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The City of Brandon is proposing a 6.7 per cent tax increase to run a balanced budget in 2023.

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The City of Brandon is proposing a 6.7 per cent tax increase to run a balanced budget in 2023.

During budget deliberations, which kicked off Friday and continue today, city manager Ron Bowles offered several suggestions to reduce the burden on ratepayers, including using funds from an unexpected $1.3-million surplus and $718,000 in unused COVID-19 restart funds.

Last year’s deliberations saw an initial proposed tax rate increase of 6.9 per cent before it was whittled down to 1.9 per cent.

Mayor Jeff Fawcett listens to a presentation during the first day of City of Brandon budget deliberations Friday. (Colin Slark/The Brandon Sun)

The proposed budget would see $99,623,558 spent on the city’s general fund and $28,140,382 on its utility fund. Record capital spending is pegged at $138,921,126.

The heads of various departments talked about their budget requests and major projects for 2023 as council members asked questions throughout Friday. Most departments are facing increases in fuel, maintenance and material costs.

Though the $30-million southwest lift station project debenture has yet to receive final approval or denial, the budget reflected the eventuality it goes ahead.

The new chemical building at the municipal water treatment plant will require additional operating costs since 2023 will be the first full year it runs, according to director of utilities Alexia Stangherlin.

That includes switching from chlorine gas under the old chemical process to treat water to the more expensive sodium hypochlorite.

The reason for that, Stangherlin said, is sodium hypochlorite is safer to transport and use than chlorine gas.

It’ll also see some additional costs for residents and businesses with water and wastewater utility rates set to rise as of July 1. Those increases will continue yearly until 2026 and are to pay for past deficits as well as ongoing and completed projects.

Mayor Jeff Fawcett said one objective of the city’s is to submit rate increase proposals to the Public Utilities Board more frequently going forward, since part of the reason rates will almost double under the current schedule is because it’s been several years since the last submitted increase.

Major projects include an upgrade to membranes at the water treatment facility, building a new water reclamation facility shop, roof repairs, an assessment of the water station and a south end lift station upgrade.

Stangherlin said uptake for the city’s sump pump and backwater valve subsidy program has dropped off but acknowledged it has yet to be advertised in 2023.

Coun. Bruce Luebke (Ward 6) noted the city is reviewing the policies for its lead pipe water service replacement program. The objective is to have them ready in time for construction season, Stangherlin said.

Engineering, design, construction and land development

The department is looking for a 1.8 per cent budget increase so it can hire an additional project manager and reallocate software licensing, director Mark Allard said.

In 2023, it will work on phases 1 and 2 of the southeast drainage project, Phase 1 of the southwest lift station project, phases 1 and 2 of the outdoor sports field complex, street preservation (worth $2.8 million), a water main renewal on 18th Street North ($3.5 million) and sewer main relining ($750,000).

Sewer main relining is a technology new to the city, Allard said, which allows the city to put a new lining in good quality mains to improve their condition and lifespan.

The department will also work on non-capital projects such as a new asset management plan, the completion of an ongoing development charge rate study, revising municipal standards for infrastructure planning and quality control and pursuing a vision zero traffic strategy.

Among the targets for improving traffic safety is the intersection of Braecrest Drive and 18th Street North, a longtime concern of North End residents, and the intersection of Victoria Avenue and E Fotheringham Drive.

At 18th and Braecrest, the city is pursuing a cost-sharing agreement with the province to change the intersection, which is still proposed to be a roundabout. A design could be completed this year and construction could start next year.

Allard said some 2022 projects were delayed due to supply chain issues while other late-year projects were pushed back until the new year.

On the back lane lighting program approved by council last year, Allard said direction on what the program was intended to accomplish was unclear and it never got off the ground. He said he hopes for improved direction in 2023.

Coun. Kris Desjarlais (Ward 2) asked Allard why angle parking for downtown has been pushed back yet another year after it was identified as a priority by council five years ago. Bowles said it was his call to push it back, saying other downtown projects were given priority and the resources have yet to come together.

Director of planning and building Ryan Nickel said the budget request for planning is smaller than 2022, going by approximately $60,000.

Big costs include development on the next 30-year city plan and hiring a principal planner. However, a cooling of the market is leading the department to need one fewer building inspectors and the city also expects an increase in permit revenues.

Major expenses and projects for real estate include the sale and development of the former Strand Theatre property on Princess Avenue, finalizing a detailed design for renovations to the Library/Arts Building, developing transitional housing and creating an affordable housing subdivision.

Going over the drainage budget was manager of underground utilities Paul Ziesmann. He said cost increases for the department include the addition of a full-time equipment operator and an increased capital contribution with a request to retain an old excavator after purchasing a new one.

He said the department will implement changes from the city’s new climate change plan when it is released.

According to Ziesmann, the frequency of inspections for drainage infrastructure has doubled to twice annually since last year to help address flooding concerns. Retaining another excavator will help with maintaining and cleaning drainage ditches.

Departmental director Perry Roque said increased park costs include allocations and transfers to reserves, rising salaries and joint field maintenance with the Brandon School Division. However, cemetery revenues are set to rise this year.

Last year, as the Sun reported, the city and the school division briefly clashed after the city tried to remove $30,000 for joint field maintenance from the budget. This year, funding is being reinstated.

Major projects for this year include construction of the outdoor sports complex, a new maintenance building for the Wheat City Golf Course, expansion of the cemetery, installation of two new playgrounds, a replacement for the Park Community Centre and paving riverbank trails more than a decade after they were damaged in the flood of 2011.

Roque said recommissioning the paddling pool at Riverheights Park would cost around $52,000. Adding six or so spray features would likely cost $25,000 for water, but Roque was unsure of the price tag of the features themselves.

For the recreation department, cost changes include the increasing price of water for outdoor facilities, increased salaries and supply costs, a need to renovate Brandon’s youth centre, continuing the outdoor aquatic complex feasibility study and implementing new programs for residents.

Not included in the recreation department is the Sportsplex, which has its own cost centre. Cost challenges for the facility include decreased rental revenues (around $100,000), increases to salaries and maintenance costs, an exterior stairway replacement, a security system improvement and an update to racquetball facilities.

Roque also said the facility needs an assessment and design for upgrades and renovations to the canteen continue.

Speaking on the decreased rentals, Roque hinted it was due to the opening of the J&G Homes arena on the edge of the Rural Municipality of Cornwallis, which he said had a similar effect to Keystone Centre expansions in the early 1990s.

Coun. Glen Parker (Ward 9) said he wants the Sportsplex to partner with Hockey Brandon and Skate Brandon to make hockey more financially accessible. He said much of the cost comes from ice fees.

Regarding fees at the Sportsplex compared to other communities and facilities, Roque said he wasn’t sure what the J&G Homes Arena charges and Brandon’s ice fees are in the middle compared to other municipalities.

However, smaller surrounding municipalities often have lower ice fees.

Public works: maintenance, sanitation and roads

Price increases include rising utility, contract and material acquisition costs as well as a new line item for service calls, said director of public works Pam Richardson.

The department’s major costs for 2023 include accessibility upgrades at Brandon City Hall, eavestrough replacements at the Civic Services Complex, overhead door replacements, window repairs at the 911 call centre and Fire Hall 1, various guardrail and concrete step repairs, water repairs in the basement of city hall, sewer line repairs.

New generators, Richardson said, are needed for the new backup RCMP communications centre being built in the basement of the A.R. McDiarmid Civic Complex in case of power interruptions.

The city’s sanitation department, which is in charge of the Eastview Landfill, garbage and recycling collection and the municipal composting project, is implementing a new fee schedule in 2023 as well as a wood waste and freon removal program.

In terms of large sanitation projects, the city will build another cell at the landfill, a new arm barrier on the landfill’s outbound scale and replace a number of bins.

The arm barrier will allow the city to prevent people from driving away from the landfill without paying their fees, Richardson said.

Though the department saw an increase last year in the cost of recycled materials it sells, Richardson said those prices have dropped. The estimated cost of residents’ poor recycling habits is hard to determine but dealing with things like contaminated materials can be significant depending on the volume.

Unlike in previous years, the streets and roads department will not contract out street sweeping to an outside party and will handle it in-house.

Controlling dust on dirt roads and back lanes, maintaining streets and repairing excavation sites will be the major expenses for the department.

Transportation services: Brandon Municipal Airport, Brandon Transit and the city’s vehicle fleet

At the airport, increased revenue is expected from landing fees, terminal fees and advertising. Though the airport operated through the pandemic with one vacant equipment operator position, it has been determined the position needs to be filled.

Though there are fewer WestJet flights coming in and out of the airport every week, director of transportation services Carla Richardson said all other activities — including medical transfers — have increased.

Increased maintenance costs for the airport’s instrument landing system has driven up expenses.

Major projects for the airport include a grant application for snow removal equipment, rehabilitation of the runway (for which federal funding has been received), improvement to the sign for McGill Field and upgrades to the aircraft crash alarm.

“As the airport is federally regulated, it is quite difficult to find budget reductions,” Richardson said. “We don’t want our licence revoked.”

This year, the city is looking for replacements to a Brandon Access Transit bus, a Vactor truck (for sewer cleaning), a grader and a new fire pumper truck for its vehicle fleet.

The city is exploring alternative fuels like electricity and hydrogen to reduce costs in future years, especially for Brandon Transit.

According to Richardson, electric transit buses are not currently feasible for the city to purchase alone at approximately $1.3 million per unit plus additional infrastructure needed to support them.

Desjarlais noted the City of Ottawa recently received approximately $292 million to electrify its transit fleet but will have to spend around a billion dollars to construct infrastructure.

However, the city is looking to partner with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to find a way to proceed with electrification. Richardson said most cities in North America have yet to settle on a zero-emission fuel source and typically have a mix of electric and hydrogen vehicles. A pilot project would likely be the next step.

The good news for Brandon Transit is ridership is increasing, though costs are rising from benefit raises for staff.

That department will install accessible bus stop signage, replace glass for bus shelters and carry out a network analysis in 2023 looking at fare and route structure.

“We’ve had 20 of our bus shelters damaged,” Richardson said. “We have 29 panes of glass that are missing right now.”

In a pre-budget meeting, it was said the city is looking to replace the glass with a stronger material because frequent insurance claims are becoming expensive.

Despite the increase in ridership, it doesn’t necessarily correlate with an increase in revenues because a lot of the new riders are on youth passes offered to high school, Brandon University and Assiniboine Community College students.

Brandon Fire and Emergency Services

While BFES is expecting increased labour costs due to a new five-year contract with the Brandon Firefighters Association, it’s also expecting an increase in revenue from EMS revenue, according to acting fire chief Terry Parlow.

Major purchases for the service include a new aerial unit, a confined space rescue device, a turnout gear dryer, a lawn tractor with snow blower attachment and new security cameras.

Last year, the city provided money to the BFES budget to add more paramedic positions in an attempt to boost service within Brandon itself with ambulances stationed in the city being pulled to rural calls.

HR director Linda Poole said it would be around $400,000 to add an additional four positions this year.

Coun. Shawn Berry (Ward 7) wanted to know if it would be possible to designate those positions to serve just the city.

“We can’t wait another year until something bad happens,” Berry said. “I don’t care what Shared Health does.”

Increasing costs for the Brandon Police Service, Chief Wayne Balcaen said, will be the new approved collective bargaining agreement with the Brandon Police Association, the addition of three new positions and rising insurance costs.

When Balcaen presented the service’s financial ask at a pre-budget meeting, he said it was looking for a five per cent funding boost.

New on Friday was an additional request for funds to hire four more officers. Given the new CBA, Berry said he was open to adding more funding, but for auxiliary officers.

The start-up costs for those positions — which would include two new vehicles — is estimated to be around $390,000.

As one of the departments with the biggest vehicle fleet, fuel costs are a major impact on the BPS budget.

The biggest project of the year for the BPS will be ongoing construction of the new permanent detention facility, fully funded by $8.6 million in provincial donations.

However, the chief warned increased responsibilities for observing prisoners comes with higher operating costs.

“We’re running into concerns with a lack of appropriate medical services in our facility,” Balcaen said. This is driving up overtime costs with officers having to accompany detainees to emergency rooms in both Brandon, and Winnipeg in severe cases.

This department includes the city’s 911 call centre, its backup centre as well as the services it provides.

As the department charges a per capita fee to the communities it provides dispatch services to, the release of 2021 census figures have meant a boost in funding, according to director of emergency communications Robert Stewart.

Additionally, new communities have signed on for services, bringing in additional revenue streams.

The department’s biggest project in 2022 is the continuation of renovations to the A.R. McDiarmid Civic Complex for the new backup communications centre. Stewart said construction is expected to be completed by early March.

Director Todd Burton said there are a couple of favourable financial impacts: improved staffing costs and an improvement in computer expenses. However, there has been a considerable increase in software costs.

This year, the department will replace its voiceover internet protocol phone service with a service provided through Microsoft Teams, find new payroll software and buy new interconnect switches for its data centre.

Increased costs are staffing related, both due to a new collective bargaining agreement and an overlap between departing director Sandy Trudel and her successor.

Bowles said major projects in 2023 include creation of an economic development strategic plan and incentive policy, a new departmental website, logo and promotional videos to attract workers to Brandon, and establishing new highway signage advertising Brandon.

Business and infrastructure planning: Community wellness and environmental initiatives

The city will save some money on the community wellness and housing budget, general manager of corporate services Dean Hammond said, by bringing its contract to build housing back in-house after its contract with the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation ended.

Expenses include funding the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation and various downtown initiatives. Major projects include Manitoba Housing projects and a sobering centre.

On the environmental side, the main expenses for the city are implementation of its climate action plan and contribution to a fossil fuel reduction study co-funded by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Major projects are to refurbish the city’s emergency sirens this spring and update communication protocols.

Climate change-related claims for municipalities are driving up insurance premiums, Hammond added.

The only major change in the HR budget this year is to implement an employee engagement survey. The department is also switching to a new payroll system.

Legislative services, Indigenous relations and city council

With no Brandon School Division or municipal election this year, there will be some reduction of costs. Departmental director Renee Sigurdson said there will be a review of last year’s election at some point this year.

The city will provide $20,000 for the annual Truth and Reconciliation Week.

Expenses for council are scheduled to increase now that the one vacancy was filled in last October’s election. With events returning post-COVID, professional development costs are also expected to increase.

After eliminating an executive assistant position following a retirement last year, Bowles said his department is adding a public relations officer this year.

For 2023, Bowles said his priorities are to implement council’s strategic plan, improving communications and working on downtown issues.

Director of finance Tara Pearce said major expenses for her department include an organizational restructuring of city staff, an increase in the city’s vacancy allowance and new allowance for professional development.

Also expected is a projected $200,000 increase in supplemental property tax revenues.

Councillors are expected to propose amendments that could lower or raise the needed tax increase during today’s session.

It is also open to the public starting at 8:30 a.m. in council chambers at Brandon City Hall. It will also be livestreamed by WCGtv and the city’s YouTube page.