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Asset inventory and inspection done on Limerick municipal office and fire hall


By Mike Riley

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On July 18, Limerick Township council had their meeting, where Victoria Tisdale, the clerk and treasurer, gave them her clerk, Community Emergency Management coordinator and treasurer's reports. After some discussion and questions, council voted to accept Tisdale's reports.

At the July 18 meeting, Mayor Carl Stefanski introduced Tisdale's reports, which she subsequently went through with council. She informed them that in June, McDougall Insurance/Intact Public Entities had done an Asset Inventory and Inspection of the municipal office and fire hall. The purpose of this inspection was to identify conditions or potential risks that could result in injury, property loss or litigation. It also suggests measures to correct any deficiencies found. The adjustor from McDougall checked everything and gave their report back to the township. The report was written by Rishab Madhar, risk management services, with Intact Public Entities.

“They noticed four deficiencies with no urgent hazards being noticeable [that would require correction immediately]. The items noticed were the following; a proper storage unit for paint and other volatile chemical storage (to be addressed within 60 days of the report), one outlet in close proximity to the garage sink that needs to be replaced with a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter outlet (to be addressed within 90 days of the report), one outlet on the exterior of the building to be replaced with a GFCI outlet (to be addressed within 90 days of the report) and one more collision board (red barrier) to be installed at the fire hall between the last vehicle bay and the fire hall entrance door (to be addressed within 120 days of the report),” she said in her report.

Tisdale mentioned that office staff had been working with Baker Tilly to complete the 2021 audit, which the auditor would be presenting at the July 18 meeting.

Tisdale said that the renovations at the municipal office were almost done and that the entire lower level had required substantive changes, while the upper level had gained a lunchroom and storage area.

“It's exciting to have the offices back and the Starlink [Internet] has been a night and day difference,” she says.

A new door has been installed at the fire hall, and the township is proceeding with four tax sales in the coming weeks. The other sales, which Tisdale had spoken with council about last year, had been resolved.

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference is coming up from August 12 to August 17. AMO is a non-profit organization that represents Ontario's 444 municipalities, helping them work together to achieve shared goals and meet common challenges, through their policy development, cost-saving programs, conferences and training programs. Tisdale said that most of council would be attending, as she would as well. She asked for a motion from council regarding the August meeting, as council would be at AMO. They subsequently decided to skip the August meeting and have a special meeting if anything urgent comes up.

Tisdale also reminded everyone that municipal elections were coming up, and that nomination day is August 19, the final day for anyone looking to run for council.

Next up, Tisdale provided council with her CEMC report. She said that they'd had a meeting with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing about funding for the May 21 storm cleanup. To date, the township has spent over $200,000 to bring the municipality back to “pre-storm standards,” and Tisdale said the cleanup is expected to take another couple of weeks.

Stefanski had a question about storm costs being covered by the government, and Tisdale replied that it was all recordable.

“I overestimated future costs so that we're covered. It's an estimated cost so they'll go with the actual numbers when we have them. It's looking like they'll help us out quite a bit,” she says.

Tisdale also spoke of the mock CEMC event with the surrounding municipalities of Tudor and Cashel, Wollaston, Limerick, Carlow Mayo and Faraday. The event was a military plane crash, and what each municipality and their CEMCs would do if such a situation were to occur. She said that it was very informative and a great learning experience for everyone involved.

For her treasurer's report, Tisdale told council that the taxes to be collected at the time of the township's final billing on June 15 had been $1,129,795.23. From June 15 to July 13, another $225,669.41 had been collected from taxpayers, leaving a balance owing as of July 13 at $904,095.82. The rather large amounts owing in the past couple of years are of course due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of the May 21 derecho and the financial repercussions they have wrought.

Post date: 2022-08-02 17:08:55
Post date GMT: 2022-08-02 21:08:55
Post modified date: 2022-08-02 17:08:58
Post modified date GMT: 2022-08-02 21:08:58
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