General Committee Post-Meeting Highlights – July 24, 2024

This month, General Committee heard various issues including Public Works Operations Centre (Madill Yard), Municipal Alcohol Policy Update, 2024 Q2 Financial Forecast, Media Relations Policy – Revision, 2025/2026 Community & User Group Budget Requests.

Here’s what happened:

• General Committee received an invited presentation (For Information Only) from Tulloch Engineering, which was selected as part of an RFP process to complete a Needs Analysis and Concept Design for the Public Works Operations Centre (Madill Yard), including an estimate of $5 million for renovations or $12 million for replacement of the facility with a larger one. Staff are considering options for this facility, among other Infrastructure needs, and will propose recommendations and potential funding options for future consideration.
• Town Staff will present a report on a Municipal Alcohol Policy Update. This report outlines a small change to the Town's Municipal Alcohol Policy to include Kent Park as one of the approved locations to host an event with alcohol.
  • OUTCOME: General Committee voted to approve the update to the Municipal Alcohol Policy to include Kent Park as one of the approved locations to host an event with alcohol.
• General Committee will receive a 2024 Q2 Financial Forecast report. The Town's Q2 consolidated forecast shows an overall forecasted surplus of $175,543.  As it is still early in the year, staff will continue to monitor budgets and report any variances that cannot be covered operationally within each division.  Details of Q2 budget deviations are also included in the report.
  • OUTCOME: Committee approved the 2024 Q2 budget deviations, as outlined in the report.
• General Committee will receive from staff a report on a Media Relations Policy – Revision. The purpose of the proposed Media Relations Policy is to follow best practices of municipal communications and seek to improve transparency and professionalism in the Town’s working relationship with local media outlets. As directed by General Committee at the last meeting, staff have come back with a revised Media Relations Policy in order to provide clarity on how the policy would affect elected officials and media outlets.
  • OUTCOME: Committee approved the Media Relations Policy and it will go to Council for ratification.
• Committee will receive a report on 2025/2026 Community & User Group Budget Requests that includes an overview of the community & user group requests, as presented at the June 2024 General Committee meeting; additional information regarding each community & user group request; and recommendations on which specific community & user group requests to include for consideration in the upcoming 2025/2026 budgets.
  • OUTCOME: Committee approved the following community and user group budget requests for consideration in the draft 2025 budget: (1) MSCLE Outdoor Fitness Equipment - Capital Project, (2) Walking Tour Application - Operating Costs, (3) Pickleball Seating & Dividers at McCulley-Robertson Recreation Park (at existing courts) - Capital Project, (4) Pickleball Line Removal at Meadow Park Courts - Operating Costs. Committee approved the following community and user group budget requests for consideration in the draft 2026 budget: (1) Batting Cages at McCulley-Robertson Recreation Park (by Diamond F) - Capital Project, (2) Cricket Pitch at location to be determined - Capital Project.

Want to dig deeper? Watch the full Council discussion through the livestream.