Neepawa doles out the dollars: Town Council - Tuesday, Mar. 14, 2017
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, March 21, 2017
By Eoin Devereux
The Neepawa Press/Neepawa Banner
Preliminary information on Neepawa’s new budget was discussed by council on Tuesday, Mar. 14. Mayor Adrian de Groot noted that those deliberations are on schedule. He added that public feedback through surveys and other input, as well as suggestions from town administration, have been very helpful in the process to this point. De Groot also announced the recipients of the town’s annual grants. These grants were unveiled this early in the process in order to allow the organizations time to do any budget planning required. The recipients were:
Beautiful Plains Archives - $1,500
Beautiful Plains Doctor Recruitment - $2,500
Beautiful Plains Horticultural Society - $1,000
Citizens on Patrol (COPP) - $1,500
Home Assistance: Neepawa and District - $1,995.95
Neepawa in Bloom - $1,000
NACTV - $4,500
Neepawa Baseball and Softball Association - $4,000
ArtsForward - $6,500
Yellowhead Centre - $85,000
The total amount of grant money that could be distributed in 2017 equals $109,495.95. The finalized town budget should be ready for approval in April.
Youth engagement leadership program: The Town of Neepawa has been approached to be a sponsoring partner in a Manitoba Job Youth Centre program. The request would see the town provide office space and internet access for a Youth Engagement Leader. A computer and cell phone are provided by the program. The position, who’s salary would be paid by the province, acts as a job referral service connecting local employers with students looking for summer employment. The Leader also organizes the Odd Job Squad, a program for youth between ages 12-16. The sponsoring partner (Neepawa) has the option of leading the hiring process for the position or allowing the province to do the hiring. A consensus was reached around the council table to partner with the program for 2017.
Whitemud Watershed expansion: The Town of Carberry has requested membership in the Whitemud Watershed Conservation District (WWCD). Before that request can be approved, however, all current members must pass a resolution approving the proposal. Council brought forward and passed a resolution stating support for Carberry’s request. The Whitemud District was created in 1972, as a means of managing the district’s land and water resources. It includes all or part of the municipalities of Rosedale, Minto-Odanah, North Cypress-Langford, WestLake-Gladstone, Glenella-Lansdowne, Portage la Prairie, North Norfolk, Alonsa, McCreary and Clanwilliam-Erickson. Also included are the communities of Neepawa, Glenella, Plumas, Gladstone, Austin, MacGregor and others.
Well site repairs: On Monday, Mar. 6, a winter storm caused a power surge, which in turn, damaged the Oberon Well Site. That forced a request to Neepawa residents to limit their water usage while the site is repaired. The reason for the request is because Oberon is the higher capacity well site. All the demand has now been placed upon the Hummerston site, until the repairs are completed. It’s expected that temporary repairs will be completed within the week and the full replacement of parts could take up to six weeks. Administration noted that this damage has not impacted the water quality in any way.
Misc: A draft of the reserve fund by-law was recently discussed by the finance committee. The suggestion has been made to decrease the number of reserves from 19 to 10, in order to make it simpler to plan for medium and long term goals. A land sales policy has been drafted. It would help in the determination of the value of municipal land. The detailed evaluation tool could compare the attributes of the land to determine the sale price. It will ensure a fair and equitable sale of land policy for both the purchaser and seller. Council reviewed the policy and could approve it at their next regular meeting.
