A regular meeting of the Weyburn City Council was held on March 14; here are the major points of interest:
*City Council set a date for a municipal by-election to replace Councillor Dave Craigen, who resigned his post on March 2. Nominations will open on April 6 and will be accepted until April 19. Election Day will follow one month later, on May 18.
City Clerk Donette Richter, who will act as the Returning Officer for the election, said that she felt this by-election date will not conflict with a possible upcoming Federal Election this spring.
Richter said that one polling station for the by-election should be sufficient and will be held at the Weyburn Junior High School. She is estimating the cost of the election at $3,500.
An advance poll will take place at City Hall on May 14. A mobile poll will also take place.
*The City will increase the amount of money they are legally allowed to borrow by $5 million in order to build new residential lots.
Council passed a bylaw to increase their debt limit from $11.25 million to $16.25 million in order to take advantage of the Saskatchewan Infrastructure Growth Initiative grant. With this money the City will build 69 new residential lots, including 65 single-family lots and four multi-unit lots, located in the Assiniboia Park subdivision in northeast Weyburn.
Through the grant, the City will only have to pay back the interest on the loan and will apply to be reimbursed for the interest payments by the province, without any cost to taxpayers.
The City currently has no residential lots available for purchase.
*Council approved a request to use River Park for the Canadian Cancer Society's 11th annual Relay For Life. The fundraising event will take place on June 10 and 11.
*Communities in Bloom announced their theme for the 2011 season. They are requesting that residents plant red and white flowers to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Weyburn Red Wings.
The committee is also planning a series of workshops for residents. The first workshop will deal with composting and will be presented by Mayor Debra Button on March 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Co-op Home Centre.
