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Last year was a challenging one for the Municipality of
Kincardine, and 2009 is going to be a conservative year, says
mayor Larry Kraemer.
"We had a successful 2008 and we made progress on a lot of
fronts, but we also faced numerous struggles along the way," he
said.
Health care was a major issue as the municipality managed to
stabilize the Kincardine Community Medical Clinic and brought in
two new physicians - Dr. Lisa Scott who began in the fall and
Dr. Larissa Kasianik who will begin her practice in February.
"We're basically holding our own as far as doctors are
concerned," said Kraemer. "Every time we get a new doctor, we
lose one. We're still at the same number even though we have two
new physicians."
Kincardine managed to get changes made last year, to loosen the
red tape that delays International Medical Graduates (IMGs),
such as Kasianik, from practising in Ontario. "Last May, we
circulated a resolution that was supported by 128
municipalities, calling for the province to change legislation
so we could attract IMGs who are already here," said Kraemer.
"In the fall, the province approved those changes, and they
became law in December. We can use that to get new doctors to
come here."
The municipality has also supported two registered nurses to
upgrade to Registered Nurse Practitioners so they can practise
in Kincardine. "We hope to benefit from that program with an RPN
this year (2009) and another one next year (2010)," said
Kraemer.
Meanwhile, a community group came forward last year and council
has supported its plan to find ways to improve local delivery of
health care at the Kincardine hospital. The group is also
studying the ways and means of de-amalgamation of the Kincardine
hospital from the South Bruce Grey Health Centre.
"We'll have to see the results of their research," said Kraemer.
"It's difficult for the municipality to be involved in this. The
Municipal Act dictates our responsibilities and operating the
hospital is not our business. We have a role of enhancing health
care in this community - providing a medical clinic and helping
attract doctors - but the actual delivery of services is a
provincial responsibility."
Last year, council supported developing the Kincardine Learning
Centre in the former Westario Power building. "I'm thrilled with
that," said Kraemer whose election campaign two years ago
focussed on bringing post-secondary education and training to
the community.
"We need a skilled workforce and we must make local
opportunities available in order to keep our young people here,"
he said. The E-learning network has already moved into the
building and other groups are interested in being part of the
learning centre, said Kraemer. "It will offer academic
upgrading, skill enhancement, and completion of secondary
education. OPG (Ontario Power Generation) is helping us out;
they're partnering with us in financing the building. We plan to
expand on this in 2009."
A major celebration last year was the Kincardine Reunion,
marking the former town's 160th anniversary. "It was an awesome
party," said Kraemer. "People had a great time; and we had a
visit from the council and city manager of our twin
municipality, Harbour Beach, Michigan." According to the
Mayor, Council worked together better in 2008 once the members became
more accustomed to the work of council. "It's all about compromise," he
said. "We have a significant municipality. We are the envy of all of
Bruce County and we get the work done. We also have good staff to help
us out."
As for projects, there are some that were not completed last year,
including the Davidson Centre addition which was to be done by last fall
but has been delayed until this spring, said Kraemer. (next column)
19/01/2009 01:27 AM
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The federal government appointed a review panel last
year for the Environmental Assessment of new build at the Bruce Nuclear
generating station, operated by Bruce Power, said Kraemer, adding that,
"Work continues on OPG's Deep Geologic Repository with drilling and
core-sampling." Both projects would mean a boost for the area, with
Bruce Power bringing new reactors, and OPG providing permanent storage
for low-level and intermediate-level nuclear waste. "We will be
supporting these on behalf of our citizens," said Kraemer. "We're hoping
we can be the voice for further expansion of the nuclear industry."
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is also working with
Kincardine and other municipalities to find a permanent storage site for
used fuel, said Kraemer. "At this time, it's in our best interest to do
everything possible to help find a community willing to host that site,"
he said.
"Work at Bruce Nuclear provides a strong anchor for our economy," added
Kraemer. "The payroll for the workers provides a huge boost for small
and medium-sized businesses. OPG and Bruce Power are good corporate
citizens, investing in this community and donating to many local
groups."
He pointed out that Bruce Telecom has also had a challenging year, with
technical issues at the Southampton overbuild (Fibre To The Home),
Internet Protocol TV, and Hi-Speed Internet. "We look forward to the
roll-out of Bruce Mobility, the company's cell phone service, which will
have the best coverage in the area," said Kraemer.
Also, last year, president and CEO Hans Nielsson retired, and a new CEO,
Mike Andrews, was hired to take the business into 2009. "This year will
be a consolidation year as Bruce Telecom gets all the outstanding work
completed," said Kraemer. The company has been a little aggressive in
its inventory and projects, he added, noting that the request for a
$750,000 line of credit is a responsible amount and council has no
concerns with it.
Moving into 2009, Kraemer said it will be a conservative year mainly
because of the downturn in the economy.
"I expect we'll bring in a conservative budget with a responsible tax
rate," he said. "We need to get a handle on the long-term future of the
economy. I believe the municipality is extremely well-positioned, but
we're not completely immune to changes in the economy. We will do the
projects that need to be done, but there will be little new spending. We
must be aware of the effect on our constituents."
He said the impacts on the auto industry will affect the demand for
electricity. "A year from now, we'll realize the effect on the energy
sector. We must manage the municipality efficiently, with maximum use of
existing assets, and pay attention to infrastructure needs."
Kraemer expects the federal and provincial governments will provide more
funding for infrastructure and he anticipates that money will assist
with the $8-million sewer and water project in Inverhuron.
The municipality has received $250,000 in government funding to fix the
accesses to the Huron Terrace bridge, said Kraemer. Bruce County is
fixing the bridge this year and Kincardine will take it over once that
work is done, he said.
Kraemer said the provincial transportation ministry (MTO) plans to fix
Highway 21 between Kincardine and Tiverton in 2010 but has eliminated
all winter controls along that stretch of roadway. "So, we're still
going to have the most-closed road in Ontario," he said.
On a happier note, this year marks the Tiverton Reunion which will be
another great party for the community, said Kraemer. Also in 2009, the
municipality is entering the second phase of the five-year Huron Ridge
project, providing storm sewers and road redevelopment. In addition, the
entire Municipality of Kincardine is to be entered in the Communities in
Bloom competition, he said.
Council plans to do a review of the municipal governance structure later
this month (January), considering the efficiency of the council and
committee-of-the-whole model, said Kraemer. "The municipality also hopes
to have a budget ready for approval by March," he added.
Kraemer has been re-elected chairman of the Grey-Bruce Board of Health,
and he hopes to represent Kincardine as the next Bruce County warden in
2010.
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