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8. CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES 2009 LEVIES PRÉLÉVEMENTS 2009 DES OFFICES DE PROTECTION DE LA NATURE |
COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION
1.
Rideau Valley Conservation
Authority;
2.
South Nation Conservation
Authority; and
3.
Mississippi Valley Conservation
Authority.
Que le Conseil approuve les prélčvements généraux et spéciaux de 2009 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 rivičre Rideau;
2.
Société
d’aménagement de la rivičre Nation-Sud; et
3.
Office
de protection de la nature de la vallée de la rivičre Mississippi.
DOCUMENTATION
1.
City Treasurer’s report dated 30 March 2009
(ACS2008-CMR-FIN-0013).
Report to/Rapport au :
Corporate Services and Economic
Development Committee
Comité des services organisationnels
et du développement économique
and Council / et au Conseil
Submitted by/Soumis par : Marian Simulik
City Treasurer/Tresoričr municipal
Contact Person/Personne resource: Claudio
Colaiacovo, Manager Financial Services/
gestionnaire services financiers
Financial
Services/Services financiers
(613) 580-2424 x22331,
claudio.colaiacovo@Ottawa.ca
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CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES 2009 LEVIES |
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OBJECT : |
PRÉLÉVEMENTS 2009 DES OFFICES DE PROTECTION DE
LA NATURE |
REPORT
RECOMMENDATION
RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité des services organisationnels et
du développement économique recommande au Conseil d’approuver les prélčvements
généraux et spéciaux de 2009 tels qu’ils sont présentés dans le document 1 pour
les offices de protection de la nature suivants:
BACKGROUND
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 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 Authorites 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 program $512,000 less the anticipated provincial grant amount $130,000 for a special levy of $382,000.
Rural Clean Water - On December 8, 2004, Council approved the following recommendations:
1.
Renewal of the Rural Clean Water
Program for an additional five years, ending December 31, 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.
Green Acres - 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.
2. The proposed spending plan for allocation of $95,000 in special levy for 2009 with $5,000 increments for 2010, subject to final Council approval each year.
Ottawa
Children’s Water Festival – The Eastern Ontario
Children’s Water Festival is a group of four festivals
started five years ago with a grant from the Ontario Trillium
Foundation. The two Rideau Valley
Conservation Authority sponsored festivals (Baxter and Mill of Kintail) serve
children from the greater Ottawa area.
At these two sites, approximately 2,000 grade four children receive
memorable and interactive lessons 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 2009 special
levy request of $10,000, which represents a $15,000 decrease from the original
2007 special levy request.
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 initially by the Morris Island Conservation Area Master Plan (1987) prepared jointly by the former Region, MVCA and Ministry of Natural Resources. The MVCA has provided funding for both capital and operating costs associated with the site.
1. In 2003, the City of Ottawa, MVCA and OPG agreed to develop a new management plan to guide future work. Council approved the Morris Island Conservation Area Infrastructure and Capital Improvement Plan in principle in November 2006.
The MVCA is requesting a special levy of $53,443 in 2009 for the final implementation phase of this plan. This money will be used to undertake improvements of the Morris Island site, including causeway resurfacing, rehabilitation to trail bridges and handrails, education/interpretive signage, new trail privy, trail rest areas and picnic facilities.
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. Projects funded in 2008 included well
protection, streamwatch and outreach programs as well as subwatershed plans.
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 phosphorus is a concern city-wide. The average parameter value for all watercourses except the Ottawa and Mississippi Rivers exceeds the Provincial Water Quality Objective for phosphorus. The Rural Clean Water Program is a stewardship program designed 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.
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 99,150 trees were planted in 2008 in rural Ottawa. Between 2000 and 2008, 390 hectares of trees were planted. This program helps achieve the City’s 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 Children’s Water Festivals 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.
There are no legal or risk management impediments to implementing the recommendations in this report.
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 $653,617, which represents a 8.74% increase over the amount provided in 2008.
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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General and Special Levies for
Conservation Authorities |
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City of Ottawa Share |
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Rideau Valley Conservation Authority |
Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority |
South Nation Conservation Authority |
Total Conservation Authorities |
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2009 General
Levy Request |
3,698,160 |
1,706,297 |
1,949,935 |
7,354,392 |
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Rideau
River Ice Management |
382,000 |
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382,000 |
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Ottawa
Children's Water |
10,000 |
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10,000 |
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Green
Acres Program |
95,000 |
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95,000 |
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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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53,443 |
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53,443 |
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Eastern
Ontario Water Resources Committee |
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50,000 |
50,000 |
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2009 Special
Levy Request |
487,000 |
53,443 |
234,000 |
774,443 |
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2009 Total
Conservation Authority Request |
4,185,160 |
1,759,740 |
2,183,935 |
8,128,835 |
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2008 General
Levy |
3,501,178 |
1,312,072 |
1,872,968 |
6,686,218 |
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2008 Special
Levy 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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2009
Increase / Decrease |
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2009 General
Levy |
196,982 |
394,225 |
76,967 |
668,174 |
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2009 Special
Levy Request |
-38,000 |
-26,557 |
50,000 |
-14,557 |
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Total 2009
Increase/Decrease |
158,982 |
367,668 |
126,967 |
653,617 |
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2009
Percentage Increase |
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2009 General
Levy |
5.63% |
30.05% |
4.11% |
9.99% |
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2009 Special
Levy Request |
-7.24% |
-33.20% |
27.17% |
-1.84% |
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Total
Percentage Increase |
3.95% |
26.41% |
6.17% |
8.74% |
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Note: MVCA general levy include 2009
Administration Office Capital Project |
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