A regular meeting of the Weyburn City Council was held on May 9; here are the major points of interest:
*This week, City Council's administrative committee received a new Housing Need and Demand Survey prepared by the Saskatchewan Housing and Urban Development Council. The 38-page report takes an in-depth look at some of the housing challenges facing Weyburn. Some of the key findings included: a big growth in the 20 to 24-year-old age group, which is up 26 percent from 2002. Also, unemployment among young adults dropped from 11.3 percent to 8.6 percent; the city's Aboriginal population is on par with the rest of province, which offers a huge potential labour market for employers; many of the city's 45 to 55-year olds are retiring within 10 years. There will be a rapid shift in the demographics for working age people and will also create housing changes as empty-nesters and retirees look to change their housing arrangements; and the resale value of the average home in Weyburn is up a whopping 140 percent over the last four years.
*City Hall issued a notice for a by-election to fill the recent vacancy on City Council. The election will be held on Wednesday, May 18. Anyone over 18 who has resided in Weyburn for at least three months and Saskatchewan for at least six months prior to Election Day is eligible to vote. Voting will take place at the Weyburn Junior High School. The polling station will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are currently five declared candidates to fill the vacant Council seat.
*It's Census time and City Council encouraged everyone residing in the city to make a special effort to participate. The city receives a portion of its funding from senior levels of government based on the city's population, so being counted is important for anyone who makes use of city services. Post-secondary students who return to Weyburn in the summer and temporary workers who are residing in the city for at least six months can and should count themselves as residents of Weyburn.
