Committee of the Whole - Township of Strathroy-Caradoc

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4indicated was made with the previous Council regarding a fiveyear commitment for funding to assist with the operation andmaintenance of the facility. Mr. Britan and Mr. Pierce also drawcomparisons in their letters to the financial support that iscurrently provided by the municipality to cover the operatingexpenses associated with the Caradoc Community Centre forthe residents of Mount Brydges.Mr. Britan also informed (in a separate correspondence) staffthat the MAS was successful in their recent grant application tothe Ontario Trillium Foundation, and that they were awarded$15,100.00 to be put toward renovations and upgrades ofequipment in the kitchen area of the hall. Mr. Britan indicatedthat with these funds, all repairs and improvements to thebuilding will be complete, and that no further assistance wouldbe required for repairs in 2012. Mr. Britan clarified that theintent of the $15,000.00 request to Finance Committee forconsideration in the 2012 budget was for operational expensesrelated to utilities and building maintenance, as per thepreviously established understanding with former Mayor Veale.Two budget outlines were provided by Mr. Britan to separatethe revenue and expenses associated with the Melbourne Hallfrom those associated with the operation of the Melbourne Fairevent.Upon further review of correspondence between the MAS andthe Municipality over the last several years, it would appearthat an understanding was reached with former Mayor Vealeand subsequently with Finance Committee in September of2009 whereby the MAS would maintain the operations of theMelbourne Fair with support from the Municipality to cover thecost of operating the main Fair building (Melbourne Hall) forthe 2010 year. There is no indication in the minutes,correspondence or elsewhere regarding the existence of a fiveyear commitment, or even a defined annual contributionamount. Amounts requested in following years were dictatedby the needs of the MAS in that particular year, and werealways subject to available funds and the discretion of Council.After inquiring with the Director of Recreation regarding thecomparison between the Caradoc Community Centre (CCC)operating model and the Melbourne Hall, it is important to notethat the use of the CCC facility by community groups iscurrently subsidized to an extent by the Municipality. Althoughprivate users are charged a competitive rate, many localorganizations are not charged (ie. Scouts, Lions, etc.). This isan arrangement that was developed when the facility wasCommittee of the Whole Finance Minutes Dec 12 11
5established in 1990. As such, the suggestion was made by MASmembers that consideration should be given to evaluating theirrequest for financial assistance in light of other municipalcontributions, rather than in isolation.In consultation with Councillor Cowan and municipal staffregarding this issue, the Community Development Managerrecommended to Finance Committee that a formal agreementwith the MAS be established should the decision be made toprovide financial assistance for the maintenance and operationof the Melbourne Hall. This would serve to clarify the position ofthe municipality, defining the amount of the annualcontribution and the length of the commitment, as well as theparameters surrounding public use of the facility (subsidizedvs. paid use).Councillor Cowan said he thinks the municipality has anobligation to provide assistance to MAS. He said it appears thebuilding is in good condition and that are we now getting morecomplete financial statements separating operating expensesfrom the Fair expenses.Moved by Councillor Cowan and Mayor VanderheydenTHAT: Finance Committee recommends that $15,000 beprovided to Melbourne Agricultural Society in 2012 foroperating its buildings and that an agreement be establisheddefining the amount of the annual contribution and that theterm of the agreement will expire on December 31, 2014.Carried.b) Fire Department various matters - report from the FireChief regarding the Fire Department Budget, an update fromthe County regarding fire and police dispatch services; andvolunteer firefighter training sessions.The Fire Chief said he reduced the Fire Conventions andSeminars budget by $2,000 as requested. Regarding thetransfer of funds from the Fire Equipment Reserve, the FireChief said it is his understanding that monies collected for thisreserve fund came from public donations, and memorialdonations, for special projects of the fire department notnormally funded through the budget process. The Fire Chiefsaid he was recently made aware of the amount in the reservefund and is hoping to use some of the funds for training roomimprovements at the various stations as well as possiblycontribute funds to the Strathroy Station Firefighter Associationfor the construction of a proposed community information signCommittee of the Whole Finance Minutes Dec 12 11
Page 1 and 2: 1MUNICIPALITY OF STRATHROY-CARADOCC
Page 3: 3FINANCIAL INDICATOR REVIEWThe Mini
Page 7 and 8: 7maintained and are in service read
Page 9 and 10: 9of the Holding Symbol $350 ($250);
Page 11: 11At the conclusion of the In-Camer

Committee of the Whole - Township of Strathroy-Caradoc

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