Schreiber Council Special Meeting for March 2022

A special council meeting was held in Schreiber to discuss the following pressing issues:

• Preliminary Budget for 2022
• Electrical upgrades to the waste water plant
• Purchase of new loader for public works
• Investment readiness presentation from CQNS

Treasurer Marlene Bottomley discussed the proposed budget for 2022. She started with the asset management plan that was carried over from last year:

• Maintenance costs are increasing due to aging infrastructure of the municipal building
• Fire department requires some equipment updating
• Water dam updates will be assessed upon engineering report
• Water plant maintenance and waste water plant upgrades need to be prioritized
• Public works is in need of some equipment replacement, including the purchase of a new grader
• Insurance costs have escalated 30% and a plan to install surveillance cameras at all municipal sites could result in the lowering of insurance rates
• The handi transit van is covered by a grant and gets replaced every 5 years
• Discovery centre and downtown improvement project is being looked at regarding the unfunded portions of those projects
• Housing needs study could be fully funded
• Welcoming signs into town from both directions will be done this year and might require some additional funding

Director of Operations report highlighted the urgency for infrastructure upgrades.  Water and sewage rates were increased last year in an effort to offset rising costs of treatment but equipment replacement will be a very expensive exercise in the upcoming year. It is proposed a phased in approach could help to get the work done but some type of financing will have to be secured and funding is scarce. A recommendation to accept the quote for a new loader was discussed and will have to be implemented at next council meeting

Bill Elliot from CQNS joined the meeting via ZOOM to provide an update and presentation of his research into Investment Readiness and economic development. The township signed an agreement last year to have CQNS perform the study titled Schreiber Investment Consulting.

The report highlights the need for Investment Attraction with a focus on tourism and property development, immigration and retail gap analysis or lack of retail shops.
Initial points highlight some of the strengths and weaknesses of Schreiber’s current state
Accommodation and hospitality taxes was brought up. This is a divisive issue in Schreiber at the moment and has not been supported in the past.
Real estate issues were mentioned but there seems to be a disconnect between costs versus availability. Empty serviced lots are available in Schreiber but building costs have risen to $300 per square foot on average and that is 4 times higher than the average price in town for an existing house. The implication is that empty lots don’t generate taxes but lots with buildings have an extremely high tax rate so there is a conundrum in this area.
The notion of serviced lots also becomes moot when the actual infrastructure to provide that service is failing.