UNITY — SUMA was busy but very rewarding. We managed to come home COVID-free. Councillor Sernecky enjoyed attending his first municipal conference and there was good information sharing.
Residents are reminded that they are welcome to attend council meetings that are typically at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, excluding July and August when council meets once a month.
The recreation committee and senior staff have been interviewing for director of Parks and Recreation. Town of Unity had over a dozen applicants and interviewed five finalists. We plan to have the successful applicant notified by the time you read this. Once everything is in place, we will notify our residents.
The Highway 21 reroute has started, and everyone looks forward to the changes as they come.
For the 1st Avenue project, Sask. Municipal Board will be conducting (in June) their public hearing for those affected. The mayor and council hope to have things in place and ready to start once they receive confirmation that the project meets their requirements.
The adopt-a-block program has been extended to May 27. The hope is we will have light breezes to contend with rather than fierce winds. If you want to participate, stop by the office for street maps and supplies.
The town of Unity is working with Valerie Middleton to organize maps for the town-wide garage sale coming mid-May. If residents want to participate, please email Valerie at valerie_middleton@hotmail.com, and she will add you to the list.
Council and senior staff are discussing staffing at the management level. Our CAO and assistant CAO will be bringing a proposal to council to put proper staff in place to serve the needs of our residents.
All the business we conduct on your behalf has checks and balances throughout different levels of government oversight. Reports have to be done and sent to meet deadlines in order for us to provide the services required by our community. As the years pass, there are increased numbers of forms to fill out and government departments to answer to. Staff must have the time to do their work efficiently; this is the goal we are working towards. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
This past week I attended the West Central Communities beeting held in Wilkie. We had a presentation by the director of EMS under Saskatchewan Health Authority. They are working on a plan to enhance ambulance service, especially in rural areas. Technology updates will assist crews in pinpointing your location, even if you aren’t near any landmarks when you need them. The report points to officials moving in the right direction to address issues.
SHA also reported on plans for recruitment to adequately staff in all areas of health care. Addressing the shortage of mental health care providers is also key across all areas of our province and country. The mayor and council hope with increased training seats and immigration. Some of these issues can be improved on.
