Barrington eyes priorities for 2018
Municipal infrastructure improvements, attracting new business, among items on municipality’s radar
Needed repairs and improvements to municipal infrastructure, initiatives that will enhance existing assets such as local beaches, and attracting new businesses are among the priorities Barrington Municipal Council is looking at going into 2018.
“It looks likes we have some infrastructure we need to spend money on,” said Warden Eddie Nickerson.
A report prepared by an engineering firm that conducted an analysis of all municipal buildings and infrastructure in 2017 indicates some major repairs are needed, including replacing the recreation centre on Sherose Island and a new roof for the municipal administrative centre, said Warden Nickerson.
“This is not going to be a oneyear fix,” he said. “This is going to be a longer process. There needs to be some planning to get that infrastructure where it needs to be.”
Nickerson said the municipality is also “looking forward to doing other projects” throughout the municipality.
“Smaller projects, like parks and just trying to improve the municipality right across the board to beautify it,” he said. “Our goal is to try and make the municipality more enticing, to bring in tourists and to bring in consumers who are going to spend money here and to grow the municipality economically with new businesses.”
Nickerson said the municipality hopes to add user facilities such as change rooms and washrooms to some of the more popular beaches in the area to enhance usage for local people as well as tourists.
“We want to direct more attention towards that and certainly a bit more attention towards tourism,” he said. “Another thing on the radar is attracting new businesses and, more specific, accommodations. We know we lack in that. We do have some accommodations here but not nearly enough so hopefully we can push that issue and can attract hotels, motels, cottages… anybody that wants to invest in the municipality.”
He said the municipality was “very successful” tapping into federal infrastructure funding in 2017, with a number of smaller projects getting approved, including the municipal infrastructure analysis study.
“We took the approach of doing an analysis of our infrastructure first, then come up with a multi-year plan on how we are going to proceed,” the warden said. Once that is determined, he said the municipality will be applying for further infrastructure dollars, noting funding is available for recreational facilities.
“We will be spending some of the gas tax money on it (municipal infrastructure improvements) and certainly the deed transfer tax that we put in place,” he said.
Collection of the deed transfer tax began Jan. 1. The deed transfer tax bylaw was approved by municipal council Nov. 6 and provides for a tax of 1.5 percent to be levied on the transfer of real property which is payable at the time of conveyance of the title. Warden Nickerson said revenue generated from the deed transfer tax is committed to go into maintaining and improving municipal infrastructure.
Municipal council is scheduled to begin budget deliberations at the committee-of-the-whole level Jan. 11 and 30, with a public consultation workshop to discuss the budget slated for Tuesday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m. “We want input from the public,” the warden said, adding he hopes people will come out to the public sessions to voice their ideas and “let us know what they want.”