The Corporation of the City of St. Catharines

BUDGET STANDING COMMITTEE MINUTES

Wednesday, February 08, 2017

The Committee Chair, Councillor Mathew Siscoe, took the chair and called the meeting to order in Council Chambers at 3:30 p.m.

•         Councillor Garcia requested Item 7.4 be brought forward for discussion

•         Chair Siscoe suggested Item 7.4 be discussed first (see Item 6.3)

Moved By:  Councillor Britton

That the Budget Standing Committee adopt the agenda for the meeting of Wednesday, February 8, 2017, as amended.

Carried

There were none.

There are none

There was none.

The Budget Standing Committee discussed Item 6.3 first

The Director of Financial Management Services, Kristine Douglas, provided an overview of the 2017 Corporate Revision and Reductions List - Updated February 7, 2017.

Councillor Britton requested the Budget Standing Committee vote on the document of revisions he provided to the Clerk, and asked that the Committee vote on each item separately.

Moved By:  Councillor Britton

That the Budget Standing Committee receives this report for information and consideration.
         ...

Suspension of Rules

Moved By:  Councillor Siscoe

That Council suspend the rules in accordance with Procedural By-law 2015-170, as amended, Section A4, Suspension of the Rules, to allow voting by show of hands.     

Motion to Suspend Rules Carried

Moved By:  Councillor Britton

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to remove $1,800 for Councillors hotel rooms for AMO.
  Lost

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to remove Election Allocation (1/4)  in amount of $33,000 and fund the part time employee needed this year using the Election Allocation Reserve Fund.
        Carried

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to remove the building repair studies - Energy Audit in amount of $10,000.
   Lost

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to remove the FirstOntario PAC reductions in amount of $92,510.
  Lost

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to remove PRCS and TES equipment consolidation in the amount of $75,000.
        Carried

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to reduce City Council consulting fees to $0 from the $9,000 budget.
  Lost

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to report on the 2018 budget more clearly regarding changes in staff allocations.
        Carried

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to reduce the Customer Service increase of $42, 583.20 to the inflation level approved by the Budget Standing Committee.
   Lost

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to reduce Transit increase of $100,346 to the inflation increase.
   Lost

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to reduce the FirstOntario PAC increase by $129,394.90.
  Lost

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to remove funding in amount of $17,000 for the Quality of Life Report.
   Lost

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to reduce any remaining budget for AMO Conference in amount of $20,200, and to set a cap of six (6) attendants.
   Lost

That the Budget Standing Committee set a cap of six (6) attendants to the 2017 AMO Conference reducing the budget by $6,900.
        Carried
 

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to remove the City's AMO membership in the amount of $15,100 and;

That the AMO and OMERS supplemental fee in the amount of $5,000 be $0.
      Lost

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to reduce funding for General Corporate Memberships from $10,793 to $0.
     Lost

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to reduce the 'Street Lighting - Energy' budget line ($30,000).
          Carried

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to remove the Infrastructure Levy in amount of $940,000.
   Lost

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to allow for the Heritage Advisory Committee to use the funds in the Heritage Incentive Program.
          Carried

That the Budget Standing Committee direct staff to remove $200,000 from the Fire and Emergency Management Services Budget.
           Carried

The Budget Standing Committee now voted on the original motion.  Mayor Sendzik, and Councillor Siscoe, Chair were not present for the vote of the original motion.

Moved By:  Councillor Britton

That the Budget Standing Committee receive the original staff recommendation for information, as amended.

Yeas: Councillors Britton, Garcia, Haywood, and Phillips

Nays:
                        Carried

Moved By:  Councillor Garcia

That the Budget Standing Committee defer the Multi-Year Budget - 2018 to 2020 report to a future meeting.

Motion to Defer Carried

The Budget Standing Committee discussed this Item first, and then proceeded to Item 6.1

Motion to Move to In-Camera

Moved By:  Councillor Garcia

The Budget Standing Committee Chair called for a motion to recess and reconvene In-Camera for Item 6.3, for the purpose of receiving a verbal report dealing with labour relations and employee negotiations.
        Carried

Budget Standing Committee recessed to the In-Camera session at 3:32 p.m.

Suspension of Rules

Moved By:  Councillor Haywood

That Council suspend the rules in accordance with Procedural By-law 2015-170, as amended, Section A4, Suspension of the Rules, to allow for Councillors to bring Ipads into the In-Camera Session in order to view Budget Documents.

Motion to Suspend Rules Carried

Motion Arising from In-Camera Session

Moved By:  Mayor Sendzik

That the Budget Standing Committee receive the information from the In-Camera Session.

Yeas: Councillors Britton, Garcia, Haywood, Phillips, Siscoe, and Mayor Sendzik

Nays:
          Carried

Moved By:  Councillor Garcia

That the Budget Standing Committee reduce the Fire and Emergency Services budget by $500,000.

Yeas: Councillors Garcia, Haywood, and Britton

Nays: Councillors Phillips, Siscoe, and Mayor Sendzik
  Lost on Tie

Moved By:  Mayor Sendzik

That the Budget Standing Committee receive the Expenditure Summary and Departments with 2016 Actual Comparisons for information purposes.

Yeas: Councillors Britton, Garcia, Haywood, Phillips, Siscoe, and Mayor Sendzik

Nays:
         Carried

The Budget Standing Committee then proceeded to Item 6.1

Items 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, and 7.5 were on agenda for information purposes only.

There was none.

Moved By:  Councillor Phillips

There being no further items of business, this meeting be adjourned at 5:37 p.m.

Carried
 

Certified Correct:Confirmed by:

_________________________________________________

Council & Committee CoordinatorCommittee Chair