CREMONA – The official administrator appointed by the minister of Municipal Affairs to conduct the Village of Cremona's business in the absence of a functioning council recently approved the 2025 budget among other items.
Doug Lagore, of Transitional Solutions Inc., who presided over the regular April 15 meeting that was also livestreamed over Zoom, said prior to approving the budget that there would be no change in the residential mill rate with a modest two per cent bump for non-residential.
“You will see some adjustments in your assessment notices,” Lagore said, adding, “We’re keeping the residential rate the same as it was last year. Non-residential will increase by two per cent.”
Among some of the other items on the meeting’s agenda was the sale of surplus equipment.
“I had a meeting with our public works person, and we have some equipment that was purchased a few years ago and it’s not being used,” said Lagore.
“We’re going to try and dispose of it. There’s a national disposal group that auctions off municipal equipment,” he said, moving and passing a motion to advertise the surplus equipment as per Policy No. 2003-04 Disposition of Surplus Assets.
The list of items outlined on the agenda was a gas-powered Miller Trailblazer welder, an electric cement mixer, a Bobcat street sweeper Model 72, a Wallenstein wood chipper, as well as a Hotsy pressure washer with a diesel boiler and an electric pump.
Additionally, Lagore reversed a previous decision by the last council to extend the village’s municipal office hours to five days a week, which he justified as a cost-saving measure.
“There is a budget impact to that,” he said.
“We have monitored how many people are coming into the office on Mondays and Fridays; it’s sometimes as low as one, it is never over two or three,” he said.
Therefore, the hours were being brought back to the previous hours of operation from Tuesday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., he said.
“It saves the village some money.”
He also approved a motion to schedule the annual spring clean-up in Cremona on May 22-25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the public workshop. The agenda states that items such as electronics, oil, paint cans, tires and appliances cannot be accepted.
Additionally, Lagore approved a request from the Cremona Community Hall that sought $750 to help offset the cost of hosting Canada Day celebrations that will feature live entertainment.
