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4. CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES 2008 LEVIES PRÉLÈVEMENTS 2008 DES
OFFICES DE PROTECTION DE LA NATURE |
Committee RecommendationS
1. Rideau Valley Conservation Authority;
2. South Nation Conservation Authority; and
3. Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority.
RecommandationS du comité
Que le Conseil approuve les prélèvements
généraux et spéciaux de 2008 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 20 March 2008
(ACS2008-CMR-FIN-0011).
Report to/Rapport au :
Corporate Services and
Economic Development Committee
Comité des services
organisationnels et du développement économique
and Council / et au Conseil
20 March 2008 / le 20 Mars 2008
Submitted by/Soumis par : Marian Simulik
City Treasurer/Tresorièr municipal
Contact
Person/Personne resource: Marian Simulik City Treasurer/ Tresorièr municipal
(613)
580-2424 x14159 , Marian.Simulik@Ottawa.ca
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CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES
2008 LEVIES |
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OBJECT : |
PRÉLÈVEMENTS 2008 DES
OFFICES DE PROTECTION DE LA NATURE |
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Rideau
Valley Conservation Authority;
2. South
Nation Conservation Authority; and
3. Mississippi
Valley Conservation Authority.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité des services organisationnels et du développement
économique recommande au Conseil d’approuver les prélèvements généraux et
spéciaux de 2008 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.
BACKGROUND
The City of Ottawa is located in the watershed 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 rates.
Council has no discretion over
the amounts listed under the general levy. The City of Ottawa share of the levy
is apportioned on the basis of the assessment within 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 Economic and
Environmental Sustainability Branch within the Department of Planning, Transit
and the Environment.
These levy rates are calculated based on the budgets (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 program $535,000 less
the anticipated provincial grant amount $120,000 for a special levy of
$415,000.
Ottawa Children’s
Water Festival – The Eastern Ontario Children’s Water
Festival is a group of four festivals started four
years ago with a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The two Conservation Authority sponsored
festivals (Baxter and Mill of Kintail) serve kids from the greater Ottawa area.
At these two sites, approximately 2,000 grade four children receive one of the
most memorable and interactive lessons of their life about the water cycle,
water conservation and living with water. The funding of education activities
including the Water Festivals is named in the Council-approved Groundwater
Management Strategy. The RVCA is asking the City to help with bridge funding that will
decrease as another appropriate sponsor comes on board. The 2008 special levy request of $20,000
represents a $5,000 decrease from the 2007 special levy.
Green Acres - Council considered a report on the Green Acres Program (which provides grants for tree planting in the rural area) on 13 July 2005 and approved the following recommendations:
1.
Continuation
of the Green Acres Reforestation Program through 2010 in partnership with the
Conservation Authorities.
2. The proposed spending plan for allocation of $90,000 in special levy for 2008 with $5,000 increments for 2009-2010, subject to final Council approval each year.
Britannia Village Ottawa River Flood Protection -
RVCA will be partnering with the
City to implement flood protection in Britannia Village.
Council approved funding for this initiative in September of 2007 as
referred in the report, Britannia Village – Ottawa River Flood Protection
Revised Petition, (ACS2007-PWS-INF-0007).
The total cost is $390,000, 50% of the funding to be provided by the
City and the remaining 50% from the benefiting property owners in the area,
therefore no new funding is required.
Rural Clean Water - Council considered a report on the Rural Clean Water Program (delivered for the City by the SNCA) on December 8, 2004 and approved the following recommendations:
1. Renewal
of the Rural Clean Water Program for an additional five years, ending
31 December 2009.
2. Allocation of $184,000 per year under Special Levy to the Conservation Authorities for the Rural Clean Water Program for a period of five years.
Morris Island Repairs – Morris Island Conservation Area (MICA), a 47-hectare site, is located in former West Carleton and is jointly owned by the City of Ottawa and Ontario Power Generation (OPG). The entire shoreline and approximately 14 hectares is owned by OPG while the remaining 33 hectares belongs to the City of Ottawa. The site features a diverse natural environment of wetland and upland areas with beautiful sheltered bays, small offshore islands and spectacular scenic views of the Ottawa River.
The MVCA has developed and maintained the site on behalf of the City, guided by the Morris Island Conservation Area Master Plan (1987) prepared jointly by the former Region, MVCA and Ministry of Natural Resources. To date, the MVCA has provided funding for both capital and operating costs associated with the site.
In 2003, the City of Ottawa, MVCA
and OPG agreed to re-evaluate the existing Master Plan for MICA and develop a
management plan to guide future work. Council considered a report on the Morris Island
Conservation Area Infrastructure and Capital Improvement Plan on November 22,
2006 and approved the following two recommendations:
1. Approve, in principle, the Morris Island Conservation Area Infrastructure and Capital Improvement Plan, subject to the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority being able to secure sufficient funding for its implementation;
2. Direct Planning and Growth Management staff to work with the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority to secure the funding needed to implement the Morris Island Conservation Area Infrastructure and Capital Improvement Plan from a variety of sources including but not limited to a request for a special levy in 2007, 2008 and 2009, that would be considered by Council as part of the annual budget process.
The MVCA
is requesting a special levy of $80,000 in 2008. This money will be used to repair
the causeway, improve the parking/entrance area and begin trail rehabilitation
and poison ivy treatments. The OPG has
contributed $18,900 towards the signage elements of the Improvement Plan. The MVCA also will be spending approximately
$10,000 on trail upgrades this year out of its regular maintenance budget. The MVCA is undertaking the formalization of
a “Friends of Morris Island” group to assist their Foundation in
fundraising. That will likely occur
later this year.
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.
Results of the City’s baseline water quality monitoring program indicate that 70% of the City’s rural creeks fail to meet the “good” criteria of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) water quality index. The Rural Clean Water Program complements the City’s desire to protect and improve surface water quality. It is estimated that the various program initiatives have removed approximately 2,430 kilograms of phosphorus annually from the City’s waterways. The Program’s educational and public awareness initiatives help increase the community’s understanding of the relationship between rural land use practices and water quality protection.
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. This helps the City in achieving a variety of environmental objectives and targets including increasing forest cover city wide to 30%, provision of wildlife habitat, protection of water quality, and provision of a carbon sink to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The two children’s water festivals at Baxter and the Mill of Kintail provide valuable lessons about water to the children of the Ottawa area. Morris Island Conservation Area is an important environmental and recreational asset for the residents of Ottawa.
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.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
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 $676,207, which represents a 9.95% increase over the amount provided in 2007.
Document 1 - General and Special Levies for Conservation Authorities, City of Ottawa Share.
DISPOSITION
The Financial Services Branch will calculate the property tax rates to generate the required levies and will forward the funds to the Conservation Authorities. Legal Services Branch will prepare the appropriate by-laws.
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Document
1 General and Special Levies
for Conservation Authorities City of Ottawa Share |
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Rideau Valley Conservation Authority |
Missississippi Valley
Conservation Authority |
South Nation Conservation
Authority |
Total Conservation
Authorities |
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2008 General
Levy Request |
3,501,178 |
1,312,072 |
1,872,968 |
6,686,218 |
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Rideau River Ice Management |
415,000 |
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415,000 |
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Ottawa Children’s Water |
20,000 |
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20,000 |
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Green Acres Programs |
90,000 |
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90,000 |
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Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program |
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184,000 |
184,000 |
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Morris Island Repairs |
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80,000 |
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80,000 |
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2008 Special Request |
525,000 |
80,000 |
184,000 |
789,000 |
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2008 Total Conservation
Authority Request |
4,026,178 |
1,392,072 |
2,056,968 |
7,475,218 |
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2007 General Levy |
3,320,334 |
1,171,887 |
1,585,490 |
6,077,711 |
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2007 Special Levy Request |
450,300 |
87,000 |
184,000 |
721,300 |
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2007 Total Conservation
Authority Request |
3,770,634 |
1,258,887 |
1,769,490 |
6,799,011 |
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2008 Increase / Decrease |
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2008 General Levy |
180,844 |
140,185 |
287,478 |
608,507 |
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2008 Special Levy Request |
74,700 |
-7,000 |
0 |
67,700 |
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Total 2008
Increase/Decrease |
255,544 |
133,185 |
287,478 |
676,207 |
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2008 Percentage Increase |
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2008 General Levy |
5.45% |
11.96% |
18.13% |
10.01% |
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2008 Special Levy Request |
16.59% |
-8.05% |
0.00% |
9.39% |
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Total Percentage Increase |
6.78% |
10.58% |
16.25% |
9.95% |