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Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Issue 39
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903
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Council approves the 2017 budget By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
Estevan city council once again received little feedback from the public for its budget deliberations. Council ratified the 2017 budget at Monday night’s meeting. The document includes a three per cent municipal property tax increase, which means a homeowner with a residential property worth $350,000 will pay an extra $50 in municipal property taxes this year. The tax increase will add about $441,850 to the city’s coffers. There is also a five per cent increase for water consumption rates. City manager Jeff Ward said they didn’t receive any written submissions this year, and only a few comments about the budget. Mayor Roy Ludwig said it is unfortunate they didn’t receive any written feedback this year. This is the third straight year they have sought feedback on the financial plan, but they received little input from the public each year. “We always hope for the feedback, and usually our citizens are not afraid to give us feedback, whether that be positive or negative,” Ludwig said in an interview with the Mercury. “We appreciate that, but it does help in our deliberations to get that
feedback.” The city did not receive a response from the Estevan Chamber of Commerce, which was seeking comments from its members. Ludwig hopes the lack of response means that residents are pleased with the contents of this year’s budget, and that it doesn’t reflect apathy. The mayor questioned why some issues, such as speed limits, generate so much discussion from the public, yet council doesn’t get many comments regarding a document with millions of dollars in expenses. Ludwig expects council will continue to seek public input on the budget. “I think it’s a very important part of transparency in releasing it to the public, and waiting to see (what people think),” said Ludwig. “Sometimes we’ll get feedback. I know personally I would get a little feedback … but overall it has been quiet.” Overall, revenues are forecasted to be more than $26.12 million for the general fund, while utility fund revenues are to be more than $7.75 million. The document also calls for general operating expenditures of more than $24.52 million, general capital expenditures of $2.71 million, utility operating expenditures of nearly $5.27 million, and utility capital expenditures
of $2.525 million. Council handled a couple of other budget-related issues during the meeting. They gave first reading to the bylaw to establish the 2017 health levy. The levy will remain the same as last year, so it will be about $30 for a home worth $350,000, and it will generate about $290,000. About $240,000 will go towards the city’s commitment of more than $1 million for Estevan’s new regional nursing home. Council gave second and third readings to a bylaw to borrow $3.5 million this year. There will be $1 million for upgrades to King Street, so that the arterial road can be resurfaced from 13th Avenue to Arthur Avenue, and widened from Bannatyne Avenue to Pine Avenue. The remaining $2.5 million will be used to purchase the former Murray GM building on 13th Avenue, so that it can be transformed into the new fire hall for the Estevan Fire Rescue Service. A structural survey found there weren’t any issues with the building, so the purchase will proceed. The city will pay down $4 million in debt this year, so the overall debt load will drop by about $500,000. Council still has to set its mill rate factors. That will happen in the spring, after the provincial government releases its budget.
Playing House Ella Martens checks out a playhouse that was available for purchase during the Estevan Family Resource Centre’s winter garage sale at Estevan 60-and-Over Club on Jan. 28. Numerous vendors participated in the garage sale, ensuring a wide variety of products would be available.
Speed humps will be added to Wellock Road By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
Estevan police Chief Paul Ladouceur and most members of Estevan city council support the addition of speed humps on Wellock Road, but there are a couple of council members who don’t back the concept. Estevan city council gave the green light for three speed humps to be purchased and installed in the reduced speed zone on Wellock Road during council’s meeting on Monday night. Mayor Roy Ludwig
and Councillors Travis Frank, Greg Hoffort and Lyle Yanish favoured the speed humps. Councillors Dennis Moore and Shelly Veroba were opposed. C o u n c i l l o r Tr e v o r Knibbs, declared a conflict of interest because he lives on Wellock Road. Each member of council was given an opportunity to share their thoughts on the issue. Ludwig told council members they have tried every other conceivable option to get people to slow down. “This has gone back
and forth for some time now, and I am pleased that we went along with the chief of police and the police board recommendation and the traffic committee’s recommendation,” said Ludwig. Moore countered that the police should up enforcement on Wellock Road. “If people want to continue to speed there, and the numbers are what you (the police) say, I don’t know how much money we get from those fines, but if there’s that much (speeding) going on, I feel we
should still sit there and take their money,” said Moore. Moore said he has no problem travelling the speed limit on Wellock Road, and he wonders why other motorists can’t do the same. Veroba, who spoke via a conference call, added that the majority of residents she has spoken to in that area do not support speed humps. “I think if we do proceed with them, we would end up having other people in other areas also believing that their streets are (high) speed zones, and they might
actually want them too,” she said. Frank questioned if council had surveyed people on Wellock Road for their opinion. Ludwig replied residents were split on the issue. “I know we’ve got a lot of responses, and have heard a lot of people not necessarily in favour of it, but I’d really like to know what people who live on that street think,” said Frank. Yanish suggested tabling the speed humps motion to get more feedback from those who live on
Wellock, but he added he has seen how they are effective in other communities. “It would be better than stop signs, and it does slow everybody down,” said Yanish. Hoffort said that council always wants public feedback on issues, and he pointed out the traffic control committee is comprised of members of the public who provide council with feedback. “For that reason, in addition to the unanimous support it received from the police board, which is a
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