The Town of Cobourg and their union for inside and outside workers (C.U.P.E Local 25) have reached agreement for the three year period starting August 1, 2017.  The union ratified the agreement on November 6th and the Town is expected to pass a motion of agreement at the Council meeting on November 20th.  The Town’s target increase for total compensation costs was 1.5% per annum but the new agreement will cost an average of 1.71% per annum.  Health and dental benefits were extended in the previous agreement but there were no changes to these in the new one.  However, salaries will go up 1.9% in each year.  The minimum wage increase causes 0.35% of the annual increase. The negotiating team… Read complete articleCobourg and Union Agree on New Contract

Cobourg’s Communication Officer, Ashley Purdy, made a presentation to Council on November 13 about changes to the Town’s web site.  In August 2017, Ashley issued a survey and there were 55 responses to the 17 questions and the changes are in direct response to this feedback.  The upgrade was scheduled to be launched today.  Most of the comments and changes related to site navigation – with a large site and a wide diversity of reasons to access the site, this is always a problem. The site relies on Search to a large extent and access to that is now made easier with the search box now very obvious.  But let’s look at Ashley’s presentation. Presentation Summary Extracts from Presentation – see link… Read complete articleUpgrade to Town’s Web site

Applications for Community Grants for inclusion in the 2018 budget closed on October 31.  The Town then called a Public Meeting at 6:00 pm on November 13 to allow the applicants an opportunity to sell their proposal to Council.  Only two applicants took advantage of this: Cycle Transitions and Marie Dressler Foundation.  Deputy Mayor John Henderson did not reveal how many applicants were received  – he wanted to vet them and then the applicants who had met all the conditions would be made public and included in budget deliberations.  The total amount of money available for 2018 Community Grants was set last year as the amount approved for grants in 2017 ($47,951)  plus a cost of living adjustment.   Grants Presentations… Read complete articleCommunity Grants Presentations – for 2018

The recommendation to deny the request for some residents to park on Kerr Street came before Council tonight.  The issue first came up October 2nd, 2017 when a delegation of residents made their case for an exception to the relevant by-law.  On the Agenda for tonight’s Committee of the whole meeting, Barry Thrasher, Director of Public Works recommended that their request be denied.  The residents then wrote a letter to council protesting  and said that “this subdivision should never have been approved (but) it was, and with that comes the responsibility to accept the consequences.”  This was reported on this post here. Tonight several councillors supported the residents but in the end they were not granted an exception although there… Read complete articleCouncillors split on Kerr Street Parking