Get the permit, says Fry

By Mark Squibb/August 26, 2022

Thinking of building a new shed or doing some exterior renovations? Mount Pearl councillors say get the permit now to save yourself a headache later.

Councillor Isabelle Fry took a moment during this week’s public meeting to remind folks to get their permits in place before getting to work.

“Permits are required for things like building a shed, a driveway, exterior renovations, roofing, practically anything,” said Fry. “And the reason for that is so that the City can ensure that the work is inspected and that it is done within our regulations.”

Fry said that if someone completes a job without a permit, it may not pass a City inspection and they may be forced to tear it down and start back at the beginning.

“So, I just want to remind people, that the reason we have building permits and that type of thing is more so for the protection of residents.”

Director Gerry Antle added the City checks for things like building code compliance in the interest of safety.

Fry admitted that before she was elected to council, she did not understand the importance of permits.

Councillor Jim Locke added that when folks apply for permits up front, it can save them headaches later on.

“By putting the plan before our qualified staff, they get assurances that what we’re doing is within our regulations, so they know it’s built right and it’s in the right location,” said Locke. “So, if they ever decide to sell their property, they can rest assured that everything is compliant, which will allow the sale of the property to go through smoothly.”

He also said that permitting isn’t a ‘money grab.’

“The cost of a permit is not expensive,” said Locke. “So, if your paying $15,000 or $20,000 or $8,000 or $5,000 to do your renovations, the nominal fee that we charge for permits is not going to determine whether or not you proceed with your project, but it’ll certainly give you an assurance that your developing within our regulations and guidelines.”

Council approved 19 such residential construction permits during the meeting, including for fences, decks, accessory buildings, roof and sanitary line repairs, landscaping, and construction of a new family home – a total of about $495,000 worth of work.

City opts for design/build approach on 'a big piece of work'

By Mark Squibb/August 26, 2022

The City of Mount Pearl, during this week’s public meeting, awarded a $7 million contract to Dexter Construction Company Ltd., for the upgrading of a portion of Farrell Drive.

Upgrades include water, sanitary/storm sewer, asphalt, curb, and sidewalk replacement along Farrell Drive between Holden Street and Evans Place.

“The goal of this project is a complete reconstruction of Farrell Drive (approximately from Holden Street to Evans Place) and replacement of all infrastructure within the limits of the property right-of-way,” said councillor Mark Rice. “This includes all design, supply of construction materials, removal of existing infrastructure, and construction of new.”

Rice went on to say that the benefit of a design-build is that, unlike the traditional approval in which the City would enter separate agreements with both a consultant and a contractor, the City will enter into an agreement with just a design-builder.

“This leads to a more efficient project as the contractor responsible for construction is also responsible for the design of the project,” said Rice. “Overall, the design-build approach to projects has been beneficial to the City.”

Council voted unanimously to award the contract to Dexter for the bid mount of $7,096,765, HST included.

“This is a big piece of work,” said councillor Jim Locke. “This is quite a piece of infrastructure. I’m delighted with the design-build approach, we successfully used that on some other street work, and also the Campia Gymnastics project on Old Placentia Road, and it worked very well. I found it very efficient, it limited our change orders, allowed us to control our budgets a little better.”

Locke then asked about the beginning and end dates for the project.

Director of Infrastructure and Public Works Gerry Antle explained that before shovels go in the ground, a design will be submitted to the City for review.

The design process alone, said Antle, could take several months. He added that depending on the reviews, certain parts of construction may start sooner than later.

“Again, that’s the benefit of the design-build, you can do certain aspects as we approach different parts of the work,” said Antle, who noted the overall timeframe of the project is about two years.

“That may be optimistic, because it depends on what we find when we open up the ground, as well as weather conditions,” he added.

Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley asked for further details on the project, especially as it relates to the City’s asset management plan.

Antle explained that this particular section of Farrell Drive is at the end of its service life (which is up to 75 years.) Antle also noted the work will be designed with climate change in mind.

The request for proposals closed on June 8, and the City received two bids.

City Hall releases staff and workers' year-to-date pay totals

By Mark Squibb/August 19, 2022

In light of a recent ATIPP request, the City of Mount Pearl announced it has released salaries for all City staff – including striking CUPE members — going back to mid-2020.

“The City of Mount Pearl has chosen to exercise proactive disclosure in response to an Access to Information and Protection of Privacy (ATIPP) request received last month for the earnings of all City employees, including wages and overtime,” explained Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley during last week’s meeting. “And as a municipality we remain open and transparent to our taxpayers and as such as made the decision to proactively disclose all wage information.”

Kieley said the City released the gross pay, including total pensionable earnings and total additional earnings for 2020, 2021, and 2022 year-to-date.

However, only part of 2020 is reported, said Kieley, due to a switch to a new payroll system and reporting limitations within the prior system.

“As stated previously, Mount Pearl has a competitive and attractive total compensation package, and we value the work of all employees,” said Kieley.

Documents released by the City show the Director of Engineering & Sustainable Development, the City’s highest paid employee, earned a gross income of $117,606 from January 1 until July 26, 2022. Two other City employees earned over $100,000 in gross income by July 26, 2022: The CAO earned $108,333, while the Director of Recreation & Community Safety earned $107,178.

If you do a search of those positions on the City’s website, you may not find them exactly as recorded on the payroll documents. This is because, according to City staff, the City restructured its departments in 2022. So, for example, the position listed on the payroll document as Director of Engineering & Sustainable Development is listed on the website as the Director of Planning, Engineering, and Development. The website, said City staff, has the accurate position titles.

In 2021, the Director of Engineering & Sustainable Development earned $203,974, the Director of Recreation and Community Safety earned $185,314, and the CAO earned $154,561.

The documents show in 2022 show hourly wages for public works staff and some office staff, including accountants ($32.76), lead hand mechanics ($36.12), mechanics ($34.39), recycling collectors ($30.43), lead hand water and sewer workers ($34.39), water and sewer workers ($30.43), equipment operators ($30.43), arena attendants ($29.18), animal control officers ($29.33), lifeguards ($22.89), and others. The document details whether the position is part time, full time, and temporary, or seasonal.

Councillor Jim Locke suggested the City disclose employee wages on an annual basis.

Mayor Dave Aker noted many salaries are in the $20 to $30 an hour range, and that most employees work about 37-and-a-half hours a week.

Director of Corporate Services Cassie Pittman agreed that office workers typically work 37-and-a-half hours, while the majority of public works and full-time aquatic employees work 40 hours.

“So, then you can add on to that over time and you can add on to that as well another 20 to 25 percent for benefits,” noted Aker. “Both the deputy mayor and councillor Locke referred to the fact that some of the cost that the City bears is not just the wages that go to our employees, but what we call payroll burden, the City’s share of the matching contributions for pensions as well as for health and dental. And we have other things we pay as well. We pay shift premiums and the shift differentials and overtime.”

Aker then asked what typical overtime rates were.

Pittman explained that anything over 40 hours a week would be double time.

“So, for example, if a member of the public works team gets called in on the weekend, typically that would be a double time call out,” said Pittman. She then circled back to Aker’s comments about total cost compensation. “We worked in about a 37 percent increase, so, in addition to wages, our total cost of compensation is 37 precent higher than wages to account for things like our pension contribution, benefit contribution, and total cost of employment.”

Aker asked Pittman about wage increases.

“I don’t think our management staff have had any increase in the last two years; what has been the increase given to CUPE the last four years?” asked Aker.

 “This contract, 2018 to 2022, was a four percent overall wage increase,” said Pittman. “So, the most recent increase would have been July 2022, which was a two percent on the tail end of this currently expired agreement. We’ve been in a manager wage freeze for the last two years, so our management wages have been frozen, as we attempted to work with some challenges on the City’s revenue stream.”

Aker said that up to 2022, the City’s wage increases have outpaced inflation rates.

Councillor Bill Antle applauded the disclosure but noted that salaries of council members were not included. He asked that those salaries, including council expenses, be included.

“As councillors or as mayor, we don’t get a pension,” added Antle. “I want to make sure that that’s clarified in this piece of information.”

Councilors concerned over costs of empty bus rides

By Mark Squibb/August 19, 2022

During last week’s public council meeting, the City was in receipt of an invoice of $51,438 from MVT Canadian Bus for bus services in June, including Go-Bus and paratransit routes.

In June, explained Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley, the City paid for 110 paratransit trips, 380 GoBus trips, and 67 ‘no-shows.’

Those no-show charges caught the attention of councillor Isabelle Fry.

“So, we’re charged for no-shows?” asked Fry. “Seems like an awfully high number to me… I’m concerned for two reasons. First of all, I know a lot of times, when residents are looking to use the GoBus, there are some frustrations when the GoBus is more than an hour — or two, or three — late. So, if a resident wants to go to an appointment, they book a GoBus accordingly, and if the GoBus doesn’t show up in time, you miss your appointment or you find alternate arrangements. Is that considered a no-show at that point?”

Fry said her second concern was that the City was spending money on bus trips even if there was nobody onboard.

“This is something that we need to look further into,” said Fry, who added she believed the City of St. John’s was looking into that exact same matter already.

Mayor Dave Aker said he believed the number of no-shows hovered at around five percent.

“But I think it’s built into the contract that if the bus moves, somehow it has to be paid,” said Aker. “So, MVT gets reimbursed. But I take councillor Fry’s concerns. You know, you never like to see a bus being paid for by taxpayers’ money that’s going empty.”

Director of Corporate Services Cassie Pittman said the matter is under review, and any further information uncovered can be sent back to council for consideration.

In June, said Pittman, there were 41 paratransit no-shows and 26 Go-Bus no-shows.

City doubles down on negotiation position

By Mark Squibb/August 12, 2022

With the ongoing CUPE Local 2099 strike now in it’s fifth week, neither the City nor the union seem willing to budge on their respective positions.

Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley brought forward an update on the negotiations during this week’s council meeting, which was held remotely and not at City Hall due to the strike.

“As a committee we acknowledge and understand the impact this labor disruption is having an effect on us all,” said Kieley, a member of the Corporate Services and Public Works committee. “We see that the fields of our community are empty, our facilities are closed, and programming is suspended, and we are being asked by many of you to get back to the table and get a deal. And let me be very clear and say, that is what we want as well.”

She said Mount Pearl employees receive competitive wages, a defined benefit pension plan, severance entitlement after 10 years of service, health and dental benefits, and a “more than reasonable sick leave allocation.”

“The City of Mount Pearl will always be a great place to work for both existing and new employees,” said Kieley. “As a steward of taxpayers dollars, it’s our job to ensure that our ongoing operations remain sustainable, and can be delivered within our existing budgets, and we do believe this can be achieved.”

Councillor Jim Locke then gave a financial update, referring back to the City’s 2021 audited financial statements, which painted a bleak picture of the City’s financial position in light of picketer’s demands.

“Last year, the City experienced a decrease in revenue coupled with an increase in expenses, and this is important for council to consider as we are now moving into the fifth week of the current labor disruption,” said Locke. “The decisions that we make now are going to have a lasting effect on the cost of operations for the short, the medium, and the long term for the City. And when this council brought forward the 2022 budget, we were open, and we were transparent about the budget pressures that the City is experiencing. With no anticipated increases in revenue for 2022, our mandate at the time, when we brought down the budget, was to maintain the current level of expenditure, while at the same time, striving to meet the changing needs of our community. And that objective remains intact as we negotiate out new collective agreement.”

Locke then pulled some detailed numbers out of the financial statement.

“The City’s revenue is not growing, and while we maintain a strong tax base, our taxation revenue has decreased year over year,” he noted. “Tax revenue is down over $2 million dollars in just a couple of years. Tax revenue hit a peak of $46.9 million in 2020. This decreased to $44.5 million in 2021, and is projected to be $44.1 million in 2022.”

Locke echoed Kieley’s comments on Mount Pearl’s competitive wages and benefits.

“But that high level of service comes at a cost,” said Locke. “Payroll expenditures remain the City’s largest expense, representing over $19.3 million dollars in 2021, which is just over 36 percent of the city’s overall budget. The cost of payroll related expenses had increased over $2 million dollars since 2018, and just over $ 6 million dollars in the last eight years since 2014. So, based on the reality of our reduced revenue and our rising cost of service delivery and payroll related expenditures, we must reach a collective agreement that can be delivered within our existing budget.”

Like Kieley, Locke acknowledged the strike is having a major impact on residents, and said he hoped an agreement can be reached soon.

Striking union members are picketing against a proposition by the City that new hires receive 12 paid sick days per year instead of the 21 sick days existing employees receive (which they say creates a two-tiered system), and a reduction in paid sick days from 21 to 18 for existing employees. The union also snubbed the City’s offer of a five percent pay increase over four years.

Mount Pearl spends over $43,000 on video surveillance

By Mark Squibb/August 12, 2022

City Hall is keeping an electronic eye on picketers as CUPE Local 2099 members continue to strike with no end in sight.

At this week’s public council meeting, the City was in receipt of two separate invoices from Provincial Investigative Services for video/security services, one for $24,880 and one for $19,029, for a total of $43,909.

“Notably there are two invoices from Provincial Investigative Services,” Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley pointed out to council during this week’s council meeting. “This is reflective of video surveillance costs from the current labor disruption. These services are instrumental in ensuring the safety of our workers crossing picket lines and performing the work of our city during this time.”

In other strike news, councillor Bill Antle noted that over 600 refunds have been issued because of the closure of facilities and cancellation of memberships and aquatics programs up to August 7 because of the strike, and that there are more to come.

“If you’ve registered or paid online, you should have received refunds automatically,” said Antle. “Anyone who registered or paid in person, would have been contacted regarding their refund. Please be patient as we’re working as fast as we can to get it all done.”

Additionally, the City continues to provide refunds weekly for cancelled facility bookings each week.

The strike, which was declared on Thursday, July 7, entered it’s fifth week on Thursday, August 12, with neither side budging from their respective positions.

Bevy of streets in for small repairs

By Mark Squibb/August 2, 2022

Mount Pearl City council approved Modern Paving Limited to complete some road repairs around the city for a bid price of $270,129 (HST Included).

The request for proposals closed on June 6 and two bids were received.

There was no discussion on the matter and the motion was passed unanimously.

The Pearl requested further clarification from the City, and in a follow up e-mail learned that the tender is for general isolated repairs on Centennial Street, Smallwood Drive, Kyle Avenue, Winston Avenue, Corey King Drive, Edinburgh Drive, Forest Avenue, Valleyview Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, Parsons Avenue, Penmore Drive, Norma's Avenue, Topsail Road, and Topaz Place.