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This money could be used to offset property taxes or to fund oneâ€"time expenditures â€" such as the organizationâ€"review the city has undertaken, Eskens said. The policy, passed at last week‘s council meeting, stipulates 50 per cent of future surpluses will go into the tax rate stabilization reserve. â€" aterloo city council Whas'pusxed a surâ€" plus _ allocation policy that should help to alleviate spikes in the tax rate, said Karen Eskens, the city‘s director of budgets and financial planning. New surplus policy should alleviate city taxâ€"rate spikes He is concerned because many of the cars he hears are travelling far too quickly. "I don‘t have a radar gun. but the speed limit is 50 and I‘m certain they‘re going in excess of 70 or 80. I‘m not talking about people going 55 or 60." Waterloo city council approved a plan, subject to the prioritization of funding, last week to deal with traffic problems, like speeding, in the Central and Albert streets neighbourhood. This plan includes the installation of an intersecâ€" tion pedestrian signal (I@S} on the north side of the Albert Street and Seagram Avenue intersection and a pedestrian refuge island, which would replace the existing northbound left turn lane, at the Albert and Central streets intersection, "After you live on a street like that for a while you can hear by the car‘s tone or tires if it is going fast or not," he said. s a longtime Albert A:nm'l resident. Paul eguth is used to the sound of speeding traffic passing by his house in the evenings Council focuses on speeding in Albert Street neighbourhood The other 50 per cent By Jennirer Ormston For The Chronicle By Jennirer Ormston bor The Chronicle Get in You could WIN a total makeover including a designer wardrobe "It‘s not a 50â€"50 split, but we try to make sure the Of that, about $590,000 was allocated to the tax rate stabilization resegve. For instance, in 2005, the surplus was about $1.4 milâ€" lion. "It‘s pretty much just for malizing it." "It‘s pretty much what happens now. Surplus is transferred to the tax rate stabilization reserve and other reserves as recomâ€" mended by finance," Eskens said. Each reserve and reserve fund has a n-mmnl;?uh*d balance, so if one falk short of that goal, this‘money would be used to replenish that reserve, she said. will go into reserves that are getting low. Fieguth said council‘s decision does not adequateâ€" ly address his concerns about graffic speéd or volâ€" ume â€" problems he attribâ€" utes to the lack of stop signs and traffic lights on Albert "It is a bit of a science, not just an art, in underâ€" standing traffic\f!uw and human behaviour." "It‘s what‘s described as a balance plan, where we‘re not overly restricting one road user over the other. _ There was a lot of techniâ€" cal effort put into the report, along with the fcsidumi input, said Russell Brown lee, an associate at IBl Group, in an interview. said a report to council As well, the plan, which was put forward by IBI Group, the company hired to conduct a traffic study and make recommendaâ€" tions, includes curb extenâ€" sions and road narrowing at the Bricker and Clayfield avenues intersection and payâ€"andâ€"display parking on Bricker, Clayfield and Fzra avenues. It also calls for curb extensions at the Central and Fountain and the Cenâ€" tral and Dorset streets interâ€" sections, along with painted stalls to promote proper parking. lease fill out an entry form and drop it ir Jox at any Heer‘s location, or visit com:. Cdmdosesdu'y 31. 2006 . With 6T $5,000 includes one day of spa «and a shopping spree CITY NEWS With the last three budgâ€" ets, Ward 3 Coun. Gary Kieswetter said he has been pushing for surpluses to be reserves are at an appropriâ€" ate level, and a portion most of the time would go to tax rate," she said. Fieguth told council he is not accusing them of neglecting their homework, but rather of not addressing in a substantial way what he sees as the key issues. "It seemed like the kinds of ideas being proposed (in the public meetings) were the ones that wouldn‘t cause traffic any problems and we didn‘t see anything that realâ€" y addressed our concerns, nor anything that would be novel and shake things up a bit." Coun. lan â€" McLean moved the motion. but "The traffic is taking advantage of a long, unim peded section of road (between University Avenue and Bridgeport Road) "But if King Street, which is a main arterial road, has two lights (between Univerâ€" sity Avenue and Bridgeport Road). then why is it fair for Albert to not have a single restriction of any kind." He thinks the most reaâ€" sonable solution would be to erect an IPS on Central Street at Albert Street, which he said would create a psyâ€" chological awareness in drivers of the possibility to stop. > . Street Gary Kieswetter Ward 3 councillor 3 7BLcansof selectedUL TRAlnteriorP . air Continued on page 6 @PARA $70FF "This adds a lot of clarity and makes it hard for future council to spend money before we have it," Kieswetâ€" ter said. "I was never in favour of spending money before we Because surpluses genâ€" erally are not announced until three months after the budget is completed, this means it could not be alloâ€" cated during lhoW process. Kieswetter said the poliâ€" cy‘s "clincher" is the recom:â€" mendation council will not allocate or spend any of the surplus until the final figure comes from staff. "This year it (the idea) seemed to get a bit more momentum," he said. allocated along the policy‘s lines. > Grade 2 student (right) Sophia Scott, 7, reaches for a cupcake at Elizabeth Ziegler public school‘s 75th anniverâ€" sary ceremony at the school recently, while Grade 5 stuâ€" dent Sarah Twomey, 11, and Grade 6 student Michaela Eichinger, 11, play with a "time machine" at the event. A public open house _ will be held on Oct. 14, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., in honour of the milestone. For inforâ€" mation go to http//elz.wrdsb.on.ca. Celebrating 75 years ENteF® ornisto® pnotos "I am very thankful to the rest of the councillors for supporting it," he said. adding staff worked hard At the June 26 counceil meeting the final motion came forward and council agreed to it unanimously with little debate. he said. So he asked staff to look into the allocation of future surpluses. The first one was in May 2006, when he wanted to open the 2006 budget and reallocate the $1.4â€"million surplus. Kieswetter said. adding there was no supâ€" port for that idea. The framework for this policy originated in earlier motions made by Kieswetâ€" ter. * & actually had it. Anything can happen." Get in Style with PARA "But what I asked staff to do. when the budget process starts and all the information comes to counâ€" cil, is attach this policy to every one, so this policy will be front and centre in everny budget process. ~So any future council will have to decide in public whether or not to follow this policy. and if they don‘t follow â€" this policy. it becomes public record." Kieswetter said although this policy has been passed. this council can not tie the handsof the next council. "It really does have teeth to it and gives the tarpaver a clear picture as to what‘s happening with the gurplus money." and deserves credit for their efforts.