Estevan city council finalized the utility rates for 2016 during their meeting on Monday night.
Council gave three readings to a bylaw that will increase water consumption rates by 10 per cent this year. Service rates will remain unchanged.
The utility rate increase was expected, as the city had announced it was coming during budget deliberations. Council approved the budget at its previous meeting in mid-January.
“The only comment we ever heard was that people thought it was a 10 per cent increase on service charges and service fees, and that’s not the case. It’s just on consumption,” said city manager Jeff Ward, who is also the acting city clerk. “So the consumption will be the bulk sales down at the water treatment plant, and your cubic metre usage on the utilities.”
Drainage fees are included in the 10 per cent consumption
increase.
Council still has to approve the mill rate factors for the 2016 budget. That is expected to happen some time during the spring.
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George Barker from the Canadian Red Cross southeast Saskatchewan office discussed the upcoming Pink Day on Feb. 24. The city’s leisure services department is organizing a brief walk the day before, starting at 3 p.m. at Affinity Place. The public is welcome to attend.
Barker said he hopes there will be a community-wide pink shirt walk in late April or early May, similar to the walks that have been held in downtown Estevan each of the past four years.
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Emergency measures organization co-ordinator Helen Fornwald filed her year-end report. Fornwald recapped some of the events they were involved with during the past year, including a train derailment on the western outskirts of the city in late February and the flash flood that struck Estevan in early September. She also discussed some of the committee’s efforts to help the city be prepared for a disaster.
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Fire Chief Dale Feser submitted his monthly report for January. The Estevan Fire and Rescue Service received 12 alarm calls and participated in two training nights last month, which was down from 15 alarm calls and four training nights in January of
last year.
Last month’s calls included three false alarms, three vehicle accidents and three alarms for gas leaks or carbon monoxide. They were also called to an unauthorized burn, a vehicle fire and provided assistance to emergency medical services members once.
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Four building permits were issued in January, and the total value was $725,000. Commercial permits accounted for the bulk of the activity, as there were three permits with a total value of $575,000. There was also a miscellaneous permit issued worth
$150,000.
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Councillor Brian Johnson would like to see more information related to the concerts and other special events the city brings to Affinity Place. Ward reminded Johnson that they have released the data for recent concerts. Johnson hopes to receive attendance numbers, and how much money was made or lost for an event. The next show is the Johnny Reid concert on Feb. 14.
