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Clarification to come at public meeting

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Maple Creek

The town will be holding a public meeting to update residents on the status of public funding and infrastructure.

The meeting, which will take place on April 28 at the Armoury at 7 p.m., was announced at the regular council meeting on April 8.

Items on the agenda will be the current budget, financial statements, water, sewer, and waste rates.  Administrator Michele Schmidt noted the meeting will be to educate the public. They will be reviewing the reason council decided to raise water rates and issues like the landfill tipping fee.

“The new garbage truck and bins, I would really like to get the general public aware that there is going to be a process,” said Schmidt. The town will likely also be touching on their long-term borrowing and up-and-coming projects.

Councillor Barry Elderkin raised the issue of the role council members have at the meeting, and who will make presentations. He noted there should be an agenda and a moderator to keep the meeting on track. He also asked for the issue of the long-term care facility be included.

“There are going to be some opening remarks touching on success stories,” said Councillor Tina Cresswell, and also information on recycling in town.

Council voted to sell the old street sweeper to Central City Asphalt for $50,000. The street sweeper originally cost the municipality slightly under $53,000 to purchase.

A copy of the 2014 draft financial statement was reviewed during the meeting. The administrator noted that the town has paid $277,699 for the health care facility to date.

Under committee reports Councillor Ellaine Hawrylak attended a Chamber of Commerce meeting and said,”It was a very positive meeting. They are getting lots of feedback. The only question that they needed answered from the town was our boundaries and the boundaries of the RM.”

She noted the organization is receiving a lot of interest from local farmers and ranchers. The Chamber of Commerce is also developing its own website.

Hawrylak also attended a Heritage Advisory Committee meeting which detailed four new property additions to the Main Street Demonstration Program.

“We’ve got our fingers crossed  that they will all step up to the plate and we will know by the next meeting,” she said.  She also attended a South West Public Safety Region meeting with Mayor Barry Rudd in Gull Lake.

“It seemed to be that they had a lot more interest there than they had at Swift Current,” she said. “It seemed like it’s actually going to start moving.”

Elderkin reported on a cemetery improvement committee meeting on March 26. Individuals need to register all interments at the town office.

“It’s mainly for the cremation remains, but people have apparently in the past not registered, just gone in and placed the ashes at the bottom of someone’s grave,” he said.

He added that the South West Saskatchewan Oldtimers Association and the Heritage Advisory Committee wish to partner and hire a student for part of the summer to help identify graves that need to be improved and to help contact families. He also noted that Communities in Bloom would like to plant trees or other foliage at the cemetery gates.

Councillor Michelle McKenzie reported on the arena board meeting on April 1. The arena’s budget was presented at the meeting.

“It was not too bad of a year,” said McKenzie. “Of course everybody is happy that there is going to be a Cyclones team this year.”

The arena will be opening  on Sept. 10, but the board was not able to agree on a closing date as it will have to factor in whether or not local hockey teams advance to playoffs. The arena board will hold its annual general meeting on Sept. 7.

The town received two tenders for annual weed spraying during the meeting.

The first was from Koncrete Construction and the second from Carsons. The mayor noted last year it cost the town about $6,500 for weed spraying.

“He did a good job,” said Rudd.  The town voted to continue using the services of Carsons.

There was a public meeting held earlier in the evening at 6:30 p.m. It was in regards to an amendment to the zoning bylaw 2014 MC02 and the lot on Pacific Avenue  where the old car wash is located. The bylaw received its first reading during the public meeting and a second and third motion at the regular council meeting which followed.

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