The Magazine of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities Spring 2007 Gimli Starts FreSh Special RepoRt: Quality of life in Manitoba Municipalities 2007 Municipal Innovation Award • Business Continuity Planning F EATURES New Council Seminars 14 Municipal Profile: A fresh start for Gimli 16 Cover: Brandon's spray park certainly con- tributes to the Quality of Life enjoyed by the city's citizens and visitors. Municipal Leader is published quarterly by the Business Association of Manitoba Municipalities. Please address inquiries to: continuity planning 22 1910 Saskatchewan Avenue W. Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 0P1 Phone: (204) 856-2366 Fax: (204) 856-2370 e-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.amm.mb.ca Note: The views expressed in this magazine are Special Report: not necessarily the views of the AMM or its Board. Quality of Publication management and production by: Life in Manitoba 3rd Floor - 2020 Portage Avenue Municipalities 25 Winnipeg, MB R3J 0K4 Ph: (204) 985-9780 Fax: (204) 985-9795 www.kelman.ca e-mail: [email protected] Managing Editor: Terry Ross Art Design/Production: Andrea Ardiles Advertising Manager: Cindy Robin Contents may not be reproduced without D EPARTMENTS the express consent of the publisher. President’s Report ............................. 4 Municipal Ideas............................... 20 AMM Mission Statement Executive Director’s Report ............... 5 Insurance ........................................ 48 The Association In Brief ............................................. 6 Legal Corner ................................... 50 of Manitoba Municipalities And Furthermore ............................... 8 Candid Camera ............................... 53 identifies and MMAA Report ................................. 11 MTCML .......................................... 57 addresses the needs and Education ....................................... 12 Professional Directory ..................... 60 concerns of its Upcoming Events ............................ 12 Reach our Advertisers ...................... 62 members in order to achieve strong and effective municipal government. Spring 2007 | Municipal Leader | P RESI D EN T ’ S R EPORT AMM Board Spring of Directors and budgets EXecUTIVE President are in the air Mayor Ron Bell, Town of Birtle Vice-President, Rural Ron Bell, President Councillor Doug Dobrowolski, RM of Macdonald pring is in the air and there is a in the national highway system, large-scale Vice-President, Urban definite current of excitement running projects such as public transit and sewage Mayor Shirley Kalyniuk, Sthrough the political landscape. With treatment infrastructure, and small-scale Town of Rossburn a municipal election still fresh in our recent municipal projects such as cultural and memories, to a provincial election that is recreational facilities. expected to be just around the corner, to the Yes, it is positive that the BCF includes DIrecTORS possibility of a federal election, we are being funding for investment in cultural and rec- Councillor Ralph Groening, constantly reminded that the only certainty reational facilities. However, once again, RM of Morris in life is change. these projects will have to compete for funds The recent Federal Budget was widely against other infrastructure projects such as Mayor Melvin Klassen, anticipated to be one of change for munici- road repairs. Municipalities will continue Town of Altona palities. As with many things, however, to struggle to balance the need to patch pot- sometimes the more things change, the more holes with the need to provide facilities that Reeve Alice Bourgouin, they stay the same! To address the fiscal will improve the quality of our lives. What RM of Rosser imbalance, Budget 2007 provided more is still needed, yet what remains elusive, is than $39B over seven years. While this is a a dedicated fund for municipal recreation Mayor Randy Sigurdson, Town of Arborg sizable investment, it is still not a long-term infrastructure. (Our special report on Qual- plan that will eliminate the estimated $60B ity of Life, beginning on page 25, further Reeve William Danylchuk, infrastructure deficit that is the key driver of explains why this is a priority that we will RM of Tache the municipal fiscal imbalance. continue to lobby for.) While there were other highlights in the Councillor Art Rempel, Federal Budget (which we summarized in City of Steinbach Municipalities will our AMM Members Advisory of March 27), we quickly turned our attention to our own Reeve Roger Wilson, continue to struggle Provincial Budget. The Budget was tabled RM of Birtle to balance the need to on April 4, and not surprisingly, contained both highs and lows for municipalities. On Reeve Robert Misko, patch potholes with the the plus side, a promise to increase provin- RM of Hillsburg need to provide facilities cial funding of education to 80% provides a Mayor Rene Maillard, that will improve the light at the end of what has been a very long Town of Ste. Rose du Lac tunnel. More police officers and doctors, new quality of our lives. environmental initiatives, and the expansion Councillor Alan Ransom, of the successful Neighbourhoods Alive! RM of Morton program are also positive moves. Manitoba municipal leaders were indeed On the down side, the $33M committed Councillor Maxine Chacun, pleased to hear that the gas tax transfer has to infrastructure only scratches the surface Town of Virden been extended for an additional four years at without delivering a long-term plan. In the 2009 level. However, this did fall short of addition, we remain concerned with the lack Councillor Bert Lagimodiere, our expectations of a longer-term commit- of resources for the implementation of the Town of The Pas ment. A permanent gas tax transfer with an requirements of The Water Protection Act. escalator clause is what is needed. While we continue to analyse Budget Councillor Russ Wyatt, The Federal Budget also included City of Winnipeg 2007, you can be sure that the AMM will the $8.8B Building Canada Fund (BCF) continue to lobby for positive change for our Dale Lyle, that will be allocated to provinces on a member municipalities. This effort on your President of the Manitoba Municipal per capita basis. This fund is simply a behalf is one thing that will most definitely Administrators Association combination, and a slight expansion, of remain the same. existing infrastructure programs, including the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF). The BCF will support investments | Municipal Leader | Spring 2007 E XECUTIVE D IRECTOR ’ S R EPORT Meetings Contact the well received AMM Staff Joe Masi, Executive Director 856-2360 [email protected] Joe Masi, Executive Director Linda Hargest, Director of must begin by expressing apprecia- yet determined some of the hosts for next Administration & Marketing tion to all the Mayors, Reeves, CAOs year’s meetings, we will decide these at our 856-2361 I or alternates who attended our recent upcoming June District Meetings.) [email protected] meetings and contributed to their success. As President Bell noted in his mes- As you now know, we began this series of sage this issue, change IS certain and one Tyler MacAfee, meetings fully intending that it be our last. important change that we have made for the Director of Policy & Communications The AMM Board felt that perhaps we were coming year is to the date of the Municipal 856-2362 asking you to attend too many events and Officials Seminar & MTCML Trade Show. [email protected] the information presented was repetitive. As with other AMM events, MOS has Your feedback around this issue, however, grown larger with each passing year, and quickly changed our minds. Some of the the Trade Show space available during our Julia Green, messages we heard from you during the traditional end of February time slot is no Administrative Assistant meetings included: longer adequate. That situation, combined (Board & Administration) “As much as we work within a global with the extremely tight timeline between 856-2365 economy, this is OUR district. It is good November’s Annual Convention and MOS, [email protected] to get together with the other munici- prompted us to move MOS to mid-April. palities in our area and meet in a smaller More time to plan and more room for the Lynne Bereza, atmosphere”. trade show will allow us to offer you a Communications Coordinator “We face many common problems that top-quality event. The date for next year’s we can resolve right here in one room.” MOS and MTCML Trade Show is April 16 856-2366 “This is my first Mayors, Reeves and and 17, 2008. [email protected] CAOs meeting and I am finding it very AMM events are such an important valuable.” part of what we do. They allow us to com- Patti De Baets, “The informal setting makes it easier to municate directly with our membership; Finance Coordinator approach the AMM President, Vice-Presi- they allow you to network with each other 856-2367 dents and Directors for a one-on-one discus- and meet your counterparts from across [email protected] sion than it is during the larger events.” the province; and they provide a forum for We have posted a recap page on our discussion that in turn drives our lobbying Erika Rempel, website at www.amm.mb.ca. Please visit efforts each year. We thank you for attending this page to revisit the information that was these events and we promise to continue to Administrative Assistant presented. We have also posted answers to strive for excellence when planning each (Policy & Communications) the many questions you asked during the and every event. You, our members, deserve 856-2369 meetings. And once again we look forward nothing less. [email protected] to next year’s Mayors, Reeves and CAOs meetings! (Please note: Since we have not Kimberly Ballance, Senior Policy Analyst 856-2371 [email protected] As much as we work within a global Donna Belbin, Events Coordinator economy, this is OUR district. It is good to get 856-2374 together with the other municipalities in our [email protected] area and meet in a smaller atmosphere.