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2012 is a year of consolidation, says Kincardine mayor Larry Kraemer By Liz Dadson |
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With major infrastructure projects completed last year, 2012 is a year of consolidation for the Municipality of Kincardine, says mayor Larry Kraemer. Speaking about the highlights of 2011 and what's in store for this year, Kraemer said one of the main achievements from last year was completing the expansion to the Davidson Centre. "The new gymnasium project is done and it's a fantastic addition to the community," he said. Also completed were the restoration of the exterior of the Kincardine Arts Centre, and new washrooms at Connaught Park. Kraemer said these projects were begun in 2009, with two-thirds funding from the provincial and federal governments, so it's good to have them finished. One significant change last year was creating the Penetangore Regional Economic Development Corporation, offering a different approach to the municipality's economic development, said Kraemer. The Inverhuron water and sewer project is nearing completion and council will be making a decision on how to proceed once it receives a report from B.M. Ross and Associates, the municipal engineers. And Kincardine has joined forces with local industries, and Huron-Kinloss and Arran-Elderslie in the quest for natural gas service for the area. Another major project that finally opened last fall was the new waste management centre and landfill site at Armow (Ward 2). "It was a hassle to get it open, but in the long-term, it will pay off with its 45-year capacity for the municipality," said Kraemer. "That's better than having to develop a new landfill." And the Lake Huron Learning Collaborative opened its learning centre in the former Westario Power building at the south end of Queen Street. Kraemer said courses have been offered for personal support workers, and for office management, with about nine students in one course, and 10 in the other. More courses are being developed, such as web design and radiation safety. Also in the learning centre are the eLearn Network and Adult Learning. One surprise in the summer was the resignation of chief administrative officer (CAO) John deRosenroll in August. A new CAO, Murray Clarke, has been hired and begins work Feb. 6. Kincardine's internal organizational review, slated for release in November, has been delayed to allow the new CAO to have input into it, said Kraemer. Treasurer Brenda French also stepped down from that post, and an interim treasurer, Steve Soychak, has been hired. And the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Bruce Telecom, Eric Dobson, resigned, with chief financial officer Bart Cameron taking over. Kraemer said the municipality's Integrated Sustainability Plan is nearing completion and a report will come to council in early 2012. "We'll see if that proposal has any creative suggestions to improve things, such as service delivery, in the municipality," he said." 2011 was the first full year with the new Kincardine council and Kraemer said the group is working together well, and council members will do even better as they gain experience. "The reorganization of council and reduction of committees has proved effective," he said. "The major advantage is that council is more responsive and makes quicker decisions. People can bring their concerns or suggestions directly to council. "Personally, I think it works well, but some people still think committees are the right way to go. I think committees slow down the business of council and create a lot of extra staff time and expense. We've already seen a savings in administration costs." He said the committees were basically public advisory boards which brought recommendations to council. "The challenge with all of these committees was they had no legislative authority, so there was a tendency to do the work twice. And I haven't heard one member of council ask, 'Why didn't I know that?'" Another plus, said Kraemer, is that staff is working on the projects and the business of the municipality instead of doing up reports and committee minutes. "It's part of the efficiency of the new system and it's working well," he said.
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 Kincardine mayor Larry Kraemer Last year, council was finishing up a lot of work from the previous council, said Kraemer. "We've completed what we anticipated doing." This year, the first challenge is the 2012 budget, Kraemer said. "We still have not overcome the problem of making our operational budget sustainable, and we can't continue to live off our reserves. We are fortunate that the majority of our infrastructure is in good shape." The only ongoing infrastructure projects are the proposed water and sewer development in Inverhuron, and the Bruce Energy Centre services. Other smaller projects to be considered are the Inverhuron Pavilion which is a community-driven amenity, redevelopment of the Whitney Crawford Community Centre in Tiverton, and a Splash Pad at Lions Park in Kincardine. "I expect these projects will get council support," said Kraemer, adding it's likely that hearings will also begin this year for Ontario Power Generation (OPG)'s Deep Geologic Repository for low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste at the Bruce site, slated to go to a joint panel review. Also on the agenda for 2012 is expanding the infrastructure at the Kincardine Business Park, at Durham Street to the north, and Russell Street to the south. And the Armow Wind Project will continue to be a thorny issue, said Kraemer. "Our protocols are in place to protect our airport and the growth around our major urban centres." Another project council will have to consider is fixing the interior of the Kincardine Arts Centre. And council will have to start setting aside money for the new Kincardine hospital redevelopment. "This will be a year of consolidation where we take on no more new major projects, and search for efficiencies on the operational side," said Kraemer. "The natural gas project will take a lot of time. It's a long-term thing and will be a huge benefit for our citizens and local industries." Kraemer said council will have to work to keep taxes down and be cautious and conservative with capital projects over the next few years to build up municipal reserves. Other than that, it looks like another busy year in the Municipality of Kincardine. Scrolling stops when you move your mouse inside the scroll area. You can click on the ads for more
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