Council Debrief: Business is Booming

We kick off this week with our first public hearing in a couple months, this time for the new home hardware location. The variance request, which was for a higher fence to accommodate a materials storage compound, was not particularly controversial and drew no opposition, however the request and the conversation give us some insight into what the location is going to look like when it is completed.

In Council reports, Councillor Gerrard reports on the Whitemud Watershed AGM, including the new budget. As a protector of waterways, Whitemud Watershed is invested in the remediation projects due to the 2020 flooding, including but not limited to the damage at Park Lake. While the focus of the town has been on the effects of the flood within town limits, the watershed district encompasses a much larger area including the upstream breaches that contributed to the flooding.

Manager of Operations Denis Saquet covers the most recent updates on projects around town, which for the first time in several weeks does not revolve around the roads. The temporary access to Park Lake has now been removed and the new permanent access is in use. Christmas lights have been put up around town for the remainder of the year, in plenty of time for the town’s holiday kickoff weekend on November 26. Currently, one of the department’s priorities is working on next year’s budget.

CAO Colleen Synchyshn covers several items of correspondence and ongoing projects. The town has received its annual renewal for 911 services, and while the cost per capita has not changed for this year, the town will see an increase due to our substantial increase in population in the last census.

The town of Neepawa had submitted a joint application to the Municipal Service Delivery Improvement Program alongside Rosedale, North Cypress-Langford, and Glenella-Lansdowne for a review of the Yellowhead Centre’s operations. This was one of nine applications approved this year, the same program that financed this past year’s review of the Handivan’s operations. The review is intended to help with efficiencies in the organisation and look at service improvements and additional revenue streams.

Synchyshyn also provides an update on the status of the remaining DFA, or disaster financial assistance, projects, particularly at Park Lake. Construction work is primarily focused on the new dam and spillway at the moment. Work will continue until December 22 and resume after the holidays, aiming to remove the existing dam throughout January. Following that they will not be on site again until May 5, with construction carrying on throughout the summer. Five tenders were received for the golf course bridge replacement, all of which were compliant with the necessary regulations and requirements, so the recommendation was to proceed with the lowest bid.

The town has negotiated an agreement with the owners of Whitey’s Gym, currently under construction at the corner of First Avenue and Brydon Street, regarding sidewalk and parking requirements for the location. The biggest change for the public, other than the installation of a sidewalk on the south and west sides of the building, is the addition of several angle parking spaces on First Avenue.

Also covered were the regular financial reports, Rossburn trail winter usage, the Handivan October report, Beautiful Plains Clinic update, renewal of the snow removal agreement for 2023, and a retirement celebration for Dr. George Ong.