Council Debrief: Digging Around

Several of the items before Council this week were either follow-ups to previous issues or routine business, including a report that the finance committee has had preliminary budget discussions and expects to have a first reading of the budget before Council soon so that public discussion can take place. Budget discussions are expected to be a significant part of Council meetings this spring.

One significant item that returns for discussion this week is the new bylaw regarding land grading and drainage. Several more hypothetical situations were posed by Council to test the parameters of the guidelines before the bylaw went forward for its second and third readings and was passed.

Snow continues to pile up around town, particularly at corners along roads that are the responsibility of the provincial government. In the interest of public safety, town staff may reduce those snow accumulations on their own rather than waiting for the Province to tackle them.

CAO Colleen Synchyshyn discusses the annual report to the Manitoba Water Services Board which outlines five development priorities in the Neepawa area. Many of these have come up at previous meetings related either to developments or to the recent expansion of our water and wastewater system.

A new item on the agenda this week was asset management. This is a requirement for municipalities across Canada so that they more closely model the business world in terms of tracking the life cycle of assets, and has been a huge undertaking for town staff in all areas. It is an exhaustive list including everything down to the pipes in the ground. The plan, which Council has decided to put into a bylaw, is a work in progress and we can expect many additions and changes to it over the next number of years.

Other items included miscellaneous correspondence, a potential new business opportunity, the forthcoming installation of streetlights throughout the former CN property commercial area, and a congratulations to Neepawa Titans Manager Ken Pearson on coaching his 1000th game in the MJHL.