Barrie council wouldn’t go for a city staff recommendation to head downtown and fine businesses owners who don’t diligently clear the sidewalks of snow.
In response to a council directive to cut spending or gain revenue to wipe $650,000 from the city’s operating budget, senior city managers suggested staff could be more diligent in fining businesses who fail to maintain safe sidewalks in the winter.
“It is hard enough to run a business downtown and then have the city come down at 9:10 a.m. on a Sunday and fine you for not having cleared your sidewalk,” said Mayor Jeff Lehman.
“I really object to this as an area of revenue (generation).”
Ward 4 Councillor Barry Ward, who ran a bookstore downtown for several years, noted there are repeat offenders who need to be fined, but for the most part, downtown business owners work to maintain their sidewalks. He said doing a blanket ticketing blitz on a Sunday morning wouldn’t be fair.
Senior managers estimated following up on clearing work done could garner the city $13,000 more.
“Staff believe this increase in revenue is achievable with some minor improvements to diligence invoicing for snow removal,” the report co-signed by CAO Carla Ladd and the six senior managers who report to her.
The council directive to cut $650,000 from the budget trimmed this year’s tax hike to 3.09 per cent; that hike includes a one per cent infrastructure improvement levy to renew area roads. The hike translates into an additional $119 for an average home, assessed at $309,000.
Council gave senior managers the freedom to either cut spending or recover costs from another revenue source, such as the parking reserve.
City managers found money to be had in both categories to achieve the savings target.
Also among the additional income category items are:
* $76,000 from Barrie Hydro Holdings for staff time
* $75,000 additional income from building code fees
* $50,000 in additional rail storage rent
* $20,000, from Simcoe County for leachate being sent to the Barrie landfill.
* $27,800 in increased tipping fees at the local dump, up $4.35 per tonne to $149.35
* $35,000 reduction in fleet consulting costs
In the cost-reduction realm are:
* $78,463 for a parking strategy coordinator will be funded from the city’s parking reserve
* $50,000 in savings for gas, oil and other fuel for fleet
* $60,000 in reductions in interest costs on city debt
* $100,000 in “salary gapping”, as the city’s planned new hires aren’t coming on line as quickly as forecast
