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Rural Council Clips - Mar. 31

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Published on Thursday, March 31, 2016

Council Clips:

RM of Oakview, Feb. 23: Reeve Brent Fortune reported on the Midwest Planning District meeting he attended and the responsibility of municipalities to enforce the Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ Fire Code through the Fires Prevention and Emergency Response Act. Council will request the district to supply this service and, if approved, Wayne Poppel will be considered the designated local assistant.

Fortune also reported on the Shoal Lake Vet Board meeting; a minimal fee for users of the facility was discussed. Information received regarding interest in expanding  gasification in Ward 3 was discussed. Of the six tenders received for gravel hauling, Council accepted that of Clint Moffat & Sons Ltd. to load, haul and spread gravel in Wards 1 and 2, completed by July 31 provided gravel is available; Gill Farms Ltd. will load, haul and spread in Ward 3, completed by July 31 provided gravel is available. Council also accepted the Gill Farms tender to load, haul, and stockpile gravel from McIntyre Pit to a road allowance in Ward 3, with work to be done by Dec.15 provided that gravel has been crushed in the pit before then. Of the four tenders received council accepted that of Clint Moffat & Sons Ltd. to crush approximately 40,000 yards of traffic gravel. Three grader tenders were received and reviewed; a meeting will be held to discuss the tenders with respective salesmen. A Cat grader is available for a demo, with a signed agreement; council signed it and agreed to put the loaner on our insurance policy for the duration of the demonstration period. Of the two applications received, council hired Vic Blandford as the part-time Rapid City landfill employee with a three month probation period. Membership with Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ Municipal Administrator’s Association was renewed. CAO and assistants were authorized to attend the Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ Municipal Administrator’s convention in Winnipeg April 24-27 with registration fees and related expenses being paid; the offices in Oak River and Rapid City will be closed if all staff attend. Fortune and CAO Diane Kuculym were authorized to attend a Reeves and CAO’s meeting in Brandon on April 12. Council and office staff were authorized to attend a Municipal Officials Seminar in Brandon on April 13 and 14; council authorized public works supervisor/employees to attend a trade show, in conjunction with the seminar, weather permitting. Councillors Walt Froese and Kaye Wolstenholme were authorized to attend a weed control seminar  in Carberry on March 16, with registration fees being paid. LUD of Rapid City reported on development of lots, changes requested to the dog bylaw and an inquiry from the Rapid City School regarding bush by the school. Rapid City public works employee Dennis Sinclair was enrolled in the Water and Wastewater Courses with registration fee and related expenses being paid. Council will write a letter of support for Shoal Lake Flying Club’s efforts to have the Snowbirds headline their two day 25th anniversary celebration in 2017.  A 1976 Dodge Ram truck which is no longer used in Rapid City will be advertised for sale. A funding agreement between Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ Water Services Board and Oakview to complete upgrades to Rapid City’s water plant and complete a distribution system will be reviewed. A proposal to subdivide part of N 20-13-19W (Rapid City Museum) has been circulated to various government departments and agencies; comments from them have been reviewed; the application was approved without conditions. Accounts of $101,167.25 and unpaid invoices of $38,039.46 were passed for payment.

RM of Oakview, Mar 1: The meeting was called to review grader tenders and other business at hand. Financing, trade-in of existing machines, leasing, warranty, fuel consumption, resale value, etc. were discussed with reps for Volvo, John Deere  and Cat. Public works supervisor Mel Alex met with council after the delegates left; his department has tried all three in the past month; highlights of each were discussed as were snow plowing techniques. Additional information received from Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ Water Services Board regarding Rapid City’s utility was reviewed with council.  Work is to be discussed and options available to finance the project are to be  investigated. The effects of reassessment on farm land were brought to the attention of council. 

Riverdale Municipality, Mar 1: Donna Morken attended the meeting to discuss Rivers-Daly Community Development Corporation (CDC) and provide an update on projects. Locations for the Renn car/RV park/labyrinth were discussed.  The CDC’s request for an economic development officer is that the position will be a return on investment to the community. CDC treasurer duties will be moved to municipal staff. Renovations continue at the municipal office. The Oak River is being closely monitored for potential issues, in particular near bridges. Rural public works is currently dealing with some trouble spots due to water on roads from springs running. Randy King is working continuously on trying to locate and repair leaks in the rural water line.  A meeting was held with stakeholders of the rural water line to discuss the line leak and the 2014 and 2015 deficits. Mayor Todd Gill was authorized to attend the Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ Good Roads banquet on April 12 with related expenses being paid. Public works supervisor Craige Madden was authorized to attend a water retention workshop April 5 and 6 in Brandon at a cost of $100, with related expenses being paid. Rivers police Chief Bruce Klassen has requested an additional week (40 hours) of annual leave per year; the request of unpaid leave for the duration of his employment was granted. The municipality has requested to subdivide part of N 24-12-21 W; Community Planning recommends that in consideration of the objection from the Mines Branch, council does not approve the application; council did not approve the proposal.

RM of Oakview, Mar 8: A new pump was installed at the Oak River lift station and a pump cleaned at Rapid City’s station. Some maintenance work has been done at Rapid City’s water treatment plant. Councillor Gavin Reynolds reported on the information he received from the building inspector and insurance adjuster regarding Rapid City Rink. Its condition and options regarding upgrades were discussed; grants that may be available to upgrade the existing barn part of the rink are to be looked into. A joint lagoon project started with Little Saskatchewan and Upper Assiniboine conservation districts which looks at alternate uses for sewage lagoon effluent was discussed. Tests have been done at Oak River’s lagoon which may be used as a pilot project. A proposed spray plan for Oakview and areas requiring brush control were discussed with Rene Heijmans, Midwest Weed Board supervisor. Spraying areas that have previously been mechanically brushed are to be placed in the plan for 2016. Costs for warranty on graders and the cost for new wings were discussed; CAO Diane Kuculym was authorized to discuss warranty and wing costs with Toromont. A 1996 Dodge Ram 2500 formally used in the town of Rapid City will be offered for sale. Transaction of a sale to Kelso Trucking is complete. A back-up generator for Oak River lift station was discussed. Property standard concerns in Rapid City were brought to the attention of council; options available to council were discussed. Because cell service is so poor in certain areas, council agreed to buy a hand-held two-way radio for Rapid City’s town foreman, Dennis Sinclair. He was also registered in COR training courses in Brandon with related expenses being paid. Data Link is still completing civic addressing for Mid-West Planning District. New cutting edges will be bought from Ag Con Equipment for Rapid City’s backhoe. 

Finances: Rapid City Agricultural Society was granted $1,000. Rapid City Library will be paid $22,818.58 in 2016 with half paid now, the remainder paid in September. Midwest Recreation District was paid its levy of $13,837.73. Mid-West Arts Council was granted $500. Oak River Community Association received a $50 donation for its two-man stick bonspiel March 11-13. A proposal to subdivide part of N 20-13-19W (museum subdivision) in Rapid City has been conditionally approved; council agreed to pay the $600 fee and contract Prairie Benchmark to complete a plan for the district registrar. Accounts of $81,332.19 and unpaid invoices of $16,914.98 were passed for payment.

LUD of Oak River, Mar 10: Minutes of the last meeting, being Dec. 2, were adopted. Public Utilities Board has completed reviewing the water rate bylaw; increases were approved for Jan. 1 and again on April 1. Student employment grants have been applied for but no confirmation has been received to date. Projects to be budgeted for in 2016 were discussed: additional paving, crack-filling, civic addressing and purchasing a new mower. Flowers will be bought from the Oak River Colony Greenhouse for the flower tree and all planters in the village. A quote for crack-filling will be obtained. Steps that need to be taken regarding property standards were discussed. Ratepayers will be reminded to pick up after their dogs and to not let them run at large. The next meeting will be at the call of the chair.

RM of Oakview, March 15: Municipal road and bridge program payments were received. Capital purchases, road reconstruction, brush cutting, property standards, reserve fund appropriations and a paving project in Oak River were discussed when determining the 2016 budget; a draft financial plan is to be completed. Council renewed their membership with Tourism Westman at a cost of $100. The Municipal Insurance Program provided $42,544.29 for fire insurance for Rapid City.

Riverdale Municipality, Mar 15: Five people attended the meeting on behalf of the 11 stakeholders in the rural water line. They responded to the financial stability of the waterline for 2015 and the direction they would like Riverdale to take in applying for deficit recovery. Clarification was requested on repair expenses and amortization. A liaison between Riverdale and stakeholder rep Christa Veitch was discussed. Council will utilize the assistance provided by Brandon Community Planning Service Office on preparing a road closure bylaw for Sioux Lane at Chimo Resort. A bylaw to establish a rate for street lighting in Bradwardine and Wheatland passed third reading. A bylaw to establish a rate for garbage collection in Wheatland, Chimo Beach and along Hwy. 25 east of Rivers to Daly Beach Road passed third reading. Councillor Larry Fast reported on Springhill well, the garbage there, that the yard lamp is out and that the timer/switch should be looked at.

Finances: Accounts of $200,296.31 and utility of $25,469.87 were passed for payment. Council requests the Office of the Fire Commissioner to issue permits within the municipality; therefore $3 per capita will be paid them for 2016. Council accepted the tender of Rock Country Gravel to crush approximately 25,000 yards at a cost $3.38 per cubic yard, by May 31. Council accepted the tender of  Gill Farms Ltd. to haul and spread gravel at a cost 79 cents per cubic yard loading and 35 cents per yard hauling, with a deadline of July 31.

RM of Oakview, Mar 22: Hours of operation for the landfill in Rapid City and Oak River’s transfer site were discussed.  A waste/recycling committee meeting is to be held to discuss recycling options in Oakview. Ideas for promoting the lots in the Oak River’s subdivision were discussed. Councillor Kaye Wolstenholme reported on a Primary Health Care meeting he attended in Minnedosa. Councillors Neil Wilson and Ken Hyndman updated council regarding ideas for improving Rapid City beach. Abe, Ron and Robert Krahn discussed gravel/rock purchases in their pit. The amount available, cost of production and waste material were also discussed. A draft agreement between Providence Farms and Oakview will be  presented to the Krahns for review. An update from Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ Hydro to supply natural gas to customers in the southern portion of the RM, and a second section to supply it to a customer north of the municipality, are being designed. The 2016 financial plan and costs for the purchase of new graders were discussed; more information is to be obtained from Toromont Cat. A back-up generator is requested for Oak River’s lift station; council requested Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ Water Services Board to complete technical and financial assistance to upgrade the station. Reeve Brent Fortune inspected lots in Basswood; removing some brush was discussed and more information is to be obtained. A building bylaw passed first reading. A  bylaw to authorize the expenditure and borrowing of money for upgrades to Rapid City’s water treatment plant, complete a water distribution study and install shut-off valves passed first reading. Hamiota Kids Club requested a six- to eight-foot culvert for playground improvements; more information will be obtained. Rapid City & District Chamber of Commerce informed council of the candidate night they are hosting on April 5 at 7 p.m. An inquiry regarding cemetery spraying in the municipality was discussed; costs for same are to be obtained.

Finances: Minnedosa and District Services to Seniors and Rivers/Rapid City Senior Services Inc. were each given $100. Thunder and Ice Snowmobile Club and Valleyview Sno-Riders were each given $250 to help manage snowmobile trails in Oakview. Oak River Dodgers were the 2015 Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ Senior Baseball League champions and will represent Ë®¹ûÊÓƵ at Baseball Canada’s senior AAA nationals in Fredericton, N.B. in August; $750 was granted them for travel expenses. Minnedosa and District Recreation Commission was granted $1,000. Mid-West Planning District was paid half its levy, being $16,639.30; the balance will be paid in June. A transfer of $12,500 from Rapid City gas tax reserve to Rapid City utility, as per the 2015 financial plan, was completed. Council requested approval for the deficit in the Rapid City utility for 2015 in the amount of $56,411.94 plus amortization and request that the deficit be recovered by the transfer of accumulated surplus. Rapid City and Area Lions Club was granted $750 to host Canada Day celebrations which will include a breakfast and supper, golfing, kids’ activities, bingo, entertainment and fireworks. Accounts of $63,926.11 and unpaid invoices of $59,167.34 were passed for payment.