The Town of the Blue Mountains (TBM) is estimating it will cost roughly $360,000 to carry out its COVID-19 recovery efforts.
“At the time of drafting this report, $100,000 in additional funds have been approved to-date for COVID-19 specific initiatives. The recommendations in this report brings a total request of funding to $360,000 being COVID-19 related,” stated TBM CAO Shawn Everitt in a staff report presented to council earlier this week.
The TBM council had its first look at the financial impacts of phase-one of the COVID-19 recovery plan, which outlined the $50,000 that has already been spent by the Community Recovery Task Force.
The initial $50,000 previously approved by council early-on in the pandemic was spent creating the town’s new Explore Blue website ($21,631.66); developing a number of marketing videos ($12,236.24); acquiring COVID-related signage ($9,250); and business support ($6,885).
TBM council approved an additional $50,000 on June 1, for ongoing COVID-related costs. And, earlier this week, town staff presented a new ask of an upset limit of $260,000, which is expected to cover the municipality’s recovery efforts until the end of October.
“$260,000 is a significant amount to be looking at as an upset,” said Everitt. “Staff has been diligent in reviewing all of the information and budgets to come up with cost savings, as well as identify areas where revenue can be generated.”
The proposed upset limit will cover COVID-related expenses that TBM expects to incur from June to October, with an emphasis on July 1 through Labour Day Weekend, as those 70 days are considered “full summer operations.”
Everitt was quick to point out that the costs outlined in the staff report are currently just estimates and are subject to change.
The largest ticket item within the $260,000 upset limit is the enforcement of the town’s parks and beaches, which will see eight new co-op municipal bylaw officers hired on a 12-week contract. The cost for this is estimated to be $160,000.
The ask also includes funding for: alterations to Bruce Street South in Thornbury ($28,000); signage for Clarksburg’s mainstreet ($1,500); The TBM ambassador program ($30,000); a second shift to the town’s parks department that will allow for additional sanitation and waste pick up ($40,000); purchase of PPEs for external supply where possible ($10,000); the reopening of Tomahawk Golf Course with increased COVID-19 compliance measures ($37,100) - which totals $306,600.
With the $50,000 of funding previously approved by council, staff have identified the need for $256,600.
“We are spending a ton of money here, all over the place,” said TBM councillor Rob Sampson. “I just worry that one of these days it is going to come home to hit us and we are going to find ourselves looking at a really big bill here.”
Everitt says that TBM staff will be making “every effort” to reduce the impact on the town’s budget.
So much so, Everitt says, that town staff will be offering up the funds that had been allocated in the 2020 budget for ‘performance management,’ or in other words, their annual bonuses, which totals $150,000.
“We have advised the rest of staff that it is our intent to bring forward the $150,000 for council to consider postponing any bonuses for the 2020 season and consider those funds to be utilized for the recovery process,” said Everitt.
“I want to thank the staff for being open to that and fully supporting that. I think that is a huge step and, quite frankly, the right thing to do during these times,” he continued.
Everitt also noted that some town facilities will remain closed until the provincial state of emergency is lifted and council will continue to meet virtually until Aug. 25.
As directed by council, TBM staff will be providing a “mini-budget” at the upcoming, virtual June 30 committee of the whole meeting, which will outline potential strategies for balancing the 2020 budget in-light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
