The town council of Outlook met for a regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday night, February 13. Present was all of council; Donna Smith, Kevin Grotheim, Kyle McLeod, Maureen Applin, Floyd Childerhose, and David Simonson, as well as Mayor Ross Derdall, Administrator Tina Douglas, Assistant Administrator Rachel Sillers, Acting Superintendent of Municipal Operations Luke Lockhart, and Recreation Director Jordy Jones.
A number of topics and items were discussed, including the following highlights.
Rec Report
The rink is looking into acquiring a new floor scrubber, and Jordy will look into seeing if one can be brought out to Outlook to use as a demo before going ahead with any major purchases.
The Jim Kook Rec Plex has been entered into the Kraft Hockeyville contest where one winning community will receive $250,000 in arena upgrades and an NHL pre-season game.
A motion was passed to give Riverbend Co-op use of the rink for Family Skate Day that was held over the long weekend.
A motion was passed to hold another ‘Learn to Play’ event. Past events have seen growth of new hockey teams in the community, showing the success of such ventures that gets kids interested in athletics.
Council passed a motion to officially enter Outlook into the Communities in Bloom program at an entry cost of $250.
Acting Superintendent Report
Lockhart attended the recent SUMA trade show and found it to be very useful and insightful.
Most staff and crew are happy with a recent cost of living increase.
Councillor Childerhose brought up a concern he’d received over snow being moved up to the grounds of the museum, which causes water problems when it melts in the spring. Luke said he’d received the same concerns, so the snow has been moved further east.
Council commended Luke and the town crews on the snow removal on streets and in neighborhoods.
A motion was made to put out a tender for sewer work at a residence in town, tender to close by the end of March.
Options are being explored for possible washroom facilities out at the landfill.
Lake Diefenbaker Task Force Support
The topic of the Lake Diefenbaker Task Force that was formed last year to fight invasive species came up, as the group continues to seek support from neighboring communities that use the lake. The Town gave the group $1500 last year, and noted that the work being done has been impressive so far in helping to protect the lake from harmful species such as zebra mussels.
“It’s amazing what they’ve done so far, and it’s very worthwhile,” said Councillor Simonson. “I really take my hat off to those people.”
There was a spirited talk on continuing to support the Task Force, especially with all that the group has done in a short amount of time, with council recognizing how vitally important it is to protect local waters.
Council passed a motion to give the Task Force another $1500.
Swimming Pool Facility
Benches have arrived for the new swimming pool facility, and they came in under budget.
Councillor McLeod noted that a sign needs to be ordered, meaning that there needs to be a decision reached on an official name for the pool. Such an endeavor may require talks with major pool donor Cor Van Raay over any possible naming rights. Van Raay donated a monstrous cheque for $500,000 to the pool project back in the summer of 2016.
Another topic that was explored for the pool was the idea of keeping the change rooms at temperatures of above zero year-round, with the goal of preventing any infrastructure issues that may come with cold weather conditions. The Town will explore any options they may have.
General
A motion was passed to give the Outlook & District Music Festival a donation.
A motion was passed to give use of the curling rink lounge to the Outlook & District Playschool for their graduation event.
The Town may host a West Central Municipal Government Committee meeting in October.
