Page 1 of 3 AMO Report to Members - January Board Report 2014 AMO Communications to: [email protected] 2014-01-31 05:51 PM Hide Details From: AMO Communications <[email protected]> To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> TO THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION OF THE CLERK AND COUNCIL January 31, 2014 AMO Report to Members Highlights of the January 2014 Board Meeting To keep members informed, AMO provides updates on important issues considered at regular AMO Board of Directors’ meetings. Highlights of the January 2014 Board meeting include: OPP Policing The AMO Board of Directors established an OPP Billing Steering Committee. Its work will be focused on OPP billing and the common theme of unsustainable policing costs which unites all municipalities. The diversity of all OPP communities will be represented on the committee. It will guide municipal advocacy to provincial decisions on OPP billing. A separate e-mail from the AMO President on behalf of the Board will be sent to all municipalities which pay for the services of the OPP on this matter. Contact: Matthew Wilson, Senior Advisor, email: [email protected], Ext. 323. AMO Communications Plan The Board considered AMO's 2014 Communications Plan. Highlights include: • A more prominent role for Board members, who serve as AMO's ears to municipal concerns and as key communicators; • A greater emphasis for faster and consistent communication across Ontario; and • Dedicated communications plans of designated priorities. Contact: Brian Lambie, Principal, Redbrick Communications, e-mail: [email protected] Ice Storm Impact Relief While the existing provincial (Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program - ODRAP) and federal (Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements - DFAA) programs have proved indispensable, there are program gaps which hinder municipalities from recuperating costs related to response and recovery. The AMO Board has called for revised programs from the provincial and federal ministers responsible. Members can bolster this ask by corresponding with the responsible Ministers: file:///C:/Users/hdowd/AppData/Local/Temp/notes1607CC/~web3094.htm 2014-02-03 Page 2 of 3 • The Honourable Linda Jeffrey, Ontario ’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; and • The Honourable Steven Blaney, Federal Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. In reviewing emergency preparedness plans, members may want to consider specifically what might not fall within the ODRAP or DFAA programs and provide these examples. Contact: Cathie Brown, Senior Advisor, email: [email protected] , Ext. 342. Blue Box Update AMO and the City of Toronto are now jointly in arbitration with Stewardship Ontario on the Blue Box funding quantum for 2012 Blue Box operations to be paid out in 2014. The actual arbitration process starts in April and we are currently in preparation mode. The AMO Board was also advised that the Honourable Jim Bradley, Minister of the Environment, has convened a municipal-producer table to find common ground on Bill 91, the Waste Reduction Act. Key AMO executive and board members involved in the waste diversion file are the municipal representatives. Further information on both of these items will be provided to members as it becomes available. Contact: Monika Turner, Director of Policy, email: [email protected] , Ext. 318. AMO’s Support for FCM’s “Fixing Canada’s Housing Crunch” Campaign The Board formally supported the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) “Fixing Canada’s Housing Crunch” campaign. The aim is to urge the federal government to provide leadership on housing and to work with provinces and municipalities to develop a long-term, coordinated plan for housing. Supporting the FCM national housing campaign signals to both the federal and provincial governments the importance placed by AMO and Ontario’s municipalities on finding solutions to Canada’s and Ontario’s housing affordability issues. AMO’s President will write to both federal and provincial ministers indicating support for the campaign in the lead-up to the federal and provincial budgets. Visit the FCM website for more information about the “Fixing Canada’s Housing Crunch” campaign. For information on how your municipality can adopt a resolution of support, visit the AMO website. Contact: Michael Jacek, Senior Advisor, email: [email protected] , Ext. 329. LAS Update 2013 was a good year for the One Investment Program, with three-year annualized returns for the bond portfolio at 2.29%, universe corporate bond portfolio 3.49%, and equity portfolio 9.37%. On March 26, 2014, LAS will hold an Asset Management Symposium that will provide guidance in developing Asset Management Plans (AMPs) and also help demonstrate how AMPs form the backbone of Council’s long-term strategic decisions. New changes to the Gas Tax Fund (GTF) Agreement will make it easier for municipalities who have GTF monies that will not be spent immediately, to invest them for up to five years in the One Investment Program. Contact: Nancy Plumridge, President, email: [email protected] , Ext. 324, or file:///C:/Users/hdowd/AppData/Local/Temp/notes1607CC/~web3094.htm 2014-02-03 Page 3 of 3 Jason Hagan, Program Manager, email: [email protected] , Ext. 320. 2014 AMO Urban Symposium AMO presents the 2014 AMO Urban Symposium "Connected Community" April 3 & 4, 2014 at the Waterloo Inn. Now in its seventh year of programming, this year's 1.5 day event will covers topics such as youth development, high-rise waste management, transit, child care, urban food and more. Visit the AMO website www.amo.on.ca for complete details on the Urban Symposium and register today. PLEASE NOTE AMO Breaking News will be broadcast to the member municipality's council, administrator and clerk. Recipients of the AMO broadcasts are free to redistribute the AMO broadcasts to other municipal staff as required. We have decided to not add other staff to these broadcast lists in order to ensure accuracy and efficiency in the management of our various broadcast lists. DISCLAIMER These are final versions of AMO documents. AMO assumes no responsibility for any discrepancies that may have been transmitted with the electronic version. The printed versions of the documents stand as the official record. file:///C:/Users/hdowd/AppData/Local/Temp/notes1607CC/~web3094.htm 2014-02-03 MPAC News - January 2014 Page 1 of 3 If you are having difficulty viewing this email properly, please click here: http://www.mailoutinteractive.com/Industry/View.aspx?id=532609&q=690045442&qz=769e7b Friday, January 31, 2014 Unsubscribe | Printable Version | Send this to a friend In this issue: Francais • Ministry of Finance - Special Purpose Business Property Assessment Report • Preparations for 2014 Elections well underway • Next Edition of MPAC News. 2014 Funding Welcome to the first 2014 edition of MPAC News – MPAC recently shared its MPAC's newsletter serving municipal, government, 2014 funding requirements school board and business stakeholders. of an increase of less than one per cent with municipal billing partners. MPAC’s targeted four-year expenditure plan was Ministry of announced last year with the Board of Directors’ Finance - Special commitment to increases of Purpose less than one per cent for 2013, 2014, 2015 and Business 2016. Property This forecast is based on Assessment the status quo and may Report need to be revisited if there are unplanned changes to In December 2013, MPP the organization’s workload Steven Del Duca, responsibilities as a result of legislative or regulatory Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance, and the Special Purpose change. Business Property Assessment Review Secretariat The commitment to released their report entitled, “Special Purpose increases of 0.95 per cent Business Property Assessment Review & for four years is only Recommendations” outlining the outcomes of the possible as a result of review which was announced in the Ontario MPAC’s 2013-2016 Budget last spring. Strategic Plan which, when implemented, is expected Click here to read the report. to bring savings of $20 million through innovations “The recommendations in the report are aligned with and improved products and the MPAC Board's commitment to better serve all services. Ontarians and we are committed to continuing to work with the government to make the operational, If a municipality has a governance, accountability, assessment methodology, question about their 2014 file:///C:/Users/hdowd/AppData/Local/Temp/notes1607CC/~web5504.htm 2014-01-31 MPAC News - January 2014 Page 2 of 3 data accuracy and integrity and appeals changes invoice from MPAC, they necessary,“ said Dan Mathieson, MPAC Board Chair. should contact their local Municipal Relations For more, read MPAC’s response to the release of the Representative. report. The report includes recommendations for addressing issues that have arisen in relation to the assessment Legislative of special purpose business properties, as well as Highlights recommendations for strengthening the property assessment system in general. Ontario Regulation Work already underway 344/13 - communicated December 20, 2013 • Filed under the Education In 2012, MPAC began this work in earnest with the Act on December 16, 2013. launch of its 2013-2016 Strategic Plan which was developed with input from a broad cross-section of • Adjusts district school MPAC stakeholders. The Ministry’s report board boundaries making acknowledged that work in many of the areas outlined them co-terminus with in the report had parallels to work already started regional municipalities. through MPAC’s Strategic Plan (see Appendix F of the report). For more information click here. “We were pleased to read the report’s acknowledgement that, ‘the majority of the property assessment and tax system is working well’ and further that ‘all parties within the system share the responsibility to ensure that it is functioning Calendar of Events effectively,’” said Antoni Wisniowski, President and Chief Administrative Officer, MPAC. “We look forward February 11: Toronto Real to continuing to work with the province and their Estate Board Residential timelines to make the changes necessary to improve Seminar, 9:30 a.m.