Several professional organizations were hired for 2017 by town council during its regular meeting of January 16.
Council hired the firm of Collins Barrow as its auditor; Meridan Inspections of Warman as the building inspector, and TaXervices for tax enforcement. It was agreed to hire an appropriate firm as a solicitor as required for each situation and an engineering firm as required for each initiative.
A conceptual design for the re-design of the town office was approved.
A request was made of the Ministry of the Environment to renew permits to allow the shooting of pests and predator animals within town limits for Joe Kozakewich, Rick Aikman and Walter Lesiuk.
A new three-year lease was offered to Debbie Mandzuk of Chautauqua Gardens for the lot at the corner of First Street and Fourth Avenue for $575, the same rate as last year, and a three-year lease to Country Service for six lots at the corner of Saulteaux Avenue and Saskatchewan Drive for $1,500 a year, reflecting an increase of $300 a year. Council said it would waive the increase if a privacy fence would be constructed along the front of the property on Queen Elizabeth Boulevard.
Council offered a new five-year lease to SaskTel for 1.5 lots located adjacent to the Town Office for $2,500 a year.
It was agreed to call for bids for the maintenance at the cemetery for 2017 and 2018.
Tax concessions of 50 per cent of municipal taxes in 2017 and 25 per cent of municipal taxes in 2016 were approved for the Flower Mill and Home Décor Store.
Council decided to engage an engineering firm to complete the second phase environmental inspection on the former Arrow Diner property.
It was agreed to establish an account with Plastiq Services which would allow residents to make utility and tax payments on credit cards using home computers and Internet connections.
Kerry Horkoff received permission to remove snow from sidewalks on Hudson Bay Avenue from Saskatchewan Street to Park Street providing snow is not pushed onto private property without the property owners’ consent and snow on private property is not pushed onto town property.
Council ratified a decision to relocate the contents of the history room in Crowstand Centre into the library.
Council chose not to renew membership in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Hudson Bay Route Association, but purchased a membership in the North East Transportation Planning Committee and named Tracy Klapatiuk and the town foreman to represent Kamsack on the committee.
A bylaw to allow council to enter into an agreement with Affinity Credit Union for the provision of banking services was introduced, given three readings and carried.
Bylaws were introduced, given three readings and adopted to allow council to enter into agreements to provide firefighting services for the RM of Sliding Hills, The RM of Cote, the Village of Togo and Cote First Nation.
Aya Dolman was hired as a temporary administration clerk to replace Alison Stefiuk who had begun a 12 month maternity leave on January 4.
Council reviewed the eight resolutions that are to be debated and voted on during the SUMA (Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association) convention in Saskatoon February 5 to 8 and agreed its representatives would vote yes on the resolutions regarding post-flood cleanup, national disaster mitigation and water quality assurance. It was agreed to give a negative vote to the resolutions regarding adding fines to the tax roll and adding building permits to the tax roll, and it was agreed that more information would be needed before voting on the resolutions dealing with water storage requirements, the PST exemption for firefighting equipment and for staggered municipal elections.
