MELFORT — With there no longer a reason to exist, the Melfort Veterinary Services Board has officially dissolved.
The building they owned, used by the Mohawk Animal Clinic, has been sold to the practice.
“Decades ago across the province, veterinary boards were established primarily designed to attract and retain veterinary services in rural areas,” said Brent Lutz, Melfort’s director of development, planning and community relations.
He said that as the needs are being fulfilled, the board has no reason to exist.
“Veterinarians have come and set up private practices and their own businesses and so the reason why these boards were established in the first place became less and less significant.”
While the clinic itself has always been private, the Melfort Veterinary board operated and jointly owned the building.
In the year from April 1, 2020 to March 17, 2021, the clinic paid $13,750 in rent to the board, which is made up of representatives from the City of Melfort as well as the surrounding rural municipalities.
“The veterinarians that operated in that building were leasing that from the veterinary board and have been leasing that for decades,” Lutz said.
“It was decided that the best course of action going forward was offering the building for sale to the operators, the Mohawk animal clinic, and thereby divest all the holdings of the veterinary board.”
Minus lawyer fees, the sale of the building came to $26,194.55.
All proceeds from the sale as well as other holdings were split between the partner RMs and the city.
The RM of Flett’s Springs, RM of Kinistino, RM of Star City, and RM of Pleasantdale each received $52,762.45. The RM of Lake Lenore and RM of Willow Creek each received $51,512.45 due to outstanding levies. The City of Melfort received $49,012.46, which was more heavily impacted due to an outstanding levy.
Melfort’s share of the dissolution has been moved to the city’s special capital fund.
