THAT, Council has completed the budgeting process for the 2006 year.

THAT, the budget will be presented to the public on April 25th at 7:00 P.M.

THAT, the town’s combined hydro & natural gas bill for the month of March was $12,492.00

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: How does Council make decisions on which major purchases will take place year to year?

ANSWER: We have what is called a Capital Investment Plan. It defines, years in advance, capital projects and items needing replacement. This way, when equipment needs replacement we ensure we will have the funds to replace it. To name a few things in our plan this year, is the replacement of our Fire Command/Rescue vehicle at an expense of $241,000. We require new pumps in our lift stations at a cost of $70,000. A drainage plan and purchase of land to do so is estimated at $50,000. Some of the funding is provided through reserves specifically set up for things like equipment replacement, infrastructure costs, etc. Other funding for this plan is from the Operating Budget.