As we finally head into spring, the town starts to worry less about snow accumulation and more about waterways. Thankfully, with the steady melt this spring there is so far a very low flood risk this year, but that’s not the only consideration. Work on the Park Lake Bridge began not long ago, but it’s now on hold until the end of June according to provincial regulations on waterways management while we wait out the spring thaw.

Manager of Operations Denis Saquet also reports on the status of other operational projects, including the completion of seasonal student hiring. Students are expected to begin work on May 2nd.

In Counsellor Reports this week we check in with the Western Manitoba Regional Library, which Neepawa is a part of along with Carberry, Glenboro, Hartney, and of course Brandon, as well as the Home Assistance for Neepawa and DIstrict programs and new equipment at the Neepawa fire station. The Chamber of Commerce Fair will be returning this year at the end of May, and the Chamber of Commerce has applied to the town to have it declared as a community event for resource purposes.

There were two brand new items at the meeting that could have far-reaching implications for the town. The first is participation in a pilot project that could help to divert literal tons of food waste from landfills, in which 100 households are selected to implement household FoodCyclers to rapidly turn food waste into compost. The project is projected to begin in September.

While most people have noticed and discussed the increasing amounts of traffic on Highway 16, and have previously applied to the province to have the speed limit reduced along a stretch of the road, the Citizens on Patrol program have conducted a few informal counts of the actual number of vehicles travelling through over a two-hour period at various times of the day. CAO Synchyshyn also reports that they have had a recent conversation with the Minister of Transportation about the same issue, and while nothing has been promised she felt the conversation was productive and the town’s concerns are being taken seriously.

Also covered were a pair of zoning bylaws, a grant to the Co-op through the Storefront Improvement Program, and an update on the RCMP retroactive pay situation.