By Cecilia Nasmith

At this week's Northumberland County budget meeting, informative department-by-department presentations gave a look at what they do and the issues they face.

And the issues spotlighted by almost every department, and their suggested resolutions, say a lot about life in Northumberland as the 2020 budget reaches the finish line.

Waste

The three issues set out by Mo Pannu include replacing a 2007 backhoe, but with a front-end loader which they expect will perform certain operations more efficiently. Of the estimated $200 cost, $120,000 will come from reserves to ease the tax-levy request.

With traffic at the Community Recycling Centres up 29% overall since 2013, there was a request to make things more efficient with more staff hours for its two busiest stations (Bewdley and Brighton) at a $131,000 cost. Council asked if, instead, this item could be kept at its current cost by reducing hours.

A potential savings of $800,000 is possible through proposed rises in bag tag costs (which haven't changed since 2007) and tipping fees (unchanged since 2013). Bag tags would rise $1 to $3.75. Per-tonne tipping fees would rise from $115 to $125, and surcharge fees (for those who cannot or will not sort their garbage would double to $250. Council asked to investigate a higher fee for commercial users.

Transportation

The four issues identified by Pannu include replacement of three pieces of equipment – a 2006 snow plow, a 2007 chip spreader and an equipment-and-vehicle diagnostic scanner. This is estimated to be a $600,000 item.

A $350,400 addition to the budget would come from extending winter-operations staffing levels by one month, from Nov. 1 through April 30, with the increase of weather events in April (seven in April 2018 alone). This avoids the delays and inefficiencies of call-backs. This budget item also takes into account increased prices for the sand and salt that are needed for longer and longer winter seasons.

The projected $89,602 cost of a new position, a full-time GIS co-ordinator, would be offset by a shared arrangement among all municipalities to increase the county levy by only $6,300. This would mean members municipalities do not have to hire such a staffer on their own, with the compiled data based in one location making things more convenient for staff, consultants and developers.

A $500,000 Transportation Funding Strategy increase would not affect the county budget. This item is increased by half a million dollars annually, but this year it comes solely from additional gas-tax funding.

Facilities services

Among two issues identified by Pannu is the Corporate Buildings Strategy to the tune of $135,000. This covers three proposed Cobourg projects – replacing the 10-year-old much-used carpet in the POA department at 860 William St. which has been the subject of complaints, updating to better and more energy-efficient lighting in the paramedic unit and Food For All warehouse at 600 William St., and refinishing the exterior wood at 555 Courthouse Rd. To prevent rot and mildew issues.

The $135,000 cost of an additional maintenance technician would be offset by savings of about $25,000 as the locksmith-security skills of an existing technician mean certain services no longer need to be contracted out. The additional help is needed nonetheless, as six new county facilities have been added in recent years (including the Ontario Agrifood Venture Centre and several emergency-services bases).

Corporate services

Lisa Ainsworth identified two issues, including a new $32,907 item to address liability and safety concerns within Northumberland Forest. This consists of surveying, fencing, signage, education and other measures to counter such concerns as vandalism, accidents, trail-user conflicts, illegal hunting and dumping, fireworks, camping, motorized-vehicle racing, illegal tree removal, damage to sensitive species and habitats, paint-ball games, encroachment and illegal construction of ramps and trail creation.

The cost of a new Conservation Stewardship Technician on a two-year contract would only apply for half a year in 2020, with the $42.7 partially offset by timber-revenue surpluses. The work has gotten beyond existing staff, she said, and more manpower is needed.

Information technology

Tony Paulic identified four issues, starting with the new position of Manager of IT Security and Infrastructure, a $72,284 item as this person will be hired halfway through the year. Aligning with the SMART Northumberland initiative and the IT Strategy set out in the organizational redesign of 2018, this person would not only oversee the infrastructure of this department but also the county's IT-security strategy.

Another new hire would impact the budget year even less (to the tune of $21,750), as he or she would be hired in the fourth quarter. This would be the new Records Management Co-ordinator, as the IT department assumes oversight of the county's records-management function, supporting the tight integration that currently exists between records management and information technology.

IT infrastructure upgrades to the tune of $150,000 would be financed through the IT Reserve.

The creation of a Digital Strategy Fund would support the SMART Northumberland strategy and assist with providing initial financing for transformational or innovative tech projects throughout the county. The $50,000 would also come from reserves.

Community and social services

Lisa Horne put four issues on the table, all pertaining to housing, starting with work springing from the first Community Housing Building Condition Assessment since 2015 on its 14 Northumberland County Housing Corporation buildings and nine non-profit housing providers. The $125,000 cost will be covered by reserves.

Establishing a Strong Communities Rent Supplement Program will increase housing security for 34 units inhabited by among the county's most at-risk residents – clients of Community Living, Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre and the Northumberland Hills Hospital mental-health services. The $83,000 to get it started this year will be increased by that same amount in the next two years.

Establishing a Made In Northumberland rent-supplement program at a cost of $16,000 will allow an incremental increase of rent supplement units by two per year, with annual increases to grow this amount in subsequent years.

An internal reallocation of funds will cover the cost of the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative, investing money in a shelter system and working with other partners to incorporate mental-health services.

Paramedics

William Detlor listed two issues, beginning with shift enhancements. This would amount to $236,252 for four full-time-equivalent staffers to help handle the 71% overall increase in volume since 2014.

A $260,544 rural emergency-response vehicle will enable a successful 2019 trial initiative to continue, with the hopes of combining Community Paramedicine with with the 911 system for shared Ministry of Health funding. Instead of having a response to all 911 calls, the initiative resulted in a 30% diversion of low-acuity calls to the Community Paramedicine model, resulting in improved overall response times and less drain on fire-department resources.

Golden Plough Lodge

Clare Dawson set out three issues, including the need for more staff to deal with increasing laundry volumes – and this includes laundry from the paramedics, which has been handled at the Plough since 2013 on a cost-recovery basis. This $11,640 item will make what Dawson called “a very complementary partnership” to continue more efficiently.

More chaplaincy hours are needed, and the doubling of these hours to 56 biweekly will cost $24,000. It's a service that has been in place since 2007. Not only is it in increased demand, she said, but the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has set out specific religious and spiritual expectations and requirements. And with the increased hours, she added, there's the opportunity to offer non-denominational chaplaincy support to the paramedic department,

Anticipating the move to a new facility in a couple of years doesn't mean replacement, repair and maintenance does not continue, and the third issue is $244,500 worth of items like brickwork pointing, window replacement, plumbing work, a back-up generator, and replacements for a hot-water tank, flooring, bed, furniture and resident lift. About half of these items are transferable to the new facility when it opens.

Economic development, planning and strategic-development initiatives

Dan Borowec shared only one issue – a $70,000 county Official Plan update, as required of upper-tier municipalities by the province. It's a three-year exercise costing $210,000 in all, but this year's installment is funded from reserves.

No issues were identified in several departments, including Major Capital Projects, Finance, Communications, and Corporate Management, Governance and External Transfers – the latter of which oversees significant transfers to such external agencies as the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, Eastern Ontario Regional Network and Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit.