MELFORT — The City of Melfort is dividing its community services department into two
One part will be the protective services department, which will be headed by Jason Everitt, chief of the Melfort Fire Department. The other will be the communications and economic development department, headed by Brent Lutz.
“The city manager has surveyed some other communities and other communities of similar size operate in this new manner – they don’t have strictly a community services department,” said Rick Lang, Melfort’s mayor
Both directors will be in attendance at future council meetings and will have additional roles and responsibilities with this change.
“Brent Lutz will have the added responsibility of communication, for sure,” Lang said. “He has been doing that ad-hoc but not officially.”
Everitt will now be attending council and having weekly meetings with the administration.
“The fire chief is moving into a more significant role with his interaction with the rest of the administration,” Lang said.
This occurred at the council meeting on Feb. 11.
Council voted at the meeting to include the entirety of the RM of Kinistino into their rural fire agreement, at the request of Everitt. This means that the Melfort Fire Department will provide second priority response services there inclusive of motor vehicle responses along provincial highways.
First reading was also completed on a new motion to sell urban reserve land to M.I. Developments Ltd. at Creekside Community.
“There is an attempt to make the lots of sufficient size, a subdivision could happen if there is no opposition,” Lang said.
The City of Melfort is giving residents time to step forward and voice any concerns.
This is an evolution of the previous proposal from December where seven residents of Creekside stepped forward voicing opposition.
“It’s not the same thing because one of the points of the opposition last time by the residents was it would create lots smaller than what was deemed the minimum during the original agreement, that doesn’t mean there won’t be opposition, there could be. If there is we will have to listen to that opposition and decide how to move forward.”
