WEATHER ALERT

Council to hold public hearing on borrowing $16 million

By: Michael Lee Posted: Last Modified:

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/02/2019 (2672 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

 

Brandon City Council will hold a public hearing to discuss the proposed borrowing of $16 million for the construction of a new chemical building and upgrades to the chemical delivery process at the city’s water-treatment facility.
The hearing will be held during tonight’s council’s regular meeting at City Hall. Pending there are no major objections, council may give first reading to a borrowing bylaw, allowing the city to make an application to the Municipal Board for approval.
The project will also replace the use of chlorine gas with sodium hypochlorite as a disinfectant to eliminate the facility’s most hazardous material.
Although the city was approved for $4.5 million from the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund, split equally with the federal government, the funds will not be enough to cover the construction costs for the new building.
A report to council says the chemical building will modernize the storage, unloading and containment of chemicals required in the city’s water-treatment process.
If approved, the $16-million loan would be paid back over 20 years at a projected interest rate of 6.25 per cent, with annual payments totalling approximately $1.4 million from 2020 to 2039. The city is expected to pay $12.5 million in interest over those 20 years.
The city would recover the costs through a rate rider charge to water users, calculated by each cubic metre of water consumed.
The report didn’t specify how much users should expect to pay, but the rates aren’t likely to affect utility bills until 2020.
City council will also vote on the appointments of Mark Sefton and Mayor Rick Chrest as chair and vice-chair of the Brandon Police Board.
Sefton is a former school board trustee and chair of the Community Mobilization Westman HUB Table, a group that offers support and services for individuals and families to try to reduce crime and victimization.
If approved, Sefton will replace Assiniboine Community College president Mark Frison as chair. Both the chair and vice-chair terms will expire at the end of the year.
A vote has also been scheduled for a proposed amendment to the Police Board Bylaw that would remove the city manager as a voting member.
The change aims to prevent any potential conflicts of interest for the city manager when balancing the needs of the police service and the city.
If the amendment passes, the city manager would act as a non-voting member, instead, and have his seat replaced by another member of council.
City council will also vote on whether to give notice of its withdrawal from the Brandon and Area Planning District, a body that was created in 1980 to provide greater co-ordination and co-operation between the city and the RMs of Elton and Cornwallis.
The board passed a resolution in August signalling the end of the district in 2020, after both the RMs of Elton and Cornwallis chose to leave.
Brandon currently pays 90 per cent of the district’s yearly costs, or approximately $80,000, as well as in-kind contributions for office space, while Elton and Cornwallis provide $28,000 for administrative services, resulting in a total savings of approximately $52,000.
Council will also hear presentations from Jody Sass and Darryl Wolski about waiving business licence fees for September’s Food Truck Warz, and Jackie Nichol on granting community event status for March’s Tim Hortons Brier, which would allow for the sale of alcohol.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the council chamber.
» mlee@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @mtaylorlee

 

Brandon City Council will hold a public hearing to discuss the proposed borrowing of $16 million for the construction of a new chemical building and upgrades to the chemical delivery process at the city’s water-treatment facility.

The hearing will be held during Monday night’s regular council meeting at City Hall.

Pending there are no major objections, council may give first reading to a borrowing bylaw, allowing the city to make an application to the Municipal Board for approval.

The project will also replace the use of chlorine gas with sodium hypochlorite as a disinfectant to eliminate the facility’s most hazardous material.

Although the city was approved for $4.5 million from the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund, split equally with the federal government, the funds will not be enough to cover the construction costs for the new building.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the council chamber.

See Monday’s newspaper for the whole story.

» mlee@brandonsun.com» Twitter: @mtaylorlee

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