The Grand River Conservation Authority has approved a “stand pat” budget for 2012, calling for a small reduction in total spending.
Expenditures for this year are scheduled to be $32.8 million, a reduction from $33.6 million last year.
“We have … no staff increases,” said Jane Mitchell, chairman of the GRCA.
She noted some major projects are continuing due to the support of various partners: the Township of Centre Wellington is backing the Drimmie Dam reconstruction in Elora and the province is providing more than $900,000 over three years for the development of a new water management plan.
Much of the reduction is due to a scheduled drop in provincial grants for the drinking water source protection program. The province has paid 100 per cent of the costs of that program, which is winding down this year as source protection plans are nearing completion.
Last year, the province spent $3.2 million on the project while the 2012 cost will be $2.6 million.
Most other areas of the GRCA budget are rising by enough to cover cost-of-living increases in salaries, benefits, utilities and other expenditures.
The budget covers the cost of programs that protect water quality, reduce flood damages, preserve and improve natural areas, support responsible development and provide outdoor recreation and environmental education.
The budget was approved by the GRCA board at its annual meeting on Feb. 24. The board is made up of 26 members appointed by municipalities throughout the Grand River watershed.
Despite the drop in overall spending, the GRCA is carrying out some significant projects this year, including:
– about $725,000 to continue developing the Grand River Watershed Water Management Plan. That is a three-year effort to investigate ways to improve water quality, reduce flood damages, guarantee water supplies and address climate change. The GRCA and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment are splitting the costs of the project, which will produce a report early in 2013;
– the reconstruction of the aging Drimmie Dam is scheduled to take place this year at a cost of $1.1 million. The province is contributing half of the cost and Centre Wellington is paying $200,000;
– safety review and upgrades to Luther Dam near Grand Valley ($230,000);
– designing an emergency spillway at the Conestogo Dam ($150,000);
– safety review of the Bridgeport dike ($100,000);
– safety review of the Cambridge dike ($50,000);
– study of the existing flood control berm in New Hamburg to assess maintenance needs ($50,000);
– upgrading the elevator ($250,000) and inspect three of the six gates ($30,000) at the Guelph dam;
– reconstructing part of the flood wall in Cambridge $400,000;
– installing a splash pad at Elora Gorge Conservation Area to provide a wet play area for children to replace an old swimming pond recently removed ($275,000);
– restoration projects at several conservation areas, including Cayuga ($275,000), Conestogo Lake ($110,000) and Luther Marsh Wildlife Management Area ($178,000); and
– controlled burns worth $23,000 at Apps’ Mill west of Brantford and Pinehurst Lake near Paris.
About $9.75 million, or 30 per cent of total expenditures, will come from residents of the watershed who pay either through their local property taxes or their municipal water bills.
That works out to about $10.05 per person. Overall, the amount charged to municipalities will rise three per cent compared to 2011.
The GRCA will bring in revenues of about $13.8 million (42 per cent) from fees charged for services ranging from camping to planning. The GRCA also raises revenue from land rentals, hydroelectricity generation, payments by school boards for outdoor education programs and donations from the Grand River Conservation Foundation.
Government grants, mostly from the province, will amount to $7.1 million this year (22 per cent of the budget). The grants cover part of the cost of core programs such as flood warning and dam maintenance in addition to special projects such as source protection planning.
The remainder of the budget, about $2.1 million (six per cent), comes from GRCA reserve funds which consist of money set aside in earlier years.
