bachrach, Mayor Gladys Atrill, Councillor Greg Brown, Councillor Shelley Browne, Councillor Bill Goodacre, Councillor Frank Wray, Councillor. Staff Present: Anne Yanciw, Chief Administrative Officer Leslie Ford, Director of Finance Mark Allen, Director of Development Services Keith Stecko, Fire Chief Rob Blackburn, Airport Manager Roger Smith, Director of Works and Operations Penny Goodacre, Recording Secretary. Staff Excused: Susan Bassett, Director of Corporate Services. 1. CALL TO ORDER Councillor Brienesse, Chair, called the meeting to order (2:45 p.m.). 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA (including Supplemental Items) 2.1 Wray/ THAT Council approves the agenda. 3. REPORTS 3.1 DRAFT OPERATING BUDGET - GENERAL FUND RECREATION/CULTURE Report FIN dated December 11, 2015, from L. Ford, Director of Fund, Recreation/Culture ( ). Recreation and Culture is the second largest of the expense categories, the largest is the RCMP. The total 2016 Recreation and Culture Expenses within the proposed 2016 budget is $1,685,859. The total Recreation and Culture fees and non-tax revenue are budgeted to be $805,124, leaving a net amount to be raised through taxation of $880,735. This represents a 47.76% overall budgeted recovery rate for all Recreation and Culture services combined. The Recreation and Culture operating budget is comprised of the following categories: a) Cultural Facilities/Grants; b) Arenas; c) Parks /Playgrounds/Campground; and d) Recreation Programs. Page 1 of 9

2 CULTURAL FACILITIES/GRANTS: Browne/ THAT Council defer the Budget deliberation and Grant-in-Aid decisions for the following organizations until the January 19, 2016, Finance Committee meeting: Smithers Public Library requesting combined Regional District and Town of Smithers operating funding 2016 in the amount of $306, Bulkley Valley Historical and Museum Society requesting combined Regional District and Town of Smithers 2016 operating funding in the amount of $71, Bulkley Valley Community Arts Council requesting combined Regional District and Town of Smithers 2016 operating funding in the amount of $4, Smithers Gallery Association requesting combined Regional District and Town of Smithers 2016 operating funding in the amount of $32,000. SMITHERS MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION and SMITHERS LEGION: Wray/ THAT Council approves grants to the Smithers Minor Hockey Association and the Smithers Legion in the amount of grants and/or donations that may be received for each organization in 2016, with funding from donations. THAT the above motion be amended by removing the wording in the amount of grants and/or donations that may be received for each organization in 2016, with funding from donations and replacing it with the wording "contingent upon the amount of grants and/or donations that may be received by the Town. OPPOSED: COUNCILLOR BRIENESSE. The main motion, as amended, was voted on with the final wording being as follows: THAT Council approves grants to the Smithers Minor Hockey Association and the Smithers Legion contingent upon the amount of grants and/or donations that may be received by the Town. OPPOSED: COUNCILLORS BRIENESSE AND BROWNE. Page 2 of 9

3 SMITHERS MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION and SMITHERS LEGION continued: Council directed Staff to create a policy with regards to how the Town administers and receives grants and/or donations on behalf of other organizations. ARENAS: The 2016 arena budgets represent a 1.73% projected tax increase to the 2016 budget. The reason for this is less user fee revenue than anticipated. Wray/ THAT Council approve the use of the remainder of the Second Sheet of Ice Operating Reserve funds, in the amount of $25,349, to offset the arena budgets in PARKS/PLAYGROUNDS/CAMPGROUND: The impact of the proposed Parks/ Playgrounds/Campground budget represents a projected 0.18% increase in taxation, primarily due to the increase in materials and other costs within the Chandler Park budget. An increase of 5% in Field User Fees is proposed within this budget. FIELD USER FEES: Discussion over the Field User Fees occurred. Should there be an hourly rate, should different fields have a higher rate, should different uses have a different rate? THAT Council direct Staff to come back with a new Field User Fee structure that differentiates the fields, with different fees per field use, and with Staff providing the User Fee percentage increase recommendations for the 2016 Field User season. MOTION WITHDRAWN. Brown/ THAT Council approve a 10% increase to the Field User Fees for the use of the soccer and all other fields in Page 3 of 9

4 ARENA USER FEES: Council discussed increasing the Arena User Fees for the 2016/2017 season, as there will no longer be any Operating Surplus to use after the 2015/2016 season. THAT Council increase the Youth Arena User Fees by 10% and Adult Arena User Fees by 5% for 2016/17 ice season. SUMMER ICE FEES: Discussion occurred over the installation of the ice into the arenas at the beginning of August for the Summer Ice season. The summer hockey camps are held in the beginning of August to accommodate the camp instructors schedules, some who are National Hockey League players. The regular Winter Ice season runs from September to the end of March. Council stated they would like to see the Summer Ice fully utilized, by existing user groups and private group, and that a greater effort should be made to promote the availability of these ice times. They understand that only one arena (the New Arena) will be utilized for Summer Ice this year. Council directed Staff to inform all the Summer Ice Users that the 2017 Summer Ice User Fees will not be set until after the actual cost of operating the New Arena is realized at the end of March RECREATION AND CULTURE BUDGET: The net tax impact of the Recreation Program sub-category is that of a net tax reduction, due to the reclassification of the Director of Recreation, Parks, and Culture to a lesser salary for a Recreation Coordinator; as well as the removal of the Summer Students from the Student Recreation Program Area. Page 4 of 9

5 RANGER PARK PRESCHOOL PROGRAM: The Preschool Revenue Budget has been reduced based on actuals for 2015 and the previous year. There has been a decline in usage and resulting revenue. Council discussed the dwindling Ranger Park Preschool Program registration numbers over the past year. Council discussed their disappointment in the lack of marketing and promotion efforts that were directed towards the Ranger Park Preschool Program. L. Ford, Director of Finance, informed Council that Council set the Ranger Park Preschool advertising budget at $0 zero dollars, and that any promotion came from the Recreation Administration budget (which is used primarily for the creation and distribution of the Community Recreation Brochure). She suggested that a budget item be created for the Ranger Park Preschool Program Promotion. Council discussed the cross over in the community with private businesses offering the same services as the Ranger Park Preschool Program. Council stated they did not want to see any changes made to the Ranger Park Preschool Program in 2016, until Council has an opportunity to meet with the community members to determine what their needs and wants are in relation to the Preschool. THAT Council direct Staff to design a conversation with the Community regarding the direction of the Ranger Park Preschool Program, to take place in early Spring THAT Council table the remainder of the agenda until the January 19, 2016, Finance Committee meeting: 3.1 Remainder of the Recreation and Culture Operating Budget. 3.2 Report FIN dated December 11, 2015, from 2020 General Operating Fund, General Government ( ). 3.3 Report FIN dated December 11, 2015, from 2020 Operating Budget General Fund, Protective Services ( ). Page 5 of 9

6 3.4 Report FIN dated December 11, 2015, from 2020 Operating Budget General Fund, Development Services, Economic Development, and Tourism ( ). 3.5 Report FIN dated December 11, 2015, from 2020 Operating Budget General Fund, Transportation/ Transit ( ). 3.6 Report FIN dated December 11, 2015, from 2020 Operating Budget General Fund, Garbage Collection and Recycling ( ). 3.7 Report FIN dated December 11, 2015, from 2020 Operating Budget General Fund, Cemetery Operations ( ). 3.8 Report FIN dated December 14, 2015, from 2020 Operating Budget General Fund, Debt Payments, Other Revenue, Miscellaneous Transfers to Surpluses or Reserves ( ). 3.9 Report FIN dated December 14, 2015, from 2020 Operating Budget General Fund, General Tax Revenue ( ) Report FIN dated December 14, 2015, from 2020 RCMP Operating Fund ( ) Report FIN dated December 14, 2015, from 2020 Utility Operating Fund ( ) Report FIN dated December 14, 2015, from 2020 Airport Operating Fund ( ) Report FIN dated December 14, 2015, from 2020 Fleet Maintenance Fund ( ) Report FIN dated December 14, 2015, from 2020 Consolidated Operating Budget: Consolidated Expenses and Consolidated Revenue ( ). Page 6 of 9

7 3.2 DRAFT OPERATING BUDGET - GENERAL FUND GENERAL GOVERNMENT Report FIN dated December 11, 2015, from L. Ford, Director of Finance, regarding the draft General Operating Fund, General Government, was presented ( ). 3.3 DRAFT OPERATING BUDGET - GENERAL FUND PROTECTIVE SERVICES Report FIN dated December 11, 2015, from L. Ford, Director of Fund, Protective Services, was presented ( ). 3.4 DRAFT OPERATING BUDGET - GENERAL FUND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM Report FIN dated December 11, 2015, from L. Ford, Director of Fund, Development Services, Economic Development, and Tourism, was presented ( ). 3.5 DRAFT OPERATING BUDGET - GENERAL FUND TRANSPORTATION/TRANSIT Report FIN dated December 11, 2015, from L. Ford, Director of Fund, Transportation/Transit, was presented ( ). 3.6 DRAFT OPERATING BUDGET - GENERAL FUND GARBAGE COLLECTION AND RECYCLING Report FIN dated December 11, 2015, from L. Ford, Director of Fund, Garbage Collection and Recycling, was presented ( ). 3.7 DRAFT OPERATING BUDGET - GENERAL FUND CEMETERY OPERATIONS Report FIN dated December 11, 2015, from L. Ford, Director of Fund, Cemetery Operations, was presented ( ). Page 7 of 9

8 3.8 DRAFT OPERATING BUDGET - GENERAL FUND DEBT PAYMENTS, OTHER REVENUE, MISCELLANEOUS TRANSFERS TO SURPLUSES OR RESERVES Report FIN dated December 14, 2015, from L. Ford, Director of Fund, Debt Payments, Other Revenue, Miscellaneous Transfers to Surpluses or Reserves, was presented ( ). 3.9 DRAFT OPERATING BUDGET - GENERAL FUND GENERAL TAX REVENUE Report FIN dated December 14, 2015, from L. Ford, Director of Fund, General Tax Revenue, was presented ( ) DRAFT RCMP OPERATING FUND Report FIN dated December 14, 2015, from L. Ford, Director of Finance, regarding the draft RCMP Operating Fund, was presented ( ) DRAFT UTILITY OPERATING FUND Report FIN dated December 14, 2015, from L. Ford, Director of Finance, regarding the draft Utility Operating Fund, was presented ( ) DRAFT AIRPORT OPERATING FUND Report FIN dated December 14, 2015, from L. Ford, Director of Finance, regarding the draft Airport Operating Fund, was presented ( ) DRAFT FLEET MAINTENANCE FUND Report FIN dated December 14, 2015, from L. Ford, Director of Finance, regarding the draft Fleet Maintenance Fund, was presented ( ) DRAFT CONSOLIDATED OPERATING BUDGET: CONSOLIDATED EXPENSES AND CONSOLIDATED REVENUE Report FIN dated December 14, 2015, from L. Ford, Director of Finance, regarding the draft Consolidated Operating Budget: Consolidated Expenses and Consolidated Revenue, was presented ( ). Page 8 of 9

9 4. CORRESPONDENCE None. 5. OTHER BUSINESS / NEW BUSINESS None. 6. NEXT MEETING DATES 6.1 FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING DATES The next Finance Committee meeting dates, being held in the Council Chambers, are as follows: Tuesday, January 19, 2016, at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 2, 2016, at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, 2016, at 5:30 p.m. 7. ADJOURNMENT 7.1 THAT the meeting be adjourned (4:32 p.m.). Phil Brienesse Councillor/Chair Anne Yanciw Chief Administrative Officer Certified a True and Correct Copy of the minutes of the Finance Committee meeting held Tuesday, January 5, 2016, at 2:45 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 1027 Aldous Street, Smithers, B.C. Anne Yanciw Corporate Administrator Page 9 of 9