2. CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES - 2010 LEVIES
PRÉLÉVEMENTS
2010 DES OFFICES DE PROTECTION DE LA
NATURE
That Council approve the 2010 general and special levies, as presented in Document 1, for the following:
1.
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority;
2.
South Nation Conservation Authority; and
3.
Mississippi Valley Conservation
Authority.
Que le Conseil
approuve les prélèvements généraux et spéciaux de 2010, tels qu’ils sont
présentés dans le document 1, pour les offices de protection de la nature
suivants:
1.
Office de protection de la nature de la vallée de la rivière Rideau;
2.
Société d’aménagement de la rivière Nation-Sud; et
3.
Office de protection de la nature de la vallée de la rivière
Mississippi.
Documentation
1. City Treasurer’s report dated 7 April 2010 (ACS2010-CMR-FIN-0024).
Report to/Rapport au :
Audit, Budget and
Finance Committee
Comité de la vérification, du budget et
des finances
and Council / et au Conseil
Submitted by/Soumis par : Marian Simulik, City
Treasurer/ Trésorière municipale
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Joanne Farnand, Manager, Financial
Services, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability/ Gestionnaire,
Services financiers, Services d'infrastructure et viabilité des collectivités
Finance
Department / Service
des finances
(613) 580-2424 x
22712, joanne.farnard@ottawa.ca
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Ref N°: ACS2010-CMR-FIN-0024 |
SUBJECT:
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OBJET :
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That the Audit, Budget and Finance Committee recommend Council approve the 2010 general and special levies, as presented in Document 1, for the following:
4.
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority;
5.
South Nation Conservation Authority; and
6.
Mississippi Valley Conservation
Authority.
Que le Comité de vérification, du
budget et des finances recommande au Conseil d’approuver les prélèvements
généraux et spéciaux de 2010, tels qu’ils sont présentés dans le document 1,
pour les offices de protection de la nature suivants:
4.
Office de protection de la nature de la vallée de la rivière Rideau;
5.
Société d’aménagement de la rivière Nation-Sud; et
6.
Office de protection de la nature de la vallée de la rivière
Mississippi.
The City of Ottawa is located in the
watersheds of three rivers, all of which have an established Conservation
Authority; the Rideau Valley (RVCA), Mississippi Valley (MVCA) and South Nation
(SNCA). The taxation requirement by the
Conservation Authorities has been excluded in the City’s budget, as they have a
separate levy on the tax bill. Council
can only control the special projects portion of their levy.
The Conservation
Authorities Act provides that Conservation Authorities shall apportion
operating/maintenance costs amongst participating municipalities in accordance
with the benefits derived. The City primarily acts as the tax collector on
behalf of the Conservation Authorities and collects the amount in the same
manner as municipal taxes for general purposes.
In accordance
with section 312 of the Municipal Act
the municipality shall, each year, pass a by-law levying the separate tax rates,
for this purpose. Approval of this
report will establish the levy requirements.
Council has no discretion over the amounts listed under the general
levy. The City of Ottawa’s share of the
levy is apportioned on the basis of the assessment for the City of Ottawa relative to the total
assessment within the watershed.
There is some discretion on amounts identified as special levies but
these programs are generally supported by staff as they complement City
initiatives and staff partner with the Conservation Authorities to deliver these programs.
Budgets for
Conservation Authorities are co-ordinated with the Community Sustainability
Services Branch within the Department of Infrastructure Services and Community
Sustainability.
These levy rates are calculated based on
the budgets as attached in Document 1, submitted by each Conservation
Authority.
Rideau River Ice Management
There is a longstanding arrangement between the RVCA and the City concerning Rideau River Ice Management. By Council approval early in 2005, the RVCA is to fund the full cost of Rideau River Flood Control through their special levy, beginning in 2006. In conformity with this direction, the RVCA is budgeting for the full cost of the 2010 program. The 2010 net request is $405,600 and includes a $72,000 reimbursement to cover the 2009 deficit and a provincial grant of approximately $120,000.
Rural Clean Water
The Rural
Clean Water Program provides grants to rural residents to undertake projects
that improve the quality of surface water and ground water. The program is important for promoting
stewardship and reducing the impact of activities on water quality. In 2004, Council approved the program through
2009. In October 2009, Planning and
Environment Committee (PEC) and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee (ARAC),
and Council on November 16, 2009 received a report on the evaluation of the
program to date, which indicated that staff would be recommending that South
Nation Conservation (on behalf of the three Conservation Authorities) budget
for $250,000 for 2010 to address a current waiting list and new projects in
2010 (the 2009 allocation was $184,000).
This will allow for a transition period, as the program is re-designed
for 2011. Staff have committed to a
report on a new program commitment by Q3 2010.
Green Acres
Green Acres is the primary rural tree-planting program in the City and is administered on behalf of the three Conservation Authorities by the RVCA.
On July 13,
2005 Council approved the following recommendations:
1. Continuation of the Green Acres Reforestation
Program through 2010 in partnership with the Conservation Authorities.
Ottawa
Infrastructure Reserve
The RVCA is proposing that a Water Control Capital Asset Reserve be established through an annual special levy contribution by the City of Ottawa to cover its share of major maintenance costs. The reserve is intended to cover unexpected operating and maintenance costs, preventive maintenance and emergency repairs that exceed annual allowances for routine operation and maintenance of aging RVCA-owned flood and erosion control infrastructure in the City of Ottawa. The 2010 request is $10,000.
Eastern Ontario Water Resources Committee
The Eastern Ontario Water
Resources Committee works cooperatively to implement the recommendations of the
Eastern Ontario Water Resources Management Study. The membership includes municipalities,
conservation authorities, provincial ministries, the University of Ottawa, and
farming groups. Initiatives funded in
2009 included well decommissioning and water efficiency team projects, well
protection, riverwatch and outreach programs.
The SNCA 2010 request remains at $50,000, with no increase over 2009.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
The Conservation Authorities are key conservation partners in the City. Their programs play a critical role in ensuring environmental quality and conservation efforts, including watershed protection. Programs funded through the general and special levy of the Authorities result in direct efforts to protect and improve water quality, conserve wildlife and biodiversity, increase forest cover, and protect against natural hazards such as flooding and unstable slopes.
As the only
ongoing tree-planting program in rural Ottawa, Green Acres provides an
important environmental benefit by supporting renewal and enhancement of forest
cover. Through this program, 88,400
trees were planted in 2009 in rural Ottawa.
Between 2000 and 2009, 431 hectares of trees were planted. This
program helps achieve the City’s environmental objectives and targets,
including increasing forest cover citywide to 30%, provision of wildlife
habitat, protection of water quality, and provision of a carbon sink to help
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This
submission is prepared based on documentation supplied by the Conservation
Authorities. The General Managers of the
Conservation Authorities are scheduled to be available to answer specific
questions on their increased budgetary requirements.
There are no legal or risk management impediments to implementing the recommendations of this report.
Per Council direction, the City's share of the
funding requirements for the Conservation Authorities is raised through the
establishment of separate tax rates applied to the various property classes
within the City of Ottawa. Based on the
requirements submitted in this report, the Conservation Authorities are
requesting an increase of $288,346, which represents a 3.55% increase over the
amount provided in 2009.
Many of the Conservation
Authority Programs, such as Green Acres and the Rural Clean Water Program, directly benefit the rural
residents of the City. The Authorities
also support environmental objectives, stewardship and education in the rural area through
ownership of conservation lands, support for the landowner contact centre and
other initiatives with direct benefits in the rural area.
Document 1 - General
and Special Levies for Conservation Authorities, City of Ottawa Levy
Requirements.
The Finance Department will calculate the property tax rates to generate
the required levies and will forward the funds to the Conservation
Authorities. The City Clerk and Solicitor Department will prepare the appropriate by-laws.
Document
1
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General and Special Levies for Conservation
Authorities |
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