As I sit and reflect on 2014, I imagine I join many of you in thinking, “Where did the time go?” and “What did we do in 2014 that mattered to others?”
Well, in the shadow of Christmas memories and recent holiday celebrations, the day-to-day business of City Hall may not seem all that relevant. But much was accomplished in 2014, and I’m proud to share some of that here.
North Battleford started 2014 without a city manager or a director of finance, two key members of our administrative team. So, in late January, we were happy to welcome Jim Puffalt to the City, filling the position of city manager. City council tasked Mr. Puffalt with three priorities:
• Focus on community safety initiatives;
• Review the City’s corporate organization and operations, and bring recommendations for improvement;
• Present a timely 2015 budget.
First, significant progress was made in the area of community safety initiatives, with statistics showing a marked reduction in crime. This is thanks to a dedicated and committed police force embracing new and innovative practices to prevent and suppress crime in our community.
Most notably, the community safety officer (CSO) program was introduced. North Battleford championed this program, introduced by Fire Chief Albert Headrick, supported by City Manager Puffalt and RCMP detachment commander Insp. John Sutherland and approved by city council. CSOs enforce traffic laws within the city limits and are a visible uniformed presence in high-risk areas of our city including school zones, parks and the downtown core. Deployment of the CSOs give members of the RCMP more time to attend to serious criminal calls for service. Given the early success of the program, the Government of Saskatchewan has introduced the model provincially.
Building community safety and security is an ongoing priority for the City and many community organizations. 2015 will see further work in this area, building on the four pillars of creating opportunity; helping individuals and families; co-ordination of existing programs and developing new programs; and crime prevention and suppression strategies.
Second, in early May, Puffalt presented council with a customer service review, including significant recommendations to provide practical and cost-effective governance and service delivery to City residents, meeting the demands of a growing and vibrant community. Your city council endorsed the proposal, resulting in the amalgamation of the departments of Parks and Recreation and Public Works, now known as the Department of Operations, and the creation of the Department of Leisure Services. A Central Stores department was also created and in-house engineering services were introduced to make the best use of City resources. The objective is to create a corporate culture that leads us to accomplishing the goal to “NB the best!”
And third, thanks to the guidance and direction of our new director of finance, David Gillan, and the efforts of a committed administrative and management team, a timely 2015 budget was introduced and then approved by council on Dec. 15. This will allow the City’s administration to act proactively to better serve the residents of North Battleford. More information about the budget and how it affects us all will be shared with City residents in January.
What else comes to mind when I reflect on 2014?
• North Battleford has experienced a record-breaking year for the value of building permits issued in one year, closing in on $60 million in total. This is a testament to the confidence the business community and residential developers have in the future of our City. North Battleford is “open for business” and all are welcome.
• The introduction of mandatory recycling and roll-out bin, curbside pick up of waste and recyclable materials has already resulted in a significant diversion of materials from our landfill that will extend the life of the City’s facilities and also contributes to environmentally friendly planning.
• The official community plan was adopted, capturing a vision that will guide our City’s development and growth over the coming two to three decades.
• The Lighthouse Supported Living will soon open in North Battleford, providing emergency shelter, supported living and affordable housing to those in need. BATC Community Development Corporation provided a $270,000 grant to support this work.
This has been an amazing year! It is an honour to serve you, the residents of North Batleford, alongside your city councillors. And I thank all our civic employees for their contributions, input and dedication to providing excellent service to our residents. Your efforts make North Battleford a great place to call home!
On behalf of Council and your public servants, I wish everyone a very healthy, happy, prosperous New Year. We have much to be thankful for, and much to look forward to.
Mayor Ian Hamilton
City of North Battleford
