The town council of Outlook met for its regularly-scheduled meeting on Wednesday night, March 28. Present were all councillors; Donna Smith, Kyle McLeod, Maureen Applin, Floyd Childerhose, and David Simonson, as well as Mayor Ross Derdall, Administrator Dean Pickering, Assistant Administrator Laurie Lemon, and Superintendent of Municipal Operations Randy Antoniuk. Absent was Recreation Director Jordy Jones.
A number of topics and items were discussed, including the following highlights:
- A delegate was present for the meeting, as Bobbie Wagner spoke to council about an upcoming event at the Jim Kook Rec Plex known as Farm Safety Days, which takes place on June 1. Wagner asked if the town would be involved in one of the stations that will be set up as part of the event, and Antoniuk said he would help to contribute to it.
- Council took a moment to celebrate Mayor Derdall’s birthday by singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him, followed by cupcakes that were brought in by Councillor Smith.
- A debit machine has been ordered for the town office and should be here within a week or two.
- Pickering met with the local bylaw enforcement officer and stressed a need to hand out more tickets instead of repeated warnings.
- The town is still looking for a suitable animal control solution, and they expect to keep looking for other options. In the meantime, social media has become a tool in the last few days to advertise stray animals that have been taken in.
- The town is expected to get plans off the ground towards a strategic community plan later this spring.
- With a number of houses in Outlook that have been seemingly abandoned, Pickering is looking at possibly starting a derelict demolition program that would see these homes demolished if the owners chose not to do anything with them. The lots that the houses sit on still have potential as valuable spots for new real estate in the future.
- Superintendent Antoniuk believes that an educational blitz to the public may be needed to tell people what’s acceptable to be dropped off at the town landfill.
- Tenders have gone out as it relates to a new furnace system for the Civic Centre, and the project is expected to have a 14-week implementation timeline.
- A motion was passed to increase some rates at the Rec Plex for skating.
- Keeping on that topic, a general discussion was had on rates at the Rec Plex, which led to chatter about how to keep maximizing the use of the facility year-round since the town pays for all operations.
- Councillor Simonson moved for items on the meeting agendas to be finalized and locked in at least one full day before future meetings.
- A motion was carried to give all councillors signing authority for cheques and any other important documents, should any such signature be required.
- A town newsletter will be going out with the next water bills.
- A loose discussion was had on traffic in town, particularly the speeding going on down Conquest Avenue, as well as people reportedly backing out of the post office and proceeding to go north.
- A motion was made to upgrade the SaskTel modem in the town office, as all of them were testing slow.
- Exemplary service medals have been received that will be given to the Outlook Fire Department for all of their hard work. After some talk about holding an award banquet for the department that would also help serve as a fundraiser for the new fire hall, council decided to begin planning such an event that is tentatively scheduled to take place on Friday, June 15.
- During an in-camera discussion, council drafted the town’s 2018 operating budget.
