The following are brief reports of items discussed at a Feb. 13 meeting of Highlands East council.

By Angelica Ingram

Published Feb. 14 2017

Highlands East council is preparing for Reeve Dave Burton to be absent from the council table until June.
Councillors passed a resolution to authorize Burton’s seat to be vacant for a minimum of three months with an anticipated return date of June 2017.
At the end of 2016 Burton slipped on the ice and injured both his knees.
Highlands East clerk Irene Cook said Burton expects to be in hospital until the end of February and then will have a lengthy stint in rehab.
Cook said he could be back at council prior to June however there is concern he could fall again with the winter weather so the resolution is erring on the side of caution.
Deputy-reeve Suzanne Partridge is acting as reeve until Burton returns.

Highlands East has supported a resolution proposed by the Town of Bancroft asking for the provincial government to allow municipalities to use lotteries as a way to fund infrastructure projects.
The resolution was proposed by the Town of Bancroft in December 2016 in response to the province of Ontario asking local governments to put forward new “revenue tools.”
“Municipalities are facing an estimated $60 billion infrastructure investment gap” reads the resolution. “Many communities nationally and internationally have experienced overwhelming success raising funds for infrastructure needs with local lotteries.”

Council approved its 2017 budget which will see a slight tax increase of about 2.4 per cent.
A total of $5219576 is to be raised through municipal taxation according to chief administrative officer/treasurer Shannon Blanchard’s report to council.
The budget includes approximately $10 million in spending.