By Anne Finlay-Stewart

The meeting began with the room full and single-minded. They had come to bury development charges, not to praise them.

Gary Scandlan had no doubt been in such a situation many times. The consultant from Watson and Associates gave a clear and concise summary of the purpose and limits of development charges (DCs) and the policy matters and calculations involved, but those who were waiting to speak already knew their response.

Essentially all the speakers – developers, real estate agents and investors, and sub-trades – spoke as one: development charges will stifle the new building that will grow the city's tax base. One-time charges will send new growth and long-term taxpayers to other municipalities. Some doubted the consultant's projections of growth and capital expenses; others questioned the expense or need for the consultant's work.

The recently created Owen Sound Community Association presented the results of an on-line poll, which although statistically insignificant included comments both for and against DC increases.

Council's response from body language and post-meeting comments: Message received and understood.

Friday, January 16th at 4:30 p.m. will be the deadline for public comment – before the next and likely final meeting of the ad-hoc sub-committee on the subject. The current by-law expires March 15.

• Mayor Ian Boddy and city event facilitator Dog Cleverley heaped thanks and praise on and around the Roger's Hometown Hockey event held January 3rd and 4. Owen Sound got lots of great exposure, including to the three million followers of the NHL on Twitter. Two gifts to the city from the event were unveilled – a bench made of hockey sticks and a framed, signed Bobby Ryan #6 Ottawa Senators hockey jersey. Council voted to display both items at the Bayshore.
• The Meaford branch of Canadian Veteran Freedom Riders will be erecting a flagpole in Owen Sound's newest park, names for Corporal Robert T. James Mitchell, and its flag will be lowered on the anniversaries of his death and that of his brother Mark.
• In an exercise reminiscent of choosing teams in the playground, the assignment of councillors to city boards and committees was a combination of luck and preferences. Everyone got their first choice, but a few committees were left staring at their feet as experienced councillors took a pass on making a choice. New terms for councillors and public appointees begin February 1.

Much of the detail of city decision-making appears in committee minutes and staff recommendations, and the new mayor 's policy is to include more information on these within council meetings. So here is what we learned this week.

Operations Advisory Committee:

• The Transit Terminal will run as is until June 2015, at which time Council will continue to look for tenants for a small portion of the terminal that can be leased out. In a later report from Grey County, Deputy Mayor Wright announced the county's pursuit of a grant for a regional transit pilot project– a possible use for the terminal.
• After residents expressed safety concerns about steep stairs in our two arenas, staff were sent to study the possibility of adding handrails. Apparently such a retrofit would violate the Ontario Building Code, so no go.
• The bus serving the Rec Centre will be stopping at the light on 10th Street East, as the time required to make the loop right in to the centre's door is causing a significant delay in that Core route.

Recreation:

• The first test of the new council's ability to play nice with others..Owen Sound Minor Lacrosse has asked for a discount on their floor rental rate and the committee has compromised with rate freeze and some other help. Council did accept the committee's recommendation for an immediate discussion with neighbouring municipalities regarding a recreation agreement, as minor sports registration begins in February.

Wastewater Treatment Plant:

• Computer modelling has shown that the odour control we thought we could do without at the plant is back in the plans and its $180,000 cost is back in the budget. Same applies to the $175,000 for federally mandated de-chlorination of effluent into the bay before the new plant goes into operation in late 2016.

Good news – this is all within the contingency budget. We're on time, on budget.

Grey County, Deputy Mayor Arlene Wright:

• "Stand by for more news" seemed to be the news. The CAO tendered his resignation last Friday after two months on the job. Next steps on this file will be determined this week. The first draft of the county budget includes a -1.56 % tax reduction. Further work will determine if this holds in the final budget.

Director of Operations, Ken Becking:

• We have had snow. Seven days of continuous snow. Our city equipment was employed full out, and staff worked close to the wire of "hours worked" legislation, to meet or exceed all minimum standards on major and arterial roads, at a cost of approximately $100,000. By Wednesday when the parking lot behind city hall is once again revealed and the banks are cut and removed to snow storage spaces behind the PPG plant, the bill will be closer to $150,000.

This is the one piece of the budget over which even the new brooms on council have no control.

Anne Finlay-Stewart is Community Editor of Owensoundhub.org. She can be reached at [email protected].