Building Permits, Fees Down In 2022 In Addington Highlands

Craig Bakay | Mar 15, 2023

Building services posted a loss in 2022, CAO/Clerk-Treasurer Christine Reed told Addington Highlands Council at its regular meeting March 7 in Flinton.

“Unfortunately, for the first time in a few years, there’s a bit of a loss for the building department of $23,908,” Reed said.

She said that the 2022 budget estimate for fees was $138,000 but actual revenues came in at $104,120. Expenses ended up being $128,028 hence the $23,908 shortfall.

But, she said, there are more than sufficient funds in the building department reserves to cover the shortfall.

“Last year, we had a surplus of $100,000 so we’re well within our ability to absorb those costs,” she said. “The reserve is more than $100,000.”

She said there could be a lot of reasons why the building permit fees were not as they anticipated.

“It could be related to projects that were slowed by the storm,” she said. “And there have been insurance delays I know for sure. But there are also other factors such as increasing interest rates and people putting a hold on building activities.”

She said it’s likely building permit fees will return to normal this year.

“We’re hopeful that’s not a trend that will continue for the coming year,” she said.

Community Safety Appointees

Council appointed Bev Boomhower and Stephanie Regent to a group that will discuss community safety issues. Although both appointees are from Ward 2, and Council had wanted a representative from each Ward, they were the only ones who expressed any interest.

Grant proposal rejected

Dep. Clerk/Planning Secretary Patricia Gray told Council that she’d received an email from Lennox & Addington community development officer informing them that the application for a $25,000 grant from Hydro One’s Energizing Life Community Fund for the County Forest project was not successful.

The bicycle path through the forest begins adjacent to the rink in Flinton.

While much of the land that would have benefitted from such a grant is in Addington Highlands, the County had to be the entity that applied for the grant.

“I’m not surprised,” said Reeve Henry Hogg.

AH to Go Green again

Addington Highlands will once again participate in the Go Green for Mental Health Awareness campaign (May 1-7 this year).

“I think we recovered most of the signs (from last year),” said Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch. “There are only minor budget implications anyway.”

“We’ll need new ribbons but we did recover most of the signs,” said Dep. Clerk Patricia Gray.

Fritsch suggested putting the 10 Go Green recommendations on the Township’s Facebook page.

Grant leaves shortfall

Addington Highlands is hoping Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry funding might make up the shortfall that the Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance (MDRA) program will leave the Township in for cleanup costs of last May’s derecho.

CAO/Clerk-Treasurer Christine Reed estimated that the MDRA funding, which will pay about 75 per cent of the costs will still leave the Township holding the bag for about $60,000.

“I talked with Suzy Shalla at MNRF and she wasn’t sure if we could claim that difference,” Reed said. “But she said she’d look into it and get back to us.”

Reed said she’d pointed out to Shalla that Addington Highlands’ claim had focused solely on travelled roads and not things like seasonally maintained roads and forest roads that residents do use to access their properties.

“She (Shalla) said those roads would definitely qualify for assistance but there’s a problem in assessing the damage there,” Reed said. “First, there aren’t a lot of people around in March and the second problem is that how do we assess damage to things that are buried under snow?”

She said the fire chief is also concerned about forest fire potential with all the extra fuel available from downed trees.

Reeve Henry Hogg expressed concern about things like Brown’s Trailer Park and while it was acknowledged that there likely would be removal and disposal costs, the trailers are privately owned and the programs being looked into are just for Crown and Municipal lands.

Council instructed staff to do what they could.

“Do your best stab at it,” said Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch.