Council rejects digital billboard
In a narrow 4-3 vote, Weyburn city council defeated a proposal to place a digital sign board in a highway commercial district at their regular meeting Monday night.
Weyburn businessman Dave Hall applied to move the sign board from Gasha's Bar and Grill on the corner of 3rd Street and Highway 39 to be erected at 1940 1st Avenue NE. The sign would run 40 ads on a seven second loop.
The proposal to have the one-sided sign facing west raised concerns with four households on Brown Crescent.
One Brown Crescent resident in attendance said the sign would shine directly into her backyard.
Hall responded to the concern saying the sign board is a low voltage LED board that powers down to eight per cent at night, and the distance between where the sign is proposed to be is meters away from Brown Crescent with two service roads, a highway, a back alley and Souris Family Dental between them.
Mayor Debra Button said she wouldn't support the relocating the sign because she wouldn't want it shining in her backyard either.
Council has previously removed billboards from this area due to sightlines, traffic impacts and alignment of intersections.
An amendment to a bylaw to regulate operation and parking was given two readings to allow council to hear from tenants on the proposed handicap parking stall being moved in front of MNP Place on 3rd Avenue.
The handicap stall would be moved to accommodate the Primary Health Care Centre which will be located on the second floor of MNP Place.
Also included in this amendment are the installation of pedestrian crossing signs at the corner of 5th Avenue North and 5th Street as well as the corner 13th Street and Park Avenue.
The Weyburn Fire Department's annual report was submitted by Chief Steve Diebenne.
The fire department had an increase in staffing over the past year expanding from 26 to 30 paid on call fire fighters as well as an increase of $1 /hour in pay.
Debienne noted the introduction of STARS air ambulance to the province last year. The Weyburn area first saw STARs on June 6, 2012. Throughout the year, the Weyburn Fire Department assisted STARS by establishing a landing zone eight times. The fire department responded to 47 fires in 2012.
Last year donations from Cenovus Energy and the Weyburn Fire Brigade allowed the purchase of a new Thermal Imaging Camera. The camera is used to assist the firefighters with search and rescue, detection of hidden fires and to accurately see through smoke and darkness.
