The second meeting of the new Battleford Town Council was the first one with all the councillors in attendance, with David George returning from a trip.
George was sworn in at the meeting by town administrator Sheryl Ballendine, but otherwise, the meeting was routine.
Several meetings ago, the town purchased the curling rink from what was then the Battleford Curling Club, and the new council deferred a decision about the building to the parks and recreation board as one of its first actions as a new council. The board, which counts councillors Ames Leslie and Shelley Boutin-Gervais among its members, decided that "an ad should be placed in the local newspaper offering recreational possibilities to groups requesting proposals for use at the Battleford Curling Rink."
The town had previously been approached by the Battle River Archers, who were interested in using the facility. After the council meeting, Mayor Derek Mahon stressed that they were still interested in renting the facility to BRA, but the ad was to "maximize use" of the facility.
The meeting also saw the council's appointments to committees formalized. For the remainder of 2012, councillors Boutin-Gervais, Leslie and Doug Laing will sit on the administrative services standing committee, which Councillor McLean Tady will chair. Councillors Gordon Yarde, McLean Tady and Laing will sit on the municipal services standing committee, which George will chair.
Yarde will serve on the fire protection services and EMO and on the Communities in Bloom special committees, and Laing will sit on the historic opera house/gallery steering committee. All three are one-year appointments.
Yarde will also serving on the Lakeland local library board, Boutin-Gervais will serve on the Fred Light Museum board and Leslie will serve on the parks and recreation board as council representatives. Boutin-Gervais will remain a member and recreation board.
The town also decided who will serve as the town representative for local organizations. George will be the rep for Access Communications and the Battlefords Handi Bus/Transit System, Mahon will sit on the Battlefords Area EMO committee, the Battlefords River Valley Committee and the BATC Community Development Corporation. Yarde will be the council rep at the Battle River Settlement Foundation, Inc. and for the Lakeland Regional Library. Leslie will represent the town at the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce and the Table Mountain Regional Park, as McLean Tady will on the Battlefords Justice Committee and the Greater Battleford Marketing Alliance.
Laing will sit on the Battlefords River Valley Committee and Concern for Youth boards, and Shelley Boutin-Gervais will be on the BATC Community Development Corporation board.
