Review-Mirror

By Howie Crichton The Review-Mirror The various financial implications of forging ahead with Westport's new sewage treatment system was laid out for village council at their regular meeting on Monday. Westport will be look- ing at borrowing any- where between $200,000 and $2 million in the next year, depending on the outcome of tenders and grant applications. AECOM's Marissa Mascao laid out potential staging options for the sewage treatment installa- tion at Monday night's meeting in an effort to deal with the cash flow issues. The best case scenario, if the village were suc- cessful in getting another Ontario Community Infra- structure Fund (OCIF) grant. Westport received one $1.98 million OCIF grant but was turned down for a second $1.98 million application earlier this year. A new intake of applications is expected later this year. If they are successful, the village would need to borrow $200,000, mean- ing a $29 per year impact on residential taxes. The chart at Monday's meeting outlining various borrow- ing options, reflected the impact on property tax- payers, not water and sewer users. The village did some research last year and dis- covered they could pay for water and sewer upgrades with property taxes even though not everyone is hooked to the system. Water rates are current- ly $140 per month and they will, in all likelihood, be going up anyway. A consultant is currently reviewing the financial picture for the water and sewer. The worst-case sce- nario would see the village borrow the full $2 million, which would raise proper- ty taxes, on the average residential property by $325 a year for 25 years. They currently have about $725,000 of the $1.98 million grant left after the environmental assessment, de-sludging, hauling wastewater to Smiths Falls, the design and tendering work and other smaller items. Mascao suggested get- ting the project started and phasing in the installation of the 36 filter bed cells that will eventually process 350 cm3 per day. The plan is to have enough cells in place for next winter that, with some Snowfluent process- ing, hauling won't be nec- essary. She felt they would have to spend $2 million but could get away with as little as $1.3 million. Council agreed to apply for a Small Communities Fund grant as it is coming up first and then applying for the OCIF grant and take it from there. Township of Rideau Lakes council voted to cut $92,294 in spending from the 2016 budget to keep their promised 4.9 per cent overall tax rate increase. They anticipated hav- ing to cut $200,000 to cover a $136,000 deficit from 2015 and an educa- tion levy that was $62,000 higher than they planned on. Additional revenues of $177,000, have been found since the budget's initial passing including an estimated $97,000 in additional Payments in Lieu and additional $80,000 in infrastructure funding from the province. Despite the new-found revenue, the township still had to cut the $92,294 as they face a few new expenditures, including $30,000 for re-auditing of 2013 and 2014 financial statements after munici- palities were informed their auditor Brent J. Burns was unlicensed. There is also $30,000 in uncollectible taxation and a suggestion by the auditors that their may be additional payroll costs of $90,000. They did save $80,000 on the closure costs of the Delta landfill site. Mayor Ron Holman expects the budget will still need further adjust- ments through the year. "I fully expect there is going to be federal money come through, that we're going to have to open the budget to decide what to spend it on," said the mayor. The township is col- lecting $9,293,701 for township purposes, 16 per cent more than in 2015, $7,820,826 on behalf of the County and $4,513,706 for education purposes. Mirror The Review Thursday, May 5, 2016 Serving North Leeds and area since 1893 Vol. 125, No. 18 $1 incl. tax Westport hoping grants come through for sewage upgrade Canada Post Contract No. 40021501 Township cuts some spending to hold overall increase at 4.9 per cent Call 359-5660 53 Main St., Elgin duncan s TV & APPLIANCES 30" Self Clean Range •StoveMore™ Storage Drawer •Large Capacity Oven Reg. 899.00 $ 799 95 Model #CFEF3014LS 30" Self Clean Range •Spacewise® Expandable Elements •Ready Select® Controls •Large Capacity Oven Reg. 1099.00 $ 899 95 Model #CFEF3024RS Continuing a 30 year tradition serving North Leeds Stainless Ranges 24 Family Lane, Smiths Falls Hwy. 15 S. & Bay Rd. 613-205-1212 streetmotorsales@cogeco.net streetmotorsales.com Charlie Franklin Sales Representative 2007 Ford Ranger Sport 4x4, Supercab, auto., air 156,123 kms $11,995 2010 Kia Soul 4U Auto., Sunroof, Black, 105,000 kms $9,995 Creative Gardens Landscape Supply & Garden Centre •Landscape Supply Depot •Creative Floral Designs •Seasonal Gift Ware •Landscape Design & Construction •Seasonal Garden Maintenance 82 Concession St., Westport 613 273 8437 creativegardenslandscaping@yahoo.ca Keira (Megan Nolan) and her apprentice Kor (Andrew Bacon) don't see eye to eye during this locally-filmed scene in Kyle Parrish's latest production. 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