Crime Stoppers Needs Help With St. Stephen Vandalism

Crime Stoppers and St. Stephen RCMP are looking for help as they look into the on-going vandalism at a property in the town.

All this month a number of abandoned buildings have been damaged along Pleasant Street in St. Stephen.

A home along Pleasant Street was also damaged on December 10th causing more than $500 in damages.'

If you know anything, contact the Mounties in St. Stephen directly or Crime Stoppers toll free.   
Crime Stoppers will pay up to $2000 dollars for info that leads to an arrest.

For more info, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Rothesay Has Big Rec Plans For 2013

There are some big plans in 2013 for Rothesay when it comes to recreation.

Up to $600,000 dollars is being spent on renovation Renforth Wharf to rebuild the retaining wall and fix the wharf itself.

Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ the new and improved 6 million dollar KV library is more than double it's original size.

He says most of the new construction is completed and they have begun moving books and more into that area and now the construction company is renovating the older part of the building which they expect to finish by June.

The town is also spending just over 2 million dollars on the Rothesay Commons to improve drainage, build a stage and look into building a new outdoor skating rink.

Car Carrying 4 Young People Plunges Into Tracadie River

The Mounties are looking for three men and a teen girl after their vehicle plunged into a river early this morning.

Corporal Chantal Farrah says the crash happened around 1am when a vehicle carrying four people, between the ages of 17 and 20,  lost control while driving on Route 370 near Tracadie-Sheila.

Farrah says the vehicle lost control on a dirt road in a remote area while trying to go uphill and slipped off the road and into the Tracadie River.
 
Divers and a search and rescue team are combing the sides of the river, while officials are trying to recover the submerged vehicle.
 
The province's Transportation Department has provided a plow to clear away a path to the area.

Farrah says road conditions were slippery at the time of the crash.
  

Saint John Embraces Kindness Initiative

Nothing says Christmas in Saint John more than random acts of kindess for no particular reason.

That's why the phenomenon known as Pay It Forward is gathering steam in the Port City.
 
Founder Michael Whelton is a vice-principal at St. Mac's and he tells CHSJ News it began as a result of a conversation with a number of teachers at the school he decided to take it further and make it more formalized at their school.

Pay It Forward Saint John is run by a group of 7 individuals including City Councillor and Educator Greg Norton, Ross Jefferson of Destination Saint John and Constable Dan Weber of the City police.   Whelton tells us they want to see it expand more next year so Saint John can be a real contributor on World Pay It Forward Day which is April 25th 2013. 

For more information, click here

Wind & Rain Don't Help In Getting The Lights On

The crews working for NB Power have to be way behind on the Christmas shopping.

Another wild night of weather, this time heavy rain and very strong winds, leading to more power outages.

More than 600 homes and businesses are without electricity this morning.

The largest outages area in St. Stephen, Sussex and Fredericton.

Premier Says No Pipeline Subsidy Request

In a year end interview with CHSJ News - Premier Alward discusses the possibility of subsidies for proposed west-east crude oil pipeline.

Some Are Still Without Power

 469 homes and business are without power in the province.

3 outages in the Fredericton area are impacting 264 people.

70 are in the dark in Woodstock and 50 remain powerless in Sussex today.

Man Overboard Being Treated As Missing Person

East Coast Navy Captain Tyrone Grande tells CHSJ News a call came in last night at 5:45 that a local fisherman who had fallen overboard in the Grand Manan area.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre responded with a helicopter, a rescue boat from Saint John, as well as local fisherman searching all night in the Bay of Fundy.

Grande says the search was downsized at 7 this morning.

He says the case has been taken over by the RCMP as a missing persons search.

RSC's Begin Their Work Officially January 1st

2013 will see more of an impact of the new Regional Service Commissions.
 
Back in February, the government announced the creation of 12 commissions by January 2013 to increase collaboration and planning between communities.
 
Grand Bay-Westfield Mayor Grace Losier is the chair of Region 9 and tells CHSJ News they will be working with the unincorporated areas to establish stronger emergency measures plans.

She tells us through the office of the RSC they will be tasked with doing their own land use plan leading eventually to a new plan for the entire service commission area of 9.

Losier announced last week the commission's Executive Director will be Jack Keir the former head of the Crane Mountain landfill and a former cabinet minister with the Graham government. 

She adds because the solid waste commissions now fall under their responsibility, Keir's previous experience with Crane Mountain made him rise to the top as a candidate.

You Might Qualify For A Break On Your Heating Bill

If you're getting smacked with huge energy bills you can't pay, you might want to apply for this.

The provincial government offering a $100 benefit to help New Brunswick families cope with their heating bills. Almost 50,000 applications were received last year, and the program has benefited over 95,000 families since first starting in 2010.

The benefit applies to those who had incomes up to $28,000 in 2011, and are issued 4 weeks after the application is received. You can apply at Service NB, online, or by phone toll free at 1-800-669-7070.

Get Ready For Soggy Shopping

We are gonna get wet tonight.      A rainfall warning is in effect for the southern half of the province.    Up to 25 millimetres could fall by tomorrow morning.

Up north, the precipitation will begin as snow and change to ice pellets for a couple of hours before changing back to rain.

Here on the coast we can also expect wind gusts to 80 kilometres tonight and overnight.

City Police Advised to "Civilianise"

City Police could save money by hiring more civilians. That word was delivered to Common Council following a review of city services but won;t there be any savings realised. 

Police Chief Bill Reid says to accomplish that would require negotiating with the Saint John Police Association and, as it stands now, there wouldn't be any savings because civilian employees cannot be used to supplant police officer who would have to be used doing something else because they cannot lose their jobs.

The city has been told by consultant Todd MacDonald the ideal split is 60/40 with 40 per cent civilian employees and the rest police officers.

Sweet Success For The Gingerbread Trail

Local retailers and restaurants have been competing for a sweet honour---- in a local fundraiser with a delicious twist.

The Delta and Fishy Chores have snagged top nods for their submissions in the Gingerbread Trail fundraiser. Twenty-two gingerbread, icing, and candy houses were entered as part of the benefit for the Joshua Group. Organizer Darlene Baker tells CHSJ News while the numbers aren't in yet, it was a smash success.





Food service category winners: 

1rst Place: Delta Brunswick
2nd Place: Piece of Cake Custom Creations
3rd Place: The Saint John Alehouse

Retail category winners:
 1rst Place: Fishy Chores
2nd Place:The Urban Shoe Myth
3rd Place:Manchester Shoe Salon
 
Baker says it was such a hit they're planning to do it again next year. You can see the Delta's winning house in person on the second level of Brunswick Square.

City Police Offer Up Safety Tips For Busy Shopping Weekend

This could turn out to be the busiest weekend for shopping all year which means lots of traffic in and around the malls. 

City Police Sergeant Jay Henderson tells CHSJ News this is also the time of the year for parties and there will be checkpoints around town to catch drunk drivers.
 
Sergeant Henderson warns thefts increase at this time of the year and police are advising drivers to lock up their vehicles and keep any presents you might buy away from prying eyes.

Sussex and Fredericton Hit Hardest By Power Outages

There are still many people without electricity around the province. 

As of 8:00 this morning, nearly 900 hundred NB Power customers remain in the dark, including 215 in Sussex and more than 5 hundred in Fredericton.

Emergency Meeting Works Out More Details At City Hall

An emergency meeting of council has hammered out some details of the long-term disability payments that have become a bone of contention between city hall and unionized groups including fire and police.

The debate has held up adopting the Shared Risk model for the city's pension plan and thus voting on the 2013 operating budget.

Terms include twenty four month coverage at one hundred percent employer pay, and a two year own occupation clause and any occupation until age 65. They've also agreed to collaborate on a cost sharing plan.

The unions still need to sign the memorandum of understanding. Calls placed to union reps have not yet been returned.
 

Coming Rain May Wash Away Our Snow

Our pretty snowfall may get washed away as a new weather system moves into the region in time for the weekend.

Environment Canada issuing a special weather statement saying the southern half of the province can expect 25 millimetres of rain  starting this afternoon with most of it falling tonight.

This new system is coming in from New England and will bring snow for northern parts of the province if you're heading that way.

Coastal areas can expect wind gusts to 80 kilometres an hour tonight with the winds becoming light Saturday afternoon.

For more info, click here

Latest On Power Outages Throughout NB

It's not much of a Winter Wonderland for the NB Power customers still out of power. About 1800 are still in the dark due mainly due to frozen tree branches falling on the power lines.

430 homes and business are without lights in Fredericton and it's a similar story with 172 in Rothesay, nearly 510 in Sussex, and over 498 in Wodstock still without electricity.

In a tweet, NB Power says the number of outages now is half of what it was this morning and they thank their crews for all their hard work restoring power in the region after yesterday's storm.

Mayans Fear The World Ends Tomorrow

In the busy lead up to Christmas, you may have forgotten that the world is supposed to end tomorrow.
 
According to the Mayan calender, the world should end on December 21st.
 
Dan Riskin of Discovery Channel's Daily Planet tells CHSJ he can pinpoint an exact time everything will stop.

He tells us it will happen in a few 3 billion years and it will happen because the suns expands and engulfs the earth so there is nothing to worry about for tomorrow. Riskin adds to be on the safe side Daily Planet is doing a special about the supposed Mayan apocalypse.

The special is called End of the World 2012 and it premieres tonight at 8 on the Discovery Channel. 

For more info, call here

Christmas Via Cape Breton Tonight

Saint John is Canada's most Irish City....and nothing says a Celtic Christmas like Cape Breton’s Barra MacNeils.

The Barra MacNeils take to the stage at the Imperial tonight for a performance featuring classic holiday songs and traditional favourites.

For more info, click here

Under 1900 Without Juice Now

Just under 1900 are still in the dark due mainly due to frozen tree branches falling on the power lines.

360 homes and business are without lights in Fredericton and it's a similar story with 181 in Rothesay, nearly 600 in Sussex, and over 500 in Woodstock still without electricity.

In a tweet, NB Power says the number of outages now is half of what it was this morning and they thank their crews for all their hard work restoring power in the region after yesterday's storm.

To keep an eye on the outages, click here

A Ship In Port Is Loading Live Cattle For Russia

You may have noticed a different looking ship at Pier 3 on the West side this week. 

The Orient 1 is loading 2300 head of cattle from the Maritimes, Quebec and the US.  

The cows are destined for Russia and the loading process begin yesterday and continues today and tomorrow.

The ship stick outs as it's blue and white and has special air vents on the deck to release gas from the animals and bring in fresh air.

The Port telling CHSJ News a few thousand pigs came through a few years ago and earlier this decade they had some cows destined for the Caribbean on specialized containers.

City Does A Good Job Plowing The Snow But At A Cost

Common Council has been told the city more than meets acceptable standards for snow plowing but does so by paying a fair bit of overtime.

Todd MacDonald of Performance Concepts Consulting says that could be reduced considerably by more evenly dividing snow clearing resources between day and night, thereby saving the city some money. He says right now there are disproportionately more resources used during the daytime hours.

MacDonald says Saint John responds early to storms, depending largely on the weather forecast, whereas some other cities wait until 5 centimeters of snow is on the ground before getting the plows out.

The Lights Are Coming On For Some

NB Power crews are making progress is restoring power to just over 3800 people without electricity.

Over 600 people are without juice in Dairytown, 270 homes in Rothesay are impacted and more than 900 do not have power in Woodstock.

29 outages in the Fredericton area mean more than 1500 homes and businesses are still without power.

To see the current list of outages province wide, click here

Snowfall Totals For Saint John And Elsewhere

Environment Canada tells CHSJ News we wound up with 7 centimeters of snow but the Weather Network is saying it was more like 11 centimeters.
 
Fredericton got 20 centimeters with 35 in the higher elevations.....15 centimeters at Poley Mountain and 16 centimeters in Moncton.

Gas Prices Increase

The price of gas is a bit more expensive after the weekly setting by a couple of cents a litre. 

Self serve regular will now cost you $1.19.1 in the city with diesel at $1.35.6 a litre.
 
Heating oil is also up a bit at $1.14.3 but propane is down slightly with a maximum price of 93.1 cents.

Power Outages Caused By Storm

NB Power crews were hard at it all night long but they did have alot to do with more than 43 hundred businesses and homes around the province still without electricity this morning in the aftermath of yesterday's storm.
 
As of 11:00 this morning , there were 15 outages affecting almost 300 customers in the Rothesay region which includes the Kingston Peninsula and the area around Grand Bay-Westfield.......30 outages in the Sussex area affecting  almost 13 hundred customers........9 outages in St. Stephen affecting 115 customers and over 15 hundred customers in Fredericton are without electricity because of 29 outages.

No City Budget Yet; Mayor Says Progress Is Being Made

Nearly 6 hours after the projected 5pm start time of the open meeting, Common Council announced it is making incremental progress toward finalizing the city's 2013 operating budget. 

It looks more unlikely, however, the budget vote will happen before the New Year. 

The city has managed to sign off on a Memorandum of Understanding on a revamped pension plan but it still waiting for the unionized groups to agree to it as well.

 Mayor Mel Norton tells CHSJ News the long term disability plan is a complicated issue that goes far beyond what is usually discussed in committee of the whole.

It's likely another special meeting will be held to finalize the budget over the coming days. If that's unsuccessful before January 1st, the city will be on the hook for payments as outlined under the current pension situation.

Port City Gets A Pre-Winter Pounding

Fender-benders, crackups and serious collisions the theme of a fierce late fall storm that gave Saint John a winter shocker it wasn't expecting.

Road conditions from Sussex to Stephen were not a treat yesterday with a long list of collisions between Noon and 6pm. 

Highway 1 Westbound was briefly closed to traffic near the Fox Farm exit after a few transports got stuck in the area.  

Many big rigs got stuck or jackknifed throughout the day.

One tractor trailer could be seen sliding down Retail Drive sideways on the Costo hill while other vehicles drove around it.
One City police officer said people were driving like it was July.

A few delays were reported in and out of the Saint John Airport.
 
Some parents expressed frustration that schools were not closed saying road conditions were too dangerous for the schoolbuses.

All MLA's Support Pipeline Construction

They are all in favour of this one.

MLA's of all political stripes unanimously passing a motion stating their support for the construction of a pipeline to ship western crude oil to Eastern Canada.

Support is growing for a proposal that could see a pipeline carry oil from Alberta to the Irving Oil Refinery.
 
Federal Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver toured the refinery last week stating his government's support for a pipeline project. 

Premier David Alward says the government is working towards a future where the Province helps drive the national economy as one of the country's energy powerhouses.

Highway Back Open

Highway 1 Westbound is back open to traffic. 

The roadway was closed near the Fox Farm Road exit after several tractor trailers got stuck in the area.

NB Power Customers Still In The Dark

Thousands of NB Power customers continue to be left in the dark due to the season's first big snowstorm.

Over 4,000 Fredericton area customers are in the dark, over 2000 near Sussex, 800 in Woodstock and about 300 in Rothesay.

NB power is working to restore power to those customers.

Messy Driving In Saint John Today

Police, Fire and Ambulance crews are very busy today with a series of collisions around the City and in the outskirts.
 
There were back to back collisions on the Loch Lomond Road earlier that blocked traffic.

Police are directing traffic on Sandy Point Road where a tractor tractor is stuck.  They are waiting for the area to be salted and plowed before the truck can back up enough to get out of the area.

We are also hearing that the side roads in the City are slick and the sidewalks around town are slippery.

Earlier today a tractor-trailer jackknifed near Five Fathom Hole on the Highway and there was a head on collision on the west side at Manchester Avenue and McGill Road.    Near Dairytown, a few tractor trailers were parked on the side of the highway because they couldn't make it up the hill.

At the Saint John Airport, a flight arriving from Halifax at 4:30 today is delayed along wtih a flight from Toronto at 5pm.   A 445 flight leaving for Halifax is also delayed.

Optimism From Patient Rights Advocate About Drug Coverage

Patient Rights Advocate Barry Katsoff is cautiously optimistic we'll be hearing more about a catastrophic drug coverage plan for everyone from the Alward Government by the time it unveils the provincial budget in March. He tells CHSJ News there's still some fine tuning to do.

Katsoff, himself, suffers from a rare blood disease but lives in Montreal and Quebec is the only province that provides coverage.

Katsoff concedes he isn't ready to pop out a bottle champagne just yet because the devil is in the details.

The provincial government tabled a report that recommends a plan to cover the 70-thousand families who have no drug plan at all. Flemming vows private insurance plans will be forced to cover the same drugs as those by the government.
 

More Land To Open Up At Q-Plex Community Garden

The number of people who have used the Q-Plex has reached a quarter of a million according to Quispamsis Mayor Murray Driscoll. 

He tells CHSJ News the community garden by the Q-Plex will be made larger next year. 80 plots of land sold quickly and the Mayor isn't sure yet whether that number will be doubled.
 
He also says 50 thousand people used the swimming pool this past summer, ten thousand more than the year before.

Thousands Are Without Power

Over 8000 people in the province are without power today.

In Fredericton, more than 4000 NB Power customers are without electricity.
 
More than 900 customers in Woodstock are in the dark, 500 people in Dairytown do not have juice and it's the same story for over 300 folks in St. Stephen.

In a release,  a spokesperson for the Utility tells CHSJ News that due to the weather conditions and the high number of incidents they cannot predict when the power will be restored adding it will be sometime in the next 24 to 36 hours.

 To see a current list of outages, click here

Slick Roads Lead To Collisions

Be careful when you are out and about today, roads in the City and beyond are slippery.

City police are busy with a few collisions around town including Foster Thurston Road, Samuel Davis Drive.
Police are directing traffic in the area.

A tractor-trailer has jackknifed near Five Fathom Hole on Highway 1 near Musquash.

Earlier this morning, there was a collision between a dump truck and a car on Golden Grove Road and McGill Road. 

We hear the side streets and sidewalks in Saint John are slick today as well.

School Closing Early

The Anglophone South School District announcing Fundy Shores school will closing today at 11:30.

More Number Crunching Needed In Quispamsis

A 241 thousand dollar cut in provincial funding has caused Quispamsis Town Council to delay finalisation of next year's budget. 

Mayor Murray Driscoll tells CHSJ News the cut was deeper than the town anticipated and the loss can only be made up through taxation. He quickly adds that doesn't necessarily mean the town's tax rate will be going up but a review is underway.


Driscoll says the province plans further funding reductions, not just next year, but in the two years after that which means the overall cut, when it's all said and done, will be significant.

The town's budget will be unveiled at a special meeting January 8th.

Doucet Aims To Amend Emergency Measures Act

The Liberal MLA for Charlotte the Isles says we need to be better prepared for an emergency.
 
Rick Doucet says the problem under the current Emergency Measures Act is response plans are not required until a state of emergency is declared.
 
Doucet introducing a bill in the provincial legislature that would make it mandatory for areas with dams to have a plan before trouble comes.

He says this amendment is intended to help people have confidence in the steps that will be taken in an emergency by the operators of the dam.
The operators of the dam will be able to point to their plan to be sure they did their part to minimize any type of damage.

Doucet says he doesn't want people to think this amendment will end flood damage, but it will assure people that the dam operators will put their plans into effect at just the right time.

Two years ago this week, many communities in Charlotte County were submerged under 174 mm of rain.

Clarification On Port Traffic Numbers

The Saint John Port Authority says traffic through the port is down only four percent to the end of November compared to last year - but - port president Jim Quinn tells CHSJ News there is a silver lining.
Quinn says the number of container ships calling on the port is up 39-percent so far this year and so is the number of containers moving through the port.
A CHSJ News story earlier today referred to a recent report released by the Atlantic Pilotage Authority suggesting port traffic was down 10-percent to the end of September led by a significant decline in the number of oil tankers calling .
Quinn says those numbers could be skewed because some of the tanker captains making regular calls to the port are licensed pilots and don't have to call on the pilotage authority.
Quinn says even though crude oil is now coming in by rail from the west contributing to a slight decline in tanker traffic - the refined products are still being going out by ship through the Courtney Bay terminals.

No Insurance, No Problem?

New Brunswick's 150,000 people with no health insurance might have an easier time of it now that the provincial government is looking closely at how to provide coverage for everyone.

The recommendations in the report include subsidies for low income families, no barriers to access or waiting period, and coverage of approved drugs that are assessed through standard drug review processes.

Health Minister Ted Flemming says they've studied plans elsewhere and consulted with the public, and will work toward implementing an insurance plan as quickly as possible.

Rain for SJ & Snow for the KV

If you live in the KV, get ready for a late fall wallop.  
Snow and lots of it is on the way today and tonight.

Environment Canada meteorologist Claude Cote tells CHSJ News the Kennebecasis Valley is under a snowfall warning with the brunt of the storm coming late tonight and overnight.

He says conditions will improve by noon tomorrow or early afternoon but not before the KV receives up to 30 centimetres of snow.

Cote adds along the Fundy coast there is a rainfall warning in effect with about 12 millimeters tonight and it may be mixed with snow as the temperature reaches the freezing mark.   The Saint John area could see up to 10 centimetres of wet snow before it wraps up tomorrow.
He tells us we will get a break on Thursday but another system is moving in on Friday that will bring more rain.

NB Liquor Announces Holiday Hours

Want to make sure you get your holiday tipples on time? NB Liquor is announcing its hours through to the beginning of 2013.


Sunday, Dec. 23: Open noon to 5 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 24: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 25: Closed
Wednesday, Dec. 26: Closed
Thursday, Dec. 27, to Sunday, Dec. 30: Regular operating hours
Monday, Dec. 31: Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013: Closed
Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013: Regular hours resume
 
The 73 agency stores may open all days except Dec. 25. Hours may vary by location. 

City Debates Filling Vacant Jobs

There's been some controversy around the council horseshoe over whether to fill 3 positions in the finance department at city hall that have been left vacant by retirements.

Common Councillor Bill Farren says there's no way city hall can think about filling those positions given the city's dire financial situation.

Commissioner of finance Greg Yeomans, on the other hand, says he's already working with a skeleton crew and the jobs are vital tothe continued smooth operation of the city.

Horse Rescue Program A Finalist In Aviva Competition

A unique community project that not only helps abused horses but troubled youth has a chance of truly growing and expanding it's reach.


Earth Spirit Horse Rescue's "Compassion Project" is a finalist in the Aviva Community Fund, a competition which gives away a million dollars to various Canadian projects that make a positive change in their community. After months of public voting, it's now up to judges to decide if the Compassion Project will receive up to $100,000.

The 3-year-old non-profit group rents a barn in Quispamsis that helps with abused horses and teaches troubled youth life skills. Executive director Christy Clark tells CHSJ news they completely depend on volunteers and donations, and winning the money would completely improve and expand their work. She says the money would go towards building a new stable of their own, which would include a quarantined stall for rescued horses to recover in and a loft as a classroom for youth programs. 

The youth don't learn how to ride, but how to care for horses which in turn teaches leadership skills, self confidence and even awareness of bullying. Clark says it also benefits the horses who are too old to be ridden. She says the results of the program are phenomenal, adding she's received calls from parents, teachers and councilors that the kids are changed forever. 

The winners will be announced January 29th.

To learn more about the Aviva Community Fund, click here.

To learn more about Earth Spirit Horse Rescue, click here.

Online Platform To Help Doctors Treating Diabetics

The Alward government is rolling out a new program that will help doctors and others work together online to improve care for diabetics.

Health Minister Ted Flemming says the new Diabetes NB CoPosis will improve the management of the disease by enhancing the information and level of collaboration available for doctors around the globe.

Doctors can enrol through the Department of Health's website with the online learning modules starting in January covering a range of topics including
effective management of renal disease and complications in diabetes.   

Doctors can post comments, articles in a secure virtual community.
The online platform, CoPosis, was developed by the University of Alberta Centre for Health Evidence.

For more info click here and here

Bay Of Fundy Ferry Crossings Cancelled

Bay Ferries letting us know all sailings today of the Princess of Acadia are cancelled because of the high winds.

Child Bitten By Dog

A toddler suffered a dog bite on the west side and there reportedly was alot of bleeding. It occurred on Duck Cove Lane. 

City Police describe it as unintentional but do say the city's bylaw enforcement officer will likely investigate the circumstances.

No Budget Yet

A few hills remain to be climbed in the city's 2013 budget process.

The vote on the budget has been bumped ahead until at least mid week, pending quotes from local firm Owens MacFadyen on the interim, or bridging numbers for long term-disability payments as well as how the payouts will work on a more permanent basis.

LTD isn't taken into account under the Shared Risk model currently being contemplated for the pension plan, and Mayor Mel Norton likens it to a series of dominoes in that council first requires the long term disability numbers, then ratify a Memorandum of Understanding, then finally approve the budget after that.

The ballpark figure being cited for the so-called bridge benefits is $75,000 and $100,000 monthly, but that's just until something more permanent is worked out. They're hoping to get the quotes within the next day or two and meet again on Wednesday; however, that doesn't mean the capital nudget will be done before early 2013.