May 2012 Councillor Report

Council Notes
2012 Financial Plan
 The 2012 Budget (tax rate bylaw) is being brought forward at our next Regular Council Meeting on May 7th.   Thank you to all those who came out to the Financial Plan Presentation on April 24th and to our Finance Manager for providing such a detailed presentation.

The proposed municipal tax increase for 2012 is 6.1%.   It’s worth mentioning that the majority of this tax increase (5%) allows for an additional $50,000 to be added to our Capital Reserve Fund (fixed asset levy) bringing our total 2012 contribution up to $225,000. An increase in this fund each year means we will be allocating $425,000 per year by 2016 towards replacement of aging infrastructure such as roads, culverts, and the Village Hall.

Our Water User Fees will increase to $1.49 per c/m (cubic meter) this year due to increases from the GVRD, Port Moody and a new asset reserve transfer that our Finance Committee has requested.  How will this impact the average household in Anmore?  The average annual water bill will increase from $446 to $489.  

Anmore Environment Committee
 As Chair of the Environment Committee, I am really proud of the work our committee members are doing and the contributions they are making to Anmore.  

In addition to the items forwarded to us by council, our committee is focusing on the topics of Invasive Plant Education, Waste Diversion Strategies (green waste and recycling), and Surface Water Management / Riparian Area Protection.

One area our committee is eager to tackle is the improvement of recycling initiatives in the Village to increase our waste diversion.  This includes looking at ways we can provide alternative recycling opportunities for things like #7 plastics, styrofoam and other items that aren’t normally recyclable via our curbside recycling program.

 Anmore residents consume on average 328 c/m of water per year.  That’s 328,000 liters or 2342 bathtubs full .  The best  way to reduce water usage is to turn off those taps, check for leaks and cut down on lawn watering this year. 

The True Cost of Garbage
 The Anmore Environment Committee spent a fair amount of time talking about garbage at our meeting in April.  One of the things we talked about was the true cost of garbage disposal in Anmore. Most think their $3 garbage tag covers the cost of disposal, but the reality is that a truly user pay system would mean a $5-$6 tag fee.   

So why the extra cost?  Over the past several years Metro Vancouver tipping fees have gone from $67/tonne to $107/tonne as of January 2012.  This cost will continue to go up as Metro Vancouver continues to work towards its Zero Waste Strategy.  By comparison, Green Waste is charged at a rate of $63/tonne. 

Currently the Village of Anmore expects to collect $45,000 in tag fees in 2012, but garbage collection costs are upwards of $81,000. This does not include the cost of recycling, which is cost neutral as the Village charges a per household recycling levy of $90 that covers the annual $59,500 in collection costs. 

Metro Vancouver municipalities, including our own Village are working towards a waste diversion plan that will meet Metro Vancouver’s targets of 70% waste diversion by 2015 and 80% waste diversion by 2020.