Estevan City council was asked to support the renovation of Highway 47 north from Stoughton to Grenfell. Councillor Dennis Moore is council's representative on the Southeast Transportation Planning Committee and noted the committee has targeted that stretch of highway as an important one for refurbishment.
Moore said the highway is economically significant to Estevan and the City and local businesses have lost commerce and trade because of the state of the road. The road provides a link from Estevan to Trans-Canada Highway 1.
The committee requested City council sign a letter of support for the repairs to Highway 47, which council voted in favour of during the June 9 regular meeting of council.
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There was some disagreement among council following a donation request by the Royal Canadian Legion. The City of Estevan has been a sponsor in the past by booking an advertisement in the Legion's Military Service Recognition Book as part of the annual Remembrance Project.
Coun. Trevor Knibbs was the lone councillor who voted against booking an ad in this year's publication, saying it was unclear exactly where the money went and how it would be used and distributed within the Legion. He said his concern was about how much of the roughly $400 would help the Estevan Legion Branch No. 60 and preferred the City directly support the local Legion outlet.
Knibbs also questioned the value of the ad placement for the City, noting he has never seen the publication anywhere. The request from the Legion noted the book is distributed to "all school and university libraries in Saskatchewan, Legion branches and many other public facilities."
All other council members voted in favour of the ad, but the City is going to look into how their donation will be spent and may review the request again next year.
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City safety co-ordinator Helen Fornwald submitted the EMO report for May, noting the train derailment on May 8, which involved four tanker cars full of crude oil. There was no leak, and she noted the City will be holding a debrief with CP later this month.
The City held a table-top exercise on May 15, which involved a student pilot losing control of an aircraft while landing at the Estevan Municipal Airport. Estevan Fire Rscue Services, Estevan Police Services and emergency medical personnel took part in the exercise along with Fornwald and City Manager Amber Smale.
The report also noted the City has begun uploading contact information into the Everbridge System, a new emergency response system the City is implementing. Fornwald said they are not ready to unveil details of the system to the public, but the final implementation conference call was held in June.
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Estevan Diversified Services (EDS) sent a proposal to the City, as they seek to build a new social, low-rental housing project on 15th Avenue. EDS owns the property, which currently houses a residence built around 1930.
They are proposing to demolish it and redevelop the site with a semi-detached residential dwelling. The biggest issue is that the proposal wouldn't conform to the minimum front and rear setback requirements of the City's zoning bylaw. The set requirements are 7.6 metres in the front and six metres in the rear, while the proposal would need to put the structure only six metres from the front and 1.2 metres from the rear of the property.
The report on the zoning changes noted EDS has growing needs for residential accommodation for its participants and there are few affordable options in the City.
Coun. Moore said approving the bylaw would be a win-win for the City, as it would encourage new develop over an aging structure and would support the local non-profit organization, aiding in their housing needs.
Council voted in favour of pursuing the request, allowing the rezoning process to begin. A first reading of the bylaw will happen at a later meeting.
