2019 Annual Report

Annual Report 2019 39 OBJECTIVE STRATEGY MEASURE PROGRESS Financial Stability Plan for anticipated community needs Long-term Comprehensive Municipal Plan (CMP) updated annually CMP to Council in January 2019. Fund planned capital expenditures. Balance CMP without long-term borrowing. All capital expenditures funded without long-term debt in 2019 CMP. Build reserves for anticipated and unanticipated community needs. Maintain Unrestricted General Reserve Fund balance for unanticipated future. 2019 closing balance of $16.3 million. CMP includes an annual allocation to the Unrestricted Reserve. Maintain a reasonable tax burden for taxpayers. Annual tax rate increase similar to rate increase of other local governments. Chilliwack's 2019 tax increase was 3.43%, Abbotsford was 2.88%, Maple Ridge 3.50%, and Township of Langley 3.85%. To have Chilliwack maintain lower municipal taxation levies on a representative home when compared to similar communities in the Lower Mainland. Chilliwack has the lowest general municipal taxation levy, on a representative home, of the 19 Lower Mainland communities surveyed. With the inclusion of water, sewer and garbage collection fees, Chilliwack is lower by a substantially greater margin. To have Chilliwack maintain lower business taxation levies when compared to similar communities in the Lower Mainland in an effort to attract business to the area. Chilliwack continues to have the lowest business class multiplier of the 19 Lower Mainland communities surveyed. Explore opportunities for other sources of capital and operational funding. Available government grants successfully applied for include $263,200 from Transport Canada for Southern Railway Crossing at Airport Road, $60,750 from Bike BC for Valley Rail Trail South Lighting/Visibility Improvements (Knight to Luckakuck), $5,000 from Bike BC for Berkeley at Young crossing improvements, $3,000 from Bike BC for Sardis Bike Route Wayfinding Signage, $437,263 from Bike BC for the Valley Rail Trail North Extension (Airport to Hocking), $750,000 through UBCM (funded by EMBC) for Fraser River bank erosion protection, and $960,000 through the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP) for raising the West Dyke (Right Bank). Identify priority projects that may be eligible for future infrastructure grants and save for the municipal funding portion. Incorporated a savings plan into the 10 Year CMP to fund the City's 1/3 funding portion for various projects that could be eligible for future grants. This will ensure projects proceed should an application receive funding. New growth pays for itself. DCC Bylaw annual review completed and rates amended accordingly. Good Stewardship of Municipal Infrastructure Maintain the road system. Average pavement quality index goals set at: Arterial 6.5, Collector 6.0, Local 5.5. Investment into the annual road rehabilitation program of $3.3 million in 2019 to allow surface condition maintenance. Incrementally increasing annually to $3.4 million in 2022 and rising to 3.7 million by 2025. Maintain the utility systems. Service delivery interruptions minimized. Flushed 120% of the water system, and replaced over 350 life expired water meters. Over 2,400 backflow prevention devices tested. Dismantled, serviced and rebuilt over 1,000 fire hydrants. Installed 200 metres of new watermain and replaced 1,165 metres of aging cast iron water pipes. Installed 30 metres of sanitary sewer lines and replaced 440 metres of existing AC sewer pipes. Flushed 125 km of sewer lines. Maintain civic facilities. Extend the life of buildings and reduce unplanned costly repairs. Maintain regular major maintenance program and roof inspection program for all civic facilities. Upgraded 2 civic building roofs. Shut down the Cheam Landing Leisure Centre for three weeks for repairs on the moveable floor, tile work in the pool basins and changing natatorium lights to LED. Maintain municipal fleet. Repair and replacement program planned and funded. Vehicle Maintenance Management System in use. Equipment Replacement Reserve Fund in balance. Objectives, Measures and Progress