The council of the Town of Outlook held its regularly-scheduled meeting on Wednesday night, January 10. Present were councillors Kyle McLeod, Maureen Applin, Floyd Childerhose and David Simonson, as well as Mayor Ross Derdall, Administrator Laurie Lemon, and Recreation Director Jordy Jones. Absent was councillor Donna Smith and Superintendent of Municipal Operations Randy Antoniuk.
A number of topics and issues were discussed, including the following highlights:
- Outlook’s Bylaw Enforcement Officer Ron Klassen was in attendance as a delegate, feeling that a sit-down meeting with council was “long overdue” and appreciating the invite. Klassen talked with council about the duties of his job and ways in which things could be improved in the community, including changes to the traffic bylaws to do with heavy vehicles, feeling that bigger trucks are too much for town streets to take, especially when they stay parked for a period of time. Ron would also like to see more information sent out into the public, particularly on certain bylaw info in order to keep people better informed on a consistent basis. Klassen would like to be able to do more to help serve Outlook, but he feels that the current process of ticket-giving perhaps slows him, and he’d like to be given a clearer direction on priority areas to look at in the future. “We can do more, and I like to keep busy,” Ron said.
- Jackets and shirts for recreation staff are done, and Rec Director Jones was set to pick them up the following day.
- The cell phone boosters in the rink were going to be checked to ensure they were working. Boosters are located in the lobby, the curling rink area, and one of the team dressing rooms.
- Council discussed the idea of a monthly bylaw report in the newspaper in order to help keep the public informed.
- As it relates to the town landfill, it was said that the town of Rosetown still wants to work with Outlook, but Outlook was undercut on a deal for now. Rosetown had been considering trucking their waste to both Outlook and Kindersley, according to the most recent issue of the Rosetown Eagle, but instead will be sending their garbage to Saskatoon for at least a year starting in March. Reps for Outlook’s operation had made a pitch to Rosetown’s public works committee at a December 11 meeting.
- Council made a motion to purchase a cell phone reception booster for the Civic Centre.
- Recognition awards for members of the Outlook Fire Department are said to be in the works, and the idea is to hold a banquet supper event soon in honour of the firefighters and their efforts.
- A by-election for the vacant councillor seat will be held on May 30.
- Council hopes that former councillor Maureen Weiterman will stay on with the pool committee, citing her knowledge of the project and her passion for it.
- Meetings of town council in 2018 will include July and August dates, which normally aren’t on the schedule. Mayor Derdall noted that with so much going on in town, he felt that council should meet more in the summer and council agreed, though the calendar can always be adjusted if needed.
- Councillor Applin moved to utilize a second design that was created for signage related to lot sales in town.
- Council opted to remain as members of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, as Applin noted that they may be able to apply for major funding for the regional landfill project that could mean as much as $150,000 in funding.
- Council accepted a termination of waste management agreement from the RM of Fertile Valley.
- There was some concern from a resident of town over where the STARS Air Ambulance lands. Council said that while they can’t do anything to change the flight pattern, there may be other measures to take to at least minimize the impact that landings have on nearby homes.
- Topics that came up during council’s in-camera discussion included a wage review, the CAO Employment Agreement, the Council Remuneration Section 82(1) of the Municipalities Act, honorariums for the fire chief, lot pricing for Willow Place, a caveat removal on Willow Place, lot pricing on Franklin Street, and the tax incentive policy.
