Director of Finance Brian Cousins at Belleville city council, May 28, 2018 (Photo: Mary Thomas/Quinte News)
Belleville has come up with a plan to find the extra money to pay the increases in its share of the two Long Term Care homes.
At Monday night’s city council meeting, Director of Finance Brian Cousins recommended how the city could find the extra $380,000 increase.
City council adopted the recommendation – changes to the operating budget as well as amendments to the capital budget.
The city will defer the sewer separation project on Alexander Street from John to Charles Streets to 2019, and add road design work on both Avondale Road and the intersection of Bridge and Sidney Streets.
Cousins told council the plan is to “defer the Alexander Street for $3.1 million which would free up $630,000 of funding to the operating budget that would offset the long term care costs of approximately $400,000 and leave us with almost $250,000 available. Instead of reducing the operating budget and then redoing the tax rates it was decided we could allocate that $250,000 to those two road design projects.”
The city had initially said it would not pay the increases of 17% for Hastings Manor in Belleville and 31% for Centennial Manor in Bancroft, but then voted to pay its share for 2018, and negotiate with Hastings County for the 2019 budget.
Payday loan businesses regulated
Belleville city council has taken a step to regulate where payday loan operations can be located.
Such businesses will only be allowed on Bell Boulevard, North Front Street and Dundas Street.
Councillor Paul Carr told Quinte News, following Moday night’s city council meeting, he met with the Hastings Prince Edward Poverty Roundtable before proposing this step.
Only one payday loan operation will be allowed in each of the three zones.
Those businesses already in existence in those zones and elsewhere would be allowed to continue to operate under a “grandfather” clause.
Fixing derelict buildings
Belleville council is calling for faster action by property owners to fix up derelict buildings.
Under a bylaw approved by city council Monday night, windows and doors will only be allowed to be boarded up for six months before repairs have to be made, not the current 12 months,.
Councillor Paul Carr has been behind this issue.
Under the proposal, property owners would still have three months, after the six months, to make the necessary repairs to the building.
