KAMSACK — While reflecting on the annual SUMA convention, members of Kamsack town council at their regular meeting of April 22 discussed several items in preparation for the summer season.
“SUMA was very interesting,” Mayor Beth Dix said on April 23, referring to the annual convention of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA), which was held in Saskatoon April 13 to 16.
This, having been the first SUMA convention she had attended, Dix said that she had “learned a lot,” but was a bit disappointed in that she had assumed the event would have had more educational opportunities and workshops than it did.
Dix attended the convention along with councillors Robyn Tataryn and Onastasia Eliuk and Barry Hvidston, the administrator, and Dana Grieve, assistant administrator, while Kelsey Rauckman, the manager of public works, and Karl Morck, the water treatment manager, attended the trade show.
The main reasons to attend SUMA are for the educational opportunities and the networking, while much of the rest is fluff, Hvidston said, explaining that this year, the convention was changed into a theatre format whereas previously, delegates sat around tables and found it easy to move among the tables to engage with other delegates.
“I found that change to be lacking,” he said.
“We expected we’d be able to talk with representatives of other communities, but the setup with us all seated in a theatre, didn’t allow for that,” Dix said. “But I still learned a lot, enough to encourage me to want to return next year.”
Discussing protective services with Michael Thom, the bylaw enforcement officer, council learned that contrary to the municipal bylaws, dogs are still running freely and are not on leashes.
This is still a problem, Dix added.
Closure of the Broda Sportsplex for the season at the end of March has allowed for a couple of projects to be completed, Hvidston said. Heaters are being installed on the curling rink side, which will make it more comfortable in the viewing area. Improvements to the radiant heating system above the bleachers on the skating rink side involve the addition of switches which automatically turn the heat off after a certain period, rather than having them switched on until a worker turns them off.
During the winter, staff had turned the heaters off and on much like the automatic system now does, and it showed that the system could result in a cost saving of about $2,000 a month.
Council authorized Kathy Galye to rent the mezzanine area of the Sportsplex on Wednesdays for her fitness program, Dix said.
The annual community spring cleanup is being held for about three weeks beginning on April 28, Hvidston said. This is the period when residents may leave branches and garden debris in piles in the back lanes, and it will be picked up.
That does not include such things as regular garbage, old sofas and broken refrigerators, Dix added.
On May 10, the Kamsack Landfill goes back to its summer hours, which include being open on Saturdays in addition to Tuesdays and Fridays.
Tickets to the dump can be purchased at the town office, Dix said.
When council was asked by two residents to extend their rights to use town-owned properties, council agreed to renew their contracts for another year, but decided to look at the policy to determine if any revisions might be needed.
Sometimes, property owners ask to make use of adjacent properties as extra garden or for parking, Hvidston explained.
Last month, a list of 54 properties were advertised as being in jeopardy for tax enforcement, so if no action is taken, enforcement may begin in June, he said. Currently, 12 properties are at a stage where the town can apply to assume ownership, but because owners of seven of those properties have made arrangements for payment of back taxes, five may still become property of the town.
Council received a first draft of a proposed new logo for the community, and members have asked for some revisions before accepting the final design.
Another budget meeting was set for April 24, and Hvidston said that after council approves its budget and sets its mill rate, a comprehensive description of it will be released.
