Minutes

For the Finance and Administration Committee Meeting

-
Tom Davies Square
Present (Mayor and Councillors)
  • Councillor Signoretti, 
  • Councillor Vagnini, 
  • Councillor Fortin, 
  • Councillor Parent, 
  • Councillor Lapierre, 
  • Councillor Labbee, 
  • Councillor Sizer, 
  • Councillor McIntosh, 
  • Councillor Cormier, 
  • Councillor Leduc, 
  • Councillor Landry-Altmann, 
  • and Mayor Lefebvre 
Absent
  • Councillor Montpellier 
City Officials
  • Ed Archer, Chief Administrative Officer, 
  • Kevin Fowke, General Manager of Corporate Services, 
  • Tony Cecutti, General Manager of Growth and Infrastructure, 
  • Joseph Nicholls, General Manager of Community Safety, 
  • Ian Wood, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives and Citizen Services, 
  • Kelly Gravelle, Deputy City Solicitor, 
  • Ron Foster, Auditor General, 
  • Jim Lister, Manager of Accounting/ Deputy Treasurer, 
  • Eric Labelle, City Solicitor and Clerk, 
  • Ashley Gosselin, Clerk's Services Assistant , 
  • Regina Sgueglia, Clerk's Services Assistant, 
  • and Srijana Rasaily, Clerk's Services Assistant 

Councillor McIntosh, In the Chair

1.
Call to Order

  

The meeting commenced at 6:00 p.m.

2.
Roll Call

  

A roll call was conducted.

3.
Declarations of Pecuniary Interest and the General Nature Thereof

  

None declared.

4.
Consent Agenda

  

The following resolution was presented:

  • FA2023-33
    Moved ByCouncillor McIntosh
    Seconded ByCouncillor Leduc

    THAT the City of Greater Sudbury approves Consent Agenda item 4.1.1.

    CARRIED

    The following is the Consent Agenda Item:


4.1
Routine Management Reports

  

4.1.1
Healthy Community Initiative Fund Applications – June 20, 2023

This item has attachments.  

  • The following resolution was presented:

    FA2023-34
    Moved ByCouncillor McIntosh
    Seconded ByCouncillor Leduc

    THAT the City of Greater Sudbury approves the Healthy Community Initiative Fund requests, as outlined in the report entitled “Healthy Community Initiative Fund Applications – June 20, 2023”, from the General Manager of Community Development, presented at the Finance and Administration Committee meeting on June 20, 2023;

    AND THAT the City of Greater Sudbury approves the application for a multi-ward grant above the established thresholds in By-law 2018-129 for $2,000 per ward for wards 5, 8, 11 and 12 relating to New Sudbury Days;

    AND THAT the City of Greater Sudbury directs staff to present a by-law to authorize the grants recommended in the report.

    CARRIED

5.
Presentations

  

5.1
2022 Annual Report

This item has attachments.  

Ed Archer, Chief Administrative Officer, provided a report and electronic presentation regarding the 2022 Annual Report for information only.

5.2
2023 Long Term Financial Plan Update

This item has attachments.  

Mayor Lefebvre departed at 6:26 p.m.

Ed Archer, Chief Administrative Officer, provided a report and electronic presentation regarding the 2023 Long Term Financial Plan Update for information only.

At 7:20 p.m., the Committee Recessed.

At 7:26 p.m., the Committee Reconvened.

6.
Managers' Reports

  

6.1
2024-2025 Budget Direction Report

This item has attachments.  

  • The following resolution was presented:

    FA2023-35
    Moved ByCouncillor McIntosh
    Seconded ByCouncillor Sizer

    THAT the City of Greater Sudbury directs staff to prepare a 2024-2025 Business Plan for all tax supported services which considers:

    1. The cost of providing provincially mandated and cost shared programs;
    2. The cost of delivering current services at current service levels;
    3. The cost associated with growth in infrastructure that is operated and maintained by the City;
    4. A capital budget that reflects a level of investment which aligns with the “base scenario” described in the long-term financial plan;
    5. An estimate of assessment growth; and
    6. Recommendations for changes to service levels and/or non-tax revenues so that the level of taxation in 2024 and 2025 produces no more than an average annual 4.7% property tax increase, in accordance with the long-term financial plan.

       

  • Rules of Procedure

    Councillor McIntosh presented the following amendment:

    FA2023-35-A1
    Moved ByCouncillor McIntosh
    Seconded ByCouncillor Cormier

    THAT Resolution 1d) be amended as follows:

    “A capital budget that reflects a level of investment which aligns with the “base scenario” described in the long-term financial plan plus a special capital levy for accelerated road asset renewal equivalent to 1.5% of the net levy in each year of the four year capital plan;”

    CARRIED

  • Rules of Procedure

    Councillor Parent presented the following amendment:

    FA2023-35-A2
    Moved ByCouncillor Parent
    Seconded ByCouncillor McIntosh

    THAT Resolution 1f) be amended by adding the following:

    “AND THAT business cases be prepared that present options for potential service adjustments or non-tax revenue changes such that the 2024-2025 net levy is further reduced by 0.8%."

    CARRIED

  • The resolution as amended was presented:

    FA2023-35
    Moved ByCouncillor McIntosh
    Seconded ByCouncillor Sizer

    As amended:

    THAT the City of Greater Sudbury directs staff to prepare a 2024-2025 Business Plan for all tax supported services which considers:

    1. The cost of providing provincially mandated and cost shared programs;
    2. The cost of delivering current services at current service levels;
    3. The cost associated with growth in infrastructure that is operated and maintained by the City;
    4. A capital budget that reflects a level of investment which aligns with the “base scenario” described in the long-term financial plan plus a special capital levy for accelerated road asset renewal equivalent to 1.5% of the net levy in each year of the four year capital plan;
    5. An estimate of assessment growth; and
    6. Recommendations for changes to service levels and/or non-tax revenues so that the level of taxation in 2024 and 2025 produces no more than an average annual 4.7% property tax increase, in accordance with the long-term financial plan, and that business cases be prepared that present options for potential service adjustments or non-tax revenue changes such that the 2024-2025 net levy is further reduced by 0.8%.
    CARRIED

  • The following resolution was presented:

    FA2023-36
    Moved ByCouncillor McIntosh
    Seconded ByCouncillor Signoretti

    THAT the City of Greater Sudbury directs staff to develop the 2024-2027 Capital Budget based on an assessment of the community's highest priority needs consistent with the application of prioritization criteria that considers:

    1. Financial affordability;
    2. Financial commitments and workload requirements in future periods for multi-year projects;
    3. The impact on operating costs associated with new projects;
    4. The probability and potential consequences of asset failure; and
    5. The financial cost and potential service impacts of deferring projects.

       

    CARRIED

  • The following resolution was presented: 

    FA2023-37
    Moved ByCouncillor McIntosh
    Seconded ByCouncillor Parent

    THAT the City of Greater Sudbury directs staff to prepare a 2024-2025 Business Plan for Water and Wastewater Services that includes:

    1. The cost of maintaining current approved programs at current service levels based on anticipated production volumes;
    2. The cost associated with legislative changes and requirements;
    3. The cost associated with growth in infrastructure operated and maintained by the City;
    4. A reasonable estimate of water consumption; and
    5. A rate increase not to exceed 4.8%, consistent with the Water and Wastewater Long-Range Financial Plan approved by the Finance and Administration Committee on June 4, 2019.

       

    CARRIED

  • The following resolution was presented:

    FA2023-38
    Moved ByCouncillor McIntosh
    Seconded ByCouncillor Fortin

    THAT the City of Greater Sudbury directs staff to provide recommendations for changes to 2024-2025 user fees for property tax-supported services that reflect:

    1. The full cost of providing the program or services including capital assets, net of any subsidy approved by Council;
    2. Increased reliance on non-tax revenue; and
    3. Development of new fees for municipal services currently funded by the tax levy.

       

    CARRIED

  • The following resolution was presented:

    FA2023-39
    Moved ByCouncillor McIntosh
    Seconded ByCouncillor Signoretti

    THAT staff present any service enhancements, changes in services, or new service proposals as Business Cases for consideration by the Finance and Administration Committee on a case-by-case basis, subject to the following conditions;

    1. All businesses cases must be approved by resolution of the Finance and Administration Committee to be incorporated into the 2024-2025 Budget Document; and
    2. Any business case with a value of $100,000 or less be incorporated into the base budget where the Executive Leadership Team supports the change, with a summary of such changes disclosed to the Finance and Administration Committee in the budget document;
    CARRIED

  • The following resolution was presented:

    FA2023-40
    Moved ByCouncillor McIntosh
    Seconded ByCouncillor Labbee

    THAT the City of Greater Sudbury indicate to Service Partners (Greater Sudbury Police Services, Nickel District Conservation Authority, Greater Sudbury Public Library Board, Public Health Sudbury & Districts) \ its expectation that each follows the same 2024-2025 Budget directions approved for the City of Greater Sudbury’s municipal services when preparing their 2024 and 2025 municipal funding requests.

    CARRIED

  • Councillor Vagnini arrived at 8:13 p.m.

    The following resolution was presented:

    FA2023-41
    Moved ByCouncillor McIntosh
    Seconded ByCouncillor Leduc

    THAT Staff be directed to schedule budget deliberations for the Finance and Administration Committee during the daytime commencing at 9:30 am on days identified in Appendix A 2024 Budget Schedule.

    DEFERRED

    Councillor Cormier moved to defer this item to the Finance and Administration Committee Meeting of July 10, 2023 for the reason of polling and consultation with members of council on availability for the proposed general time line of the budget deliberations.


  • The following resolution was presented:

    FA2023-42
    Moved ByCouncillor McIntosh
    Seconded ByCouncillor Parent

    THAT Staff be directed to include an annual amount equal to 0.5 per cent of the 2023 tax levy as a contribution to the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve in order to improve reserve balances and reduce risk of cost fluctuations from implementing a multi-year budget.

    CARRIED

7.
Members' Motions

  

No Motions were presented.

8.
Correspondence for Information Only

  

9.
Addendum

  

No Addendum was presented.

10.
Civic Petitions 

  

No Petitions were submitted.

11.
Question Period

  

Please visit: https://www.greatersudbury.ca/agendas to view questions asked.

12.
Adjournment

  

Councillor McIntosh moved to adjourn the meeting. Time: 8:24 p.m.

CARRIED

No Item Selected