The town council of Outlook met for a regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday night, February 24. Present was all of Council: Justin Turton, Kevin Grotheim, Kyle McLeod, Ryan Husband, Bob Stephenson, and Sharon Bruce, as well as Mayor Maureen Weiterman, Acting Administrator Rachel Sillers, Acting Recreation Director Megan Anthony, and office clerk Crystal Fisher.
The meeting was broadcast on the Town of Outlook Facebook page.
A number of topics and items were discussed, including the following highlights.
Recreation Report
Renovations to the bowling alley in the rink are just about complete, and the facility is ready to start looking at hiring staff once it is known when the alley can reopen to the public.
A motion was carried to enter Outlook into the ‘Friends’ category of the annual Communities in Bloom competition. A committee will be formed regarding this endeavor, as well as an action plan.
It was said that the outdoor rink will be able to utilize the light poles that are located at the site of the old swimming pool down in the Outlook Regional Park.
Unfinished Business
Council moved to inform the Walker Projects firm to issue tender documents out for the Civic Centre renovations project.
Interest now being charged on overdue water bills came up in conversation. It was said that the office will look at forgiving when there appears to be minor delays in making payments, such as banking processes, mail delivery, those types of things that can sometimes be out of one’s hands.
New Business
A contract for mentorship in Municipal Administration Services has been drafted with former town administrator Huguette Lutz, who has agreed to mentor Acting Administrator Sillers, an arrangement that is favorable to Rachel, who looks forward to learning all she can in the role.
More information will be explored and brought to another council meeting as it relates to a lease agreement with Canadian Pacific Railway that deals with the Town’s sign corridor.
A motion was made and carried to purchase two project boards at a cost of $312.49 apiece. The boards will be used by Council in the chambers.
A tax abatement request from Small Steps Early Learning Centre will be put on Council’s Old Business list for the time being while information is being explored on the numbers from a post-reassessment perspective. Council acknowledged the facility’s letter and wants to work with Small Steps on an outcome that is amicable.
A recent meeting between the Town and the Sun West School Division on the topic of the library in Outlook was said to have been a “very good” meeting that provided an opportunity to clear the air on any past miscommunications and tense relations that may have previously existed. One of the feelings coming out of it was that installing a public washroom is a much better idea than retrofitting an entirely new library location. There are future talks to explore such as rent and facility access, including splitting those into two separate agreements, and the topic will come back to the next council meeting.
A motion was made and carried to donate $250 to the River and Rail Art Trail weekend art exhibit that will take place this June.
After accepting the Correspondence, Council moved to in-camera to discuss personnel and legal matters.
