Weyburn city council decided on a 4-3 vote to implement a levy in support of a new acute-care hospital for Weyburn at the level of $140 a year, at their meeting on Monday night.
Weyburn city council decided on a 4-3 vote to implement a levy in support of a new acute-care hospital for Weyburn at the level of $140 a year, at their meeting on Monday night.
The city also agreed to take part in a closed-door meeting with the Weyburn Chamber of Commerce to deal with the many questions that have been raised through the City of Weyburn survey, at a date to be set within the next two to three weeks. The meeting will be held with representatives of the provincial government, the Sun Country Health Region, the Weyburn and District Health Foundation and the chamber.
The city's finance director, Jon Michaud, said he is working on finding out if a tax receipt will be issued for the levy, and said Monday he is "nine-tenths' sure" that it will be possible.
Michaud also shared with council the results of the survey which was sent in a mass mailing on Jan. 20 to 5,850 homes in the city.
As of Mar. 9, the following votes were recorded: 209 voted no to paying a levy; 182 voted in favour of the $140 levy; 88 for the $163 levy, and 147 in favour of the $233 levy. This works out to 417 in favour of the levy to 209 against; the total number of surveys received was 626, or 10.7 per cent returned.
From the city's web poll with the same three levy levels, 123 voted for the $140 levy; 24 for the $163 levy; and 44 for the $233 levy.
Prior to the discussion on whether to go ahead with the levy or to wait until after the meeting with the Chamber, Michaud also shared some of the many questions posed on the survey forms.
These ranged from "how much will it cost?", "how long till we know if we're getting a hospital?" and "what services will we get and how many beds?", to "where will it be located?", "how will it be staffed?", "will the quality of care be improved?"
There were also questions like "why a levy?", "why is the commercial sector not included?" and "how long will the levy be needed and will it be increased?"
He noted that the purpose of the meeting with all levels and stakeholders with the Chamber is to answer these and any other questions that come up, and then to host a public meeting to have these questions answered.
In the Chamber letter, however, the invitation to the city was to a "closed-door" meeting, not a public one, and later in the letter from manager Jeff Richards, it states, "the Chamber may present our findings to our members, and as a result, the entire community."
In making the motion to implement the levy at the favoured level of $140, Coun. Andy Broccolo noted the response wasn't 100 per cent, but felt even at 10 per cent it is a fair representation of the opinions of city residents.
"I think we should go forward, and commit this amount of money to their cause," he said. "I believe a commitment is needed; the need for a hospital is obvious and important."
Coun. Dick Michel said he would not support this, saying, "I think the taxpayers of Weyburn need more information. A good number of these people want a hospital, but they need more information at an open house or an open meeting that's the way we have to do it. Let's postpone it and do it properly."
Coun. Rob Stephanson agreed that information is needed in this situation, but felt the council could still make its decision on the levy, because the questions will always be there.
"We've hemmed and hawed on this for three years now, sometimes for good reason. The sooner we start putting money in the pot the better. I for one do not believe $140 is going to be enough; the odds are that this will be going up," he said, adding if council doesn't go ahead to make the commitment, they will still sitting there 10 years from now, only by then needing $1,000 per household instead of $140.
"Are there questions? Certainly there are questions; there will be people with questions two years after it's built," added Coun. Stephanson. "That's part of the process. We've been elected to make decisions."
Coun. Bill Rudachyk, sitting on the council meeting via Skype from Arizona, said he echoed Coun. Stephanson's comments.
"We need to provide a commitment for the hospital. This is the right decision; if we're going to continue to grow and develop, we have to provide a hospital facility," said Coun. Rudachyk.
Coun. Winston Bailey said he was torn between going to the public, or going to the meeting with an indication of which way the council wants to go on this issue.
Coun. Broccolo said their decision will have no effect on the meeting with the chamber.
"The meeting itself is talking more about where the dollars are going to go and how the players are involved, what roles they play, and for us to say how much money we're providing. This is the role that we play in terms of donating the money," he said, adding the city won't be the ones deciding on what is or is not needed for the hospital.
Coun. Michel insisted that deciding on the levy should wait until after the meeting, saying, "I think it's only good communication and respect for the citizens of the city."
Mayor Debra Button said she was torn on the issue; she supports a new hospital, but agreed she's getting asked a lot of questions on it that she doesn't have the answers to, which can only come from the government and the health region.
"Without consultation with the public, I find this is premature," she added.
Coun. Broccolo said the only intent of his motion is so the city can say they are making a dollar commitment "which we've always said we were going to make."
City council heard from Associated Engineering on a report on the water treatment plant, and have started on a four-point plan to improve and upgrade the process for the water treatment plant.
Engineer Peter Hooge, unwilling to commit to how long it will take before the water advisory is lifted, said, "We're looking at what can be done immediately to comply with the requirements Environment has to ensure the water is safe, and all indications are that it is."
He added that the "plant is under control" and the tests so far have been coming back positive that what they're doing is working so far. Part of the plan is ensure "disinfection is in place to protect the water. Disinfection and flushing of the old water is happening right now to make sure that water is passed through the system. The levels (of micro-organisms) are low, but they're there still. That's why it's a precautionary boil-water advisory. We're working through this with Environment and the city."
"We're hopeful. We know we're on the right track We want to keep the advisory on until we know we're out of the woods. Things are moving in the right direction," added Mayor Button.
Resident Ron Knox spoke to council in objection to a planned four-storey 24-unit multi-family apartment condominium to be located on First Street directly west of the Co-op Food Store.
He told council he's concerned about the height and size of the building, only three metres from his backyard property line; his residence is on Foster Street.
Knox was also concerned his property value will be compromised.
Head building inspector Doug Mulhall said the city wants to work through any issues that may arise, but felt these concerns were not insurmountable. Council agreed, approving the condo development unanimously.
