A single budget item eliminated on Monday night demonstrates progress.
A recommendation was to add four light trucks to the fleet to replace the use of personal vehicles.
Uneven surface,obstructions, loose gravel and dust at construction sites was the rationale wear and tear on employee vehicles was the rationale.
Councillor Thompson started the questions. The vehicles were not replacements, they were additions to the fleet.
I picked up; additional space would be required for accommodation, additional insurance, 4 new licenses , added demand for servicing.
Councillor Pirri took the opposing view. How would we like to be forced to use our personal vehicle and have them subject to damage and abuse? or words to that effect,
The Mayor elicited the information that use of personal vehicles is a job requirement. No-one is being forced .
Councillor Humphreys noted payment of 58 cents a kilometer for use of personal vehicles.
The rate was recently increased from 52 cents.
That's a dollar a mile. It's not chintzy.
It's the CAA calculation to cover all costs.
Annual payments to individuals may be in the range of $5,000.
I noted funds for the purchase were from development charges.
How much is in the fleet reserve fund.
$3. million was the answer. "Oh My Lord". I said," that's embarrassing"
"Could we be buying these trucks to use up some of those funds?"
I pointed out the recent OMB decision on D.C. overcharging means the town will have to re-imburse $700,000 to developers. The money will have to be found.
The answer was the fleet reserve will be extend into the needs of the future .
I'm not sure about that.
The town is required to re-calculate development charges every five years. If the funds are not used within that period they are deemed not to have been needed. Could re-imbursement be ordered there too.
The trucks are not needed because of growth.
A further thought occurred the morning after; construction season ends in November. The trucks would sit idle until June when construction starts again; six months.
Outside or inside storage?
W ere they included in space requirement calculations for the new joint facility planned at an estimated cost of $13.million?
The Mayor made the final comment this was obviously a policy discussion .The item did not belong in the budget.
At this point, I want you to note that the budget is a document vetted at several levels within the administrationbefore it reaches Council.
It has been subject to the scrutiny of the Executive Leadership Team.
It bears the signature of the Chief Administrative Officer and the Chief Financial Officer.
The four new trucks are in the budget of Infrastructure and Environment. the net senior director.
No logic supported the recommendation.
The item was struck. Your Council is coming of age.
.
Friday 30 November 2012
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7 comments:
YES !!!!
CBC News: Premier Redford is called upon to resign.
I know we are not supposed to identify staff, but I will try to generalize. It would be nice to feel comfortable about Staff's ability to spot places where money can and should be saved. We do not have that luxury. No one is standing up and saying, " You do not need to do this particular project. "
But what colour will these trucks be????
Sometimes it's hard to see the sharks. Perhaps this has been an eye-opener but it must be a pain to have to second-guess those who work for you.
That request makes no sense. How many staff are regularly on construction sites? What construction sites?
I did hear that 2 senior staff received mileage from the town to drive to an examination by a lawyer and hope they mentioned that they also received mileage from at least one of the lawyers in attendance. Whole lot of construction sites on the drive.
This is the problem with a " Team ". No one really takes responsibility for an expensive error. "Of apology there was none."
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