Municipalities raise concerns at fireside chat

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This article was published 21/04/2022 (1293 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Representatives from municipalities across Manitoba had a chance to hold a minister’s feet to the proverbial fire in Brandon on Thursday.

On the second day of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities spring convention at the Keystone Centre in Brandon, AMM president Kam Blight, vice-president Chris Ewen and Municipal Relations Minister Eileen Clarke held a “fireside chat” on issues facing communities before transitioning into a question-and-answer session with delegates.

One of the big concerns raised by municipalities during the event was funding from the province.

Though Blight was complimentary of a funding boost for the Building Sustainable Communities program announced by Premier Heather Stefanson earlier in the morning, he said an improvement is needed in yearly basket funding for municipalities since there have been no increases since 2016.

“Our operating basket fund, which is enjoyed by all municipalities across the province and not just successful applicants, has been frozen,” Blight said. “Thank goodness municipal leaders in this room and staff and etcetera are so resilient and resourceful; we find ways to do more with less … but it’s getting very difficult.”

After the provincial budget was revealed last week, Clarke said, she knew Blight would bring up the issue in a following phone conversation since no changes to municipal funding were announced.

“We had a lengthy discussion, and I think we both agreed seven years is a long time,” Clarke said, adding that she and Blight will try to work something out on that front. “We’re going to find a way, we’re going to work this through.”

After discussing other topics like respect at the council table, the Municipal Board, and more, it came time for the question-and-answer portion of the event. Members of the audience lined up at microphone stands around the room for their chance to speak to Clarke.

One man asked why it takes so long for municipalities to hear back regarding applications to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure program, a joint federal-provincial initiative that helps pay for projects improving public transit, preparing for climate change and building cultural facilities.

He didn’t identify which municipality he was representing, but he said they only heard back last year regarding shovel-ready projects for which they had sent in applications in 2018.

“Our water/sewer is 70 years old and in this last year, we went on private land four times and we had about 400 days straight with no water that was drinkable,” he said.

The minister acknowledged that this is an issue shared by a lot of communities represented at the convention and she’s trying to work with her federal counterparts to speed up the process.

She raised another issue with the long wait time for responses under the program: a project that was applied for years ago won’t take into account inflation or other increases in costs when the money is awarded, meaning there will often still be a funding shortfall after approval is granted.

Another speaker, RM of St. Andrews chief administrative officer DJ Sigmundson, asked what can be done to protect complex sewer projects that are approved by one council and given funding by higher levels of government but come undone at the local urban district level.

“That tears communities and councils apart,” he said. “I’ve always thought, there must be a better way. Can we have a provincial water and sewer utility that takes that burden off local taxpayers? Because I’ve seen the flips at council when you get a council that is elected to stop a project that previous councils have worked on, and I’ve lived through that many times.”

He said he’d heard a rumour that the capital region is working on a single request for proposals for all communities involved and if it’s true, he thinks it would be a wonderful idea.

“I think we’ve heard in the past that projects have to become regional to become sustainable financially,” Clarke said. “I believe that’s a goal we’re definitely going to be working towards.”

She said there is also consideration being given to include First Nations communities in northern Manitoba in regional projects of this nature.

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