The election of four new councillors, the first use of an infrastructure fund, and progress in building a new health facility were among the highlights of 2016 for Melfort’s mayor.
Rick Lang was re-elected as mayor in the Oct. 27 election. New on this council are Tim Hoenmans, Trent Mitchell, Darryl Benson and Doug Terry – who had 15 years previous council experience but didn’t get elected last term. The mayor said the new councillors were enthusiastic about their jobs.
“They certainly want to make their mark as far as making a difference in Melfort, so that’s a good thing,” he said.
April Phillips and Glenn George were re-elected from the last term.
“I think we have the makings of a good council. It’s just a case of the new councillors getting up to speed – and that takes a little bit of time and we know that,” Lang said.
Wellness Centre progress
A dream of the community for years has been for a Wellness Centre attached to the hospital that will house the city’s doctors. Lang said the progress the city has made on the project is a highlight of the previous year.
“As it stands right now, the planned construction start date is March of 2017 and we’re hoping for occupancy as soon as November of 2017.”
The city, with its partner Avatex Devcorp Inc., has begun the tendering process for the 16,000 square foot facility, 8,500 of which will be for doctors. There will be room for the city’s 10 doctors plus a few new ones.
“That’s good news for the community because there are some families right now that currently can’t get family doctors because the doctors are filled to their limits.”
First use of fund
The city also saw the first use of an infrastructure replacement fund funded by its surpluses.
Three blocks of Stovel Avenue were paved at a cost of about $640,000.
“Unfortunately that did use up the fund and then some, but the fund continues to build,” Lang said.
The city will continue to put money into the fund.
“Although we won’t be using the fund in 2017 because the money has been used out of that fund, by 2018 I foresee us using that fund for infrastructure replacement – and probably on an annual basis after that,” Lang said.
Other 2016 highlights
Lang said other highlights for him included the repair of the Northern Lights Palace’s pool-side roof at about $350,000 and the hiring of a new facility maintenance supervisor Ryan Danberg, who’s making plans for repair of the city’s facilities.
City hopes for road repairs
In 2017, the mayor is hoping the province will co-operate with the city in repairing Saskatchewan Drive and three service roads in the southeast.
According to the Urban Highway Connector Program the city signed in 2010, the province is on the hook for 75 per cent of the cost for Saskatchewan Drive repairs.
“We’re hoping to get some buy-in this year. We have looked in the past of redoing the entire street all at once, but that would be a cost of approximately $3 million.”
The plan is to approach the province and fix a couple of blocks of Saskatchewan Drive each year. Four blocks would cost about $400,000.
As for the service roads, the province will have to pay 100 per cent of the cost, around $1.2 million. After the roads are fixed, the city will be responsible for the cost of the roads’ maintenance.
Other 2017 plans
The city will be moving forward with its Spruce Haven recreation complex this year, beginning with a new skateboard park. At the end of the project in 2021, a second ice surface will be built.
“We’ve tried to finance this in such a way that it will have very little impact on taxpayers,” Lang said.
The city is also trying to improve how transparent it’s seen as by its citizens. The mayor said he has begun placing letters along with water bills that come out every two months and is planning to update the citizens with another after a 2017 budget has been proposed.
Lang said he’s encouraging citizens to talk to council members about their concerns.
“The transparency is there: it’s just a case of asking the right questions of the right people.”
