It was another eventful year for the members of Timmins city council.
Here are 10 of the most discussed issues from 2015.
10 - Taking action on Fentanyl
The increasing amount of Fentanyl abuse in and around the city of Timmins could not be ignored in 2015. The number of recent deaths attributed to the powerful painkiller and the amount of police resources used in the pursuit of dealers required prompt action.
In September, city council passed a resolution for a patch-for-patch exchange program, with the co-operation of pharmacy chains which would see those with prescriptions required to bring used patches back before receiving new ones.
While it may not stop the problem entirely, the city is hoping to see lower numbers in both petty crime and drug related fatalities.
The family of Scotty McKinnon, a local man who passed away from the drug on Boxing Day in 2014, appeared at city hall to support council in approving the initiative in September.
9 - Prayer is removed from the council chambers
In May, Timmins city council was forced to make a decision concerning the opening of their official meetings. Due to a Supreme Court of Canada decision stemming from an incident in Saguenay, Quebec, all religious prayers were no longer permitted before municipal council meetings.
The decision was seen by some as merely the separation of church and state, but many members of council strongly felt that it was a sad day for Canada.
Councillor Mike Doody said that in his more than 32 years on council, he had never heard a complaint about the prayer.
The matter was discussed at several meetings leading up to May's decision day. Some members of council even went as far as to suggest Timmins should defy the Supreme Court of Canada and continue its prayer. Mayor Steve Black advised council against the idea as potential legal fallout could occur.
Council ultimately voted, out of four options, to simply hold a 'moment of reflection' which some Councillors said would be used for a personal prayer.
8 - Bamford's lament
Often the first to raise his hand for discussion, Councillor Pat Bamford took several opportunities in 2015 to speak out against the proposed privatization of Hydro One by the provincial government led by Premier Kathleen Wynne.
In early May, he placed a resolution on the council agenda which said that the City of Timmins officially strongly protests the sale of 60 percent of Hydro One assets to the private sector.
The matter was passed unanimously.
Bamford explained that he sees no scenario in which Ontarians monthly bills wouldn't steadily increase, and that job cuts wouldn't follow.
"Hydro One belongs to the people of Ontario, not a few cabinet ministers," he said.
The longtime Ward 4 councillor was able to ask Wynne directly about the proposal at a FONOM (Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities) meeting which took place in Sudbury in early May. Premier Wynne continued to defend the idea.
7 - Dubeau has eventful rookie season
When former firefighter Rick Dubeau was voted onto council in the fall of 2014, few could have predicted the amount of news he would make in his first year.
One of four first-time members of council, Dubeau made it clear early on that he was not part of the infamous 'Old Boys Club', which is a popular moniker often heard in political coffee shop discussions to describe the firmly entrenched at city hall.
He often butted heads with Mayor Steve Black at council meetings, and has prompted Chief Administrative Officer Joe Torlone to interject his disapproval on several occasions, which is not a normal occurrence during meetings.
At a council meeting in early August, Dubeau told Black to 'wipe that smile off your face' due to a perceived grin. Black later replied, saying that Dubeau had been showing a lack of respect for more than six months.
Later in August, Dubeau held a press conference in the council chambers to address allegations printed in a local newspaper which suggested he was using his rank as councillor to benefit his personal business ventures by meeting with cabinet ministers. Dubeau maintained that he was trying to create jobs in Timmins through his company Fireline and that his conduct was well intentioned.
Dubeau was the most outspoken member of council when discussing the Core Services Review. He suggested that the vast majority of cost saving measures within the report did not need to be discussed behind closed doors, and pushed for a higher level of transparency at city hall.
6 - Doody clashes with fiscal watchdogs
Veteran Councillor Mike Doody made headlines in February during a public budget meeting. Members of the Timmins Taxpayers Association, a group of local citizens who aim to promote financial responsibility at city hall, were presenting cost saving ideas for the Golden Manor.
Doody did not take kindly to the presentation and lambasted their ideas, which included several tabletop fist thumps, saying they insulted the entire staff and its residents.
"We don't skimp at the Golden Manor" said Doody, who is the Chair of the Golden Manor board of management.
In April, he again directed his ire at TTA members when their request to present new information to council was denied. Doody said he is more than happy with the fiscal numbers at the retirement home.
"It all depends on the quality of care that you want to offer, and what the taxpayers want to offer" he said.
5 - Public works issues
Director of Public Works and Engineering Luc Duval, and city workers came under fire several times during 2015. Duval had to answer questions on issues such as snow removal, street lighting, rural road maintenance, garbage pickup, poor street drainage and frozen water pipes, an issue compounded by a brutal winter season and decrepit infrastructure.
Many Timmins residents were without water service for several weeks due to pipe failures, causing major inconvenience. The city has encouraged residents with a history of frozen pipes to continuously run their water for 6 months out of the year, or face fines for calling city workers for thawing service.
Duval is often questioned by Councillor Walter Wawrzaszek, who worked for over 3 decades in the Public Works department, a fact he rarely forgets to mention.
4 - Black's interaction
The youngest Mayor in the city's history has ushered in a new era of interaction with the public. In his first full year, Steve Black attended hundreds of events, galas, meetings and festivals and frequently spent time listening to citizens concerns.
Black has also become a mainstay on social media, where he often responds to comments and questions directly and promptly.
He also participates in regular Q & A sessions with local radio and public access television programs.
3 - Budget increases all around
Throughout 2015 and 2016 budget presentations, the word 'increase' continued to be very popular. The steadily rising costs of salaries, benefits, and training were cited by numerous departments as the reason for the increases.
The looming closure of Glencore's Kidd operations in 2021 and the loss of its significant tax dollars was discussed countless times at council meetings as a undeniable reason to tighten up new spending and capital investments.
Each department requesting budget increases made valid points, however the perpetual budget increases appear unsustainable.
2 - The Connecting Link
The issue that will not go away. The connecting link is the dominant thoroughfare in Timmins and runs from the Kamiskotia Road intersection with Highway 101, to the ONR train tracks in Porcupine.
With costs to repair the length of the highway in the tens of millions, Mayor Steve Black has tried to get creative in raising awareness for potential government funding. He promoted locals to vote in an online contest open to the entire province, with a solid outcome.
Algonquin Boulevard was dubiously honoured in May with the title of 'Ontario's Worst Road' by the Canadian Automobile Association.
Heavy duty ore trucks, tractor trailers and low quality asphalt have all been blamed for the poor state of the roadway. Mayor and council continue to look for solutions.
1 - Core Services Review
Costing $105,000 dollars of taxpayer money, the Core Services Review was an audit of city operations performed by KPMG's Sudbury office. It took several months of one-on-one meetings with all levels of city employees to determine where inefficiencies lie, and where dollars could be saved.
Oscar Poloni, the lead consultant on the project, made numerous appearances at council to explain the process and the results. His candid remarks were not always met with smiles from those around the council chambers, but they were seemingly respected.
Two portions of the report were prepared, one public and one private. Many of the savings suggestions were contained within the private section, only privy to councillors and department heads. This led to increased discussion on the staggering amount of in-camera meetings held in 2015.
To date, the majority of cost-saving measures suggested by KPMG have been denied by council votes. The saga will continue in the new year.
