Corporal Kelly Guider of the Carlyle RCMP briefly attended the meeting to inform the council of current statistics as well as share the plans and goals of the RCMP. The amount of provincial traffic charges has decreased, though traffic accidents have increased. The call load has slightly gone down from last year. A managerial review was held in mid-November. Seven people came down and conducted an audit within the detachment to ensure everything is being handled properly including filing, court processes, charges, and other RCMP duties. They haven't received direct feedback, but a greater presence in the community is desired.
The RCMP has five general target areas in which they aim to address. In order to contribute to safer roads the RCMP aims to increase impair charges by 10% by finding the impaired drives that are undoubtedly out their, as well they would like to improve their response to provincial traffic offenses and increase charges by 10% also. By picking up more impair and traffic offenses the RCMP hopes to decrease the amount of injury related vehicle accidents.
The RCMP would like to reduce the amount of property crimes by 10% and increase the amount of drug-related charges. They would like to make improvements regarding detecting drugs and searching vehicles. The RCMP would like to contribute to a safer youth by spending more time in the schools and by focusing on first-time offenders. They aim to divert youth from criminal system and to prevent first-time offenders from becoming repeat offenders. They would like these offenders to write letters of apology, pay restitution, and work off hours.
As previously mentioned, the RCMP would like to reduce property crimes and reduce the amount of theft-related incidents. Carlyle is doing well in comparison to the province. The RCMP has sent three men to prison, while one has been in custody since August and will be sentenced Jan. 11. Since the arrest, no more stolen vehicles have been reported. The RCMP would like to take a more old-school approach to their efforts by putting heat on people known to be involved in illegal behaviour.
The RCMP would like to contribute to safer and healthier aboriginal communities. They would like to find someone ready to province the RCMP with information on crime in the area. That person would be a coded source, so their name would never be used. This would contribute to search warrants for drugs and stolen property.
Members of the volunteer pool community also briefly attended the meeting to discuss the financial needs of the pool. The pool is in a situation where the walls are corroding, the floor is heaving, and the linings need to be replaced. If the pool doesn't receive the funds to make the necessary repairs the pool will not open again this year. Though the board of volunteers fundraise as well, it is difficult to keep with day-to-day operations while dealing with frequent breakdowns and trying to save for a new liner at the same time.
The committee has gotten two opinions and two quotes, both of which have confirmed that unless the walls and liner are replaced the pool will no longer hold water. Both quotes have estimate a cost of at least 80,000 dollars, but as the bottom of the pool is heaving and also needs repair, which would be another 10,000 dollars.
The ultimate goal of the pool would be to redo the pool into a zero-entry pool, which would means the edge of the pool would gradually slope into the water, making it easily accessible and not requiring the use of stairs or ladders. The cost is an estimated 225,000, but the pool committee is only asking for enough financial assistance to allow them to continue operating the pool next year.
A community member present at the meeting suggested a property development committee be formed to deal with the increasing growth and development in Carlyle. The community member believed it would be more beneficial to have a specific committee than for property development issues to be discussed at the twice-monthly council meetings.
Making changes to the Main Street parking system was again discussed, with many community members in favour of the change. The town council would like to come up with a diagram of the planned changes and allow the community to see exactly what the new parking system would look like.
