Bancroft Town Council met as Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, to review the reports of staff. Mayor Jenkins opened with an expression of sympathy and concern for the Bancroft OPP uniformed and auxiliary officers injured on Sunday. The CAO (Chief Administrative Officer), Hazel Lambe explained that the closed session held earlier was dealing with surplus properties and that the session was not completed and would be continued after the open session was done.
Public Works Head Perry Kelly told council in his report that the estimated cost of replacing all of Bancroft’s street lights with L.E.D. technology would be $240,000.That replaces 400 lights. The time to recover the cost through reduced power consumption is about four years. The new lights are a true white light and will be directed downward, not into the sky. There will also be rebates possible, but that amount will not be known until the size of bulb to be used is determined.
Kelly also told council that Public Works is looking for more ways to reduce the town’s cost with the Rally of the Tall Pines. The Town was a sponsor of the event at a cost of $5650 and offered in kind services valued at $6700. The town’s in-kind cost for the Wheels, Water and Wings event last year compares at $6100. Perry says his department, while recognizing the positive economic impact on Bancroft by the Rally, still needs to trim its costs. Council decided that developing a series of questions seeking more information from the Rally Association should be developed, as the Association will be present at the Town Council Meeting in March.
Council has learned that the cardboard baler at the landfill site, which has been in need of a costly repair, will now be repaired at a much reduced cost. The original estimate was $6999, but a new offer, has come in at $2100. The difference comes from an arrangement where the town will do the hydraulic repair work and provide the raw materials for the rest of the work. Perry Kelly says that the staff will be moving ahead with this action. Baled cardboard could prove to be a money maker for the town.
The Bancroft Fire Department was busier in 2014 than in 2013, but has still managed to come in under budget. Fire Chief Pat Hoover says that his department is always looking for more efficiencies. When asked by the Mayor if he is content with the current Joint Fire Services arrangement, Hoover replied that he is, although there are still some issues to resolve.
Council held lengthy discussion on the idea of audio recording of open Council Meetings. A number of concerns arose during the discussions including costs of equipment and set-up. Councillors were also considering things such as responsibility for the storage, security and accessibility of the recording and how much staff time that would involve. Legal issues were also brought up, especially as to whether or not the recordings would be considered “minutes.” If so then all commentaries and discussions would have to be removed in keeping with the legal requirements for minutes. Council then directed staff to seek further information about the legalities and it was suggested that the County be the place to start.
