In a regular year the Municipalities of Saskatchewan convention is a big in-person event hosted in Regina or Saskatoon. With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it was virtual this year.
Esterhazy Mayor Grant Forster, Acting Administrator Mike Thorley, and Planning and Economic Development Director Tammy MacDonald attended the three and a half day virtual event with councillors popping in when they had the time.
鈥淚t was about three and a half days and it was a good experience,鈥� said Thorley. 鈥淭here were some excellent keynote speakers that gave us insights on what we need to do going forward as small communities. It was different because it was virtual so you miss out on the camaraderie and running into other people from different communities, but it was good. Normally the split it between Regina and Saskatoon鈥攖his year it was supposed to be in Saskatoon鈥攁nd because of Covid they made the decision to go totally virtual. It 95 per cent worked because we were sitting in our offices or at home to watch it and you still saw the presenters and you got to do everything that was necessary. They even had the trade show booths, and you could talk to them directly. The best part about it was that we didn鈥檛 have to travel in -30 weather to Saskatoon! It saves money too, we鈥檙e finding with Covid we鈥檙e saving money because everything is remote鈥攚e鈥檝e probably saved ourselves anywhere from $8,000 to $10,000 by not attending the convention, that money goes a long way in a municipal government.鈥�
Forster mentioned in one of his sessions with Minister Don McMorris鈥攖he minister of government relations鈥攖hat there was confirmation that the Municipal Economic Enhancement Program (MEEP) will not be continuing in 2021.
鈥淪omeone asked Minister McMorris if MEEP would continue and he flat-out said no,鈥� said Forster.
MEEP provided municipalities across the province funding in 2020 to support investments in infrastructure to stimulate economic recovery and encourage local job creation.
Sale of industrial land
The council passed a motion for the sale of seven acres of industrial land to Esterhazy鈥檚 Commercial Sandblasting & Painting for $14,000.
鈥淲e subdivided an area of land per a request from 2015,鈥� said Acting Administrator Mike Thorley. 鈥淭his piece of land was asked to be purchased in November 2015, and the inquiry came back in 2018.聽
鈥淲e had to go through the process with the industrial land to re-zone it and after it鈥檚 all said and done, we鈥檝e re-zoned it and done all this work to it鈥攚e had to do some work on it through environment because it鈥檚 close to a lagoon and we weren鈥檛 sure if they could use it.聽
鈥淪o we had to do some work for it and so it鈥檚 only seven acres of land and they offered $14,000 for it. They can鈥檛 build on the piece of land because it鈥檚 contaminated land, so they can only use it to lay down materials.鈥�
James Street parking
In recent weeks there have been concerns from a resident about parking on the bay of James Street. After looking into it, the council shares the same concerns with parking on both sides of the street creating little room for vehicles to drive through.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to review and I鈥檒l present to council at the next meeting an updated by-law for James Bay,鈥� said Acting Administrator Mike Thorley. 鈥淧eople are parking on both sides and it鈥檚 not safe and not leaving accessibility for vehicles to go through easily. It鈥檚 in an area that鈥檚 close to our home care and there鈥檚 some problems with it. We were asked by a resident to look at it so I will present the by-law to the council at the next meeting so we can update it with no parking in that area.鈥�
The biggest problem with the limited space on James Street is if there were an emergency and the street was congested with parking, it鈥檚 likely an ambulance or fire truck wouldn鈥檛 fit through.聽
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the scary part about it,鈥� said Thorley. 鈥淲hen I went over there the other day to get some pictures鈥攖here were three or fours parked there鈥攁nd if there was a need for an ambulance or there were a fire, they wouldn鈥檛 be able to go through there. It鈥檚 a tiny little bay that was put together 10 or 12 years ago and they never took into consideration the space required there.鈥�
Landfill pole shed door tender
The council passed a motion to accept a tender from Vince Pisak for $3,296 to have a door put on the newly built pole shed at the landfill. Pisak was the contractor who built the pole shed at the landfill earlier this year.
The pole shed was an idea brought to council by Councillor Vern Petracek to help keep the compactor at the landfill in good condition through the winter.
Cleanfarms program
With the council hoping to become part of the Cleanfarms program鈥攁 program focused on the collection and recycling of grain bags from farmers鈥攖hey鈥檙e looking into bidding on equipment. Councillor Vern Petracek says the option to bid on the needed equipment rather than buying new equipment would save the town money.聽
鈥淲e actually applied to be a Cleanfarms area representative because the Esterhazy area doesn鈥檛 have one,鈥� said Acting Administrator Mike Thorley. 鈥淲e want to be a part of the Cleanfarms group at our local landfill so we can take the grain bags from the farming area. We should hear from them in the next couple days if we鈥檝e been accepted.聽
鈥淚n turn, we need specific equipment to roll up the grain bags and it basically puts them into big spools to be taken away to be recycled. We鈥檙e looking at bidding on that and if we get it we鈥檒l finalize if we鈥檙e going to be a representative for the area.鈥�
