Discussions centre on budgets and expansion
Over the last couple of years, the Town of Woodstock has been slowly adding members to the Woodstock Police Force (WPF) team in preparation for their realignment plan. Currently, the WPF is responsible for Ward 4 – the old town limits, while the RCMP is responsible for the remaining wards. The plan is for the Woodstock Police Force to take charge of the entire municipality by the end of 2027.
The force intends to do it in two phases. Phase one will see them take over Ward 5 first, around January of 2027, and all remaining wards by July of the same year.
Currently, they are actively recruiting for an inspector and victim services position and seeking four additional officers, preferably experienced, for their primary response and victim services units. Other new positions will be planned as the council approves during the summer and fall of this year, with even more hires, both civilian and officer, coming the following year.
The town is working with the RCMP to help make the transition as smooth as possible.
“The goal is to be ready for July 1 to take over wards 1,2, and 3. However, the caveat is that it is dependent on JPS (Department of Justice and Public Safety), the Woodstock Police Force, and the RCMP all agreeing that everyone is ready, so there is flexibility there. The ultimate goal would be taken over by December 31 at the latest,” explained Mayor Jones at the council’s Feb. 24 meeting.
The town has received $5.9 million from the province to help support its policing realignment. The mayor says that money should stretch to 2028.
“2029 is the focus of the first year that we’ll have to stand on our own two feet with our own property tax base,” said Mayor Jones.
She explained that property taxes will have to increase over time in the outer wards to help fund the coverage. Originally, they projected they might have to rise by 15 per cent, but due to rising property values, they will continuously review that, and she thinks it might not have to rise by as high a percentage as originally projected.
Water management/utility budget
CAO Allan Walker discussed water management with Woodstock Town Council. He explained that their mandate was to ensure drinking water needs were met and that waste and stormwater were properly managed within budget.
Last year’s budget was set at 2.175 million; this year, it’s set to increase by 7.1% to 2.3 million, with the majority of that revenue coming from residential and commercial sources. At the same time, expenses are expected to decline this year, allowing them to set aside $348,000 for capital, compared with last year’s capital budget of $69,000.
“The teams done a very good job of being efficient on the spending, on the overtime, on the equipment, on the repairs and maintenance, so that we can reinvest it back into infrastructure,” said Walker. “It’s a small budget for what we do. I’m proud of how well the group manages that budget and keeps everything flowing.”
Last year’s capital budget was set at $69,000, but they ended up spending $ 1,157,597, mostly on drilling well #3. For a breakdown of last year’s capital expenses, well #3 came in at $669,837, a building was purchased for $198,843, well house upgrades were $25,996, they added two new pumps at St. Andrews Street for $38,812, a backhoe was purchased for $211,700, and they had the Heller Road transformer upgraded for $12,410.
Walker explained that, thanks to their hard work, water production has increased by an average of six per cent per year over the last three years. Well #3 was drilled in March of last year. All necessary testing has been completed, and once the frost clears, they plan to dig down and connect it to the existing waterline. Once that’s complete, Walker says, “We’ll have more than enough water.”
To manage manganese levels in the pipes, experts were brought in. They made 13 recommendations. The necessary parts were ordered, and all recommendations were followed through with as of the end of January. Testing has been occurring regularly. They are also investigating replacing their water treatment system in the future because they expect to reach the limits of their treatment capabilities within the next five to seven years.
Walker explained that while much infrastructure has already been replaced or refurbished, much more is planned for the near future to bring everything up to date, citing some pipes that are around 100 years old. They’ve also been mapping the system to better understand where all their pipes, valves, and other infrastructure are, allowing them to be more efficient when problems arise and to plan for future development.
“So we fix what we’ve got, but we’re also planning for what we need in the future,” said Walker.
Over the next four years, they plan to continue upgrading and replacing their drinking water and wastewater systems at an estimated average cost of around $1 million a year. Wherever possible, the town will seek funding to help cover the costs, but it is proposing that residential billing rates also rise incrementally each year.
Mayor Jones praised the utility team, public works, the CAO, and councillors for all of their hard work. Citing years of underfunding and band-aid solutions for utilities, for why they’ve had so much work and expense to have to deal with, now.
“Since day one that this council has been in, we have been battling all things water. We’ve been extraordinarily transparent with the general public, and we’ve been pedal to the metal the entire time to try and improve our current infrastructure situation, in particular with the failed Grafton well project,” Mayor Jones said. “We are not done yet. There is a lot of work left to be done. I know we had to make a big change to our billing to get rates up, but this is why.”
CAO responded that one of the big improvements in utility management since the changes is how they respond to issues. “One of the questions they are now asking themselves when they have a decision: It’s not how can we do this quickly and cheaply, it’s 10 years from now, what will we wish we had done.”
Woodstock Golf and Curling Club
“[The golf course] was established in 1898. That makes us one of the oldest continuously operating golf clubs in Canada,” said Nick Tremere, Manager of the Woodstock Golf and Curling Club. “Very likely, we’re the only ones still on the same property.”
During his presentation to Woodstock Town Council on Feb. 24, Tremere explained that many old golf clubs in urban areas have been pushed out of city centres over the years.
“Properties like ours don’t exist anymore, so it’s really interesting that Woodstock is a community that’s been able to hold onto it,” he told council. “It’s difficult, especially in the last number of years. Everywhere is struggling with housing. I know it’s probably a topic you guys discuss on a very regular basis, housing and development. So being able to see the value in the green space is a positive.”
The Woodstock Golf and Curling Club operates as a not-for-profit, reinvesting all its revenue in operations and infrastructure. They provide low-impact recreation for youth, adults, and seniors, boasting 300 active members, including 80 kids in their junior golf program for 5 to 14-year-olds. They charge $65 to junior golfers for the entire summer.
“That’s a pretty low rate,” Tremere said. “We don’t want that financial barrier to be there for our community.
In the last five years, they’ve also tripled their non-member plays. Tremere attributes the growing interest in the club to people’s desire to get out of the house and socialize, as well as to get some exercise, which supports their physical and mental well-being.
The club also creates mostly seasonal employment, and hosts golf and curling tournaments that encourage people from out of town to come to Woodstock and spend money in the community.
They also provide space for local charities, nonprofits, service organizations, and businesses to hold meetings, events, auctions and dinners.
Tremere pointed out that green spaces also help reduce pressure on stormwater systems by holding significant amounts of rainwater. Having the club there is also good for property values in the area, he said.
He explained that a current challenge for them is managing their aging infrastructure. The club’s building was built in 1974 and has been showing its age. They are handling daily maintenance and planning future work while trying to keep their rates as low as possible for customers.
“We want everybody in our community to feel comfortable coming to our property and using it. We understand that that’s a process and we’re trying to do better every day at that,” said Tremere.
During MOU discussions later that meeting, Mayor Trina Jones explained that for the past number of years, the town has contributed money to support the club. This year, the council opted to give them $15,000 ($7,500 more than last year), in part because it would be their first year paying utilities, which were estimated to cost around $7,500.
“I’m not a member of the Golf and Curling Club, but I see the tremendous value that the club brings into the community,” said Councillor Will Belyea. “I couldn’t be a bigger supporter. I know for a lot of people it’s a hub for the community. They have all kinds of things going on down there, and I couldn’t support it enough.”
