ELK POINT – Metrix Group auditor Jeff Alliston visited Elk Point Town Council’s March 27 meeting and led their way through the 2022 Auditor’s Report which showed a sizeable decrease in the annual surplus from $1,333,834 the previous year to $916,597 but a significant increase in net financial assets from $2,131,766 in last year’s report to $3,105,629, an amount Alliston says is “sufficient to meet your liabilities.”
Urging the town to “be mindful and try to collect” taxes that are in arrears, he told council, CAO Ken Gwozdz and Manager of Finance Robyn Normand that $372,816 in deferred revenue is available to be spent this year. Revenue showed a 2.4 per cent decrease from the previous year, which is “very much in line”, but expenses were in the neighborhood of 10 per cent less than had been budgeted, for a financial position Allison called “pretty good.”
When the audit was brought back to the council table later in the meeting, Gwozdz said it was “one of the cleanest audits we’ve ever had since I’ve been here. There was exceptional reporting and I really want to thank the Manager of Finance for that.”
Policies updated
The ongoing updates of policies continued with the addition of a statement that “Reserve funds shall be held separately from town operating funds and invested as per the town’s investment policy” to the text and the addition of ‘Equipment Reserve’ to the title of the Fire Department and Emergency Management and Occupational Health and Safety Equipment Reserve Policy. No changes were made to the ‘Snow Removal Highway Sidewalks’ policy, with removal of a typographical error from the Snowfall Priority Cleaning Policy and removal of ’50 Avenue from 54 Street to Highway 41’ and ’51 Street from 49 Avenue to 60 Avenue’ from Brooming Priorities in the Snow Removal – Sidewalk Policy approved by council.
Board positions renewed
Council approved additional three-year terms on the Elk Point Municipal Library board for Levina Ewasiuk, Vicki Brooker, Sherry Milholland and Theresa MacNamara, and also approved an additional $1,316,15 expenditure on behalf of the library for electrical upgrades needed for Internet hookup.
Praise for Provincials winners
Deputy Mayor Tim Smereka congratulated the U15 Avalanche hockey team on becoming Provincial champions and thanked them “for representing our town so well.” The congratulations came immediately before approval of the donation of town pins to the players and a monetary donation toward their expenses during the tournament, which was held in Tofield.
Franchise report
ATCO reported an increase of 11 service sites in Elk Point to a total of 1,056 in 2022, along with an inventory of 245 street lights, and estimated the 2023 franchise fee at $125,657.
Public Works Week
Council agreed to declare May 21 to 27 as Public Works Week in Elk Point and to host a barbecue for the public, possibly in conjunction with an open house at the Public Works shop.
Another event that will take place that week is an open house on May 25 at the Seniors Recreation Centre regarding the North and South structure plans.
EcoCentre
A motion came out of the closed session asking administration to contact the Elk Point and District Chamber of Commerce and sign an ownership and mutual release document before April 1, 2023. This will turn ownership of the facility over to the Town.
Outstanding taxes
Also coming out of the closed session was a motion directing administration to continue with the tax recovery notification process to recover taxes related to land, unless the 2021 property taxes for Lot 7, Block 46, Plan 191646 are paid by March 31, 2023. One of the owners of the property had requested that the proceedings be delayed until the return of Mayor Parrish Tung and another of the property owners to Elk Point to discuss the matter, but council noted that this would result in a full year’s delay to the process and agreed to go ahead with the process. After registration of the tax recovery notification, the owner would have one year to clear up all outstanding taxes before the tax recovery process starts.
