Here are some of the items that were discussed at the Tuesday night, Nov. 14, council meeting in North Battleford.
Reduced hours are coming to City Hall. Council had gone along with an administration recommendation to reduce the hours City Hall is open to 9 a.m. to 4:30 pm on a three-month trial basis.
The decision means City Hall will no longer be open during the 8 a.m.- 9 a.m. hour. However, city manager Jim Puffalt told council there are plans for City Hall to be open from 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 28 and 29 when City Hall is normally busy.
The decision is partly a response to the province’s budget cuts in the spring that forced the city to operate with less staff as part of cost-saving. The thinking is this move to reduce the hours will help reduce the current demands on the staff and increase the overall productivity.
However, this change is being introduced only on a trial basis at the moment. As well, phone calls between 8 and 9 a.m. will continue to be answered by central reception.
The new hours are due to come in Nov. 27 and the plan is to report to council again in January on the impacts seen by the change.
In related news, City Hall finance and legislative services staff will be getting a one dollar-per hour rate increase for these positions: cashier, tax and assessment clerk, utilities clerk, three receptionists, and the accounts payable clerk. The new rate is effective May 17, 2017.
The city had already been operating at reduced staffing in this department, with one position eliminated due to the budget cuts this spring. Puffalt stated that after all these changes the city is still saving $52,000 a year. Council approved the rate increase unanimously.
In new business, a discretionary land use application has been approved to establish a Type 1 personal care home at 1031-113th Street.
No community opposition had been expressed to the proposal and it carried unanimously. Councillor Kent Lindgren “strongly approved” the application, saying “it’s not just a business opportunity but a much-needed health service.”
As well, council approved an application from Terracap for a subdivision of two sections of their existing property at the Frontier Centre location. One is a pad site beside the new hotel and the other section is near the gas bar in the front of the mall.
The subdivision would accommodate future development at the location, although there are no immediate plans for development. No community opposition was expressed to the Terracap subdivision proposal and it carried unanimously.
Council has gone along with a city administration recommendation against providing a discount on sewer costs in relation to water usage, for those who are watering their lawns during the summer.
City manager Jim Puffalt explained that it would be difficult to “give people who are actually watering grass a discount” compared to the rest of the people that aren’t. A summer discount would also include property owners who didn’t water the grass, he noted.
Loraas Environmental Services has once again been awarded the contract for waste collection and recycling services for municipal buildings and facilities in the city.
Two companies had put forward proposals for the contract and the incumbent Loraas was awarded the contract with an annual cost projected at $20,523.80 plus taxes.
In proclamations, Nov. 20 is National Child Day, and November is Adoption Awareness Month in North Battleford.
The next council meeting is Nov. 27.
