Neepawa Council Debrief: Farewell to 2022

In the final meeting of 2022, we start with a recap of some of the meetings the Councillors have attended in recent weeks. Councillor Nadeau highlights public skating opportunities at the Yellowhead Centre, while Councillor Sisley covers the Handivan’s statistics and projects over the month of November. The Handivan will also be building a presence on Facebook in the new year. Councillor Kostenchuk shares the annual report for HAND, which includes an outline of all of the services they provide.

Manager of Operations Denis Saquet and his team have had a lot more snow to deal with the past couple of weeks, but other than that things have been quiet as we close out the year. Council did make a point of noting that the town does make an effort not to block driveways or access points during road clearing but it is not always possible, and residents are responsible for their own snow removal. If they need assistance there are several options available, including a removal service run by members of the Neepawa Titans.

It is time for the annual interim operating budget. This is a motion that must be passed by Council at the end of each year in order to carry on operations. Without it, Council does not have the authority to spend money between the first of the new year and the date when the budget is passed in the spring. The motion, which is not a complete budget it and of itself, does include specific figures for each department.

The town will be embarking on a housing needs study very soon, as a result of our growth rate combined with the announcement of the new hospital putting further strain on our housing resources. While this portion of the meeting is interrupted by a bit of housekeeping noise, essentially the Council put out a request for proposals for the study and will be proceeding with the one of the three received that was recommended by the CAO.

Finally, Council handles a couple of planning requests. The first is a resolution prepared for the regional planning office so they can prepare a bylaw for rezoning a portion of land for multi-use modular homes. The second is a subdivision to separate a yardsite from the surrounding land, which has implications for access roads because of its proximity to the new hospital. As well, for future needs regarding water and sewer infrastructure for the new hospital site, the town will be seeking technical and financial assistance from the Water Services Board.

Also covered were the regular financial reports, the Chamber of Commerce AGM, annual outstanding utility amounts added to taxes, and animal control contract renewal.

Mayor Hedley closes the meeting with a holiday greeting for all the residents of Neepawa and area.