MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, April 4, 2018 • PAGE A1
MOOSE JAW
Volume 11, Issue 14 Wednesday, April 4, 2018
EXPRESS Because EVERYBODY reads!
www.mjvexpress.com
306.694.1322
FREE Springtime Weather in Saskatchewan
.COM
@MooseJawExpress @MooseJawExpress
City Introduces New City Manager Randy Palmer Moose Jaw Express
Parts, Service & Repair on: • Agriculture • Industrial • Commercial
Plus on site repairs
We also specialize in Custom Hauling/Recovery
Jim Puffalt took his most recent journey into Moose Jaw as a sign that his decision to become the new city manager was the perfect move for himself and his family. Driving in from North Battleford, Puffalt encountered a nasty spring snowstorm with white-out conditions, conditions that became so bad that at one point he had to pull over because visibility was so poor. “We stopped for five minutes and then headed down, and as we got to Moose Jaw the weather started to clear and it got nicer. So I knew it was a sign that I was supposed to be here,” Puffalt said with a laugh. The City of Moose Jaw held a press conference on Mar. 29 to introduce Puffalt as the new city manager, taking over the position from the departed Matt Noble. He comes to the community with over 20 years in municJim Puffalt ipal government that includes city manager positions in Dauphin, Man., Estevan and “The past few years as I’ve come into difmost recently North Battleford. “I’m a Saskatchewan kid, and in this in- ferent communities, you have to look at the dustry you look at moving up through Sas- gaps, if there are any. And you have to be katchewan and through the larger cities customer service based, my job is probably and larger places,” Puffalt said when asked one of the ones where I can be a conduit for everybody and if information needs to get to about choosing Moose Jaw. “Moose Jaw is kind of a place that in my city council, I can get it to them. If our front line of business is a place to look to be. I’ve line people need something I can get them had a pretty good history with Moose Jaw, I that information and make sure everyone have family here and my uncles have lived has what they need to do their job.” here for a number of years. I’m fairly famil- Moose Jaw Mayor Fraser Tolmie said that iar with the area, too, I lived in Estevan and hiring Puffalt was a unanimous decision by my kids played hockey here, so we’re pretty city council and that his past experience in a multitude of areas of concern to Moose Jaw comfortable with the area.” Puffalt officially takes over the position on made the difference. May 7 and will be moving to Moose Jaw “We had some very strong candidates, but Jim came to the top,” Tolmie said. “We with his wife Monique and three children. He expects to essentially hit the ground run- looked at a lot of things and some of the ning after taking some time to get acclimat- challenges we’re facing, and Mr. Puffalt is ed to his surroundings. Once he has a feel very engaging and has a very good sense of for the system, it’ll be a matter of dealing the community and he wants to be involved with the myriad of issues every sizable city in the community. “We talked about customer service, and that has on a daily basis. “Everything I’ve done since I’ve started has comes from leading from the top and counbeen scalable as we move to a larger size cil wants to close that gap with administracommunity.” Puffalt explained. “The sys- tion so we can walk together step-for-step. tems come, you have your background, but So I feel this will be a very good relationship you have to see what the current conditions between council and the administration, we are and be able to manage these operations need to work together and while we always because every council is different, every say that, we’re excited that he feels the same way and we’re looking forward to that.” city administration is different.
823 Ominica St W www.finaltouchflooring.ca 306 692-4088
Flooring is our business! • Expert service & competitive pricing • Quality selections from trusted brands • Flexible financing options available • Professional Installation • Free quotes & Free in-home consultation with our flooring experts
One of the major issues currently faced by the city of Moose Jaw is one new city manager Jim Puffalt has already dealt with multiple times in different cities – cast-iron watermain replacement. Puffalt has already had discussions with previous managers and councillors to that effect and is happy with what he’s seen initially. The key will be how things stand up to further scrutiny – when a similar situation was taking place in North Battleford a few years ago, Puffalt realized changes were needed. “Looking back at North Battleford, when I looked and I did a study on the system, we realized what was being done wasn’t going to be enough, we were getting rapidly worse instead of better,” he said. “So we had to ramp it up in different ways and find different funding sources to be able to do that. “You just can’t waste that money, it’s $10,000 to $15,000 a pop that you’re wasting. Not to mention that you’re bothering people, they need water, they can’t go without.” Puffalt is very much aware of the costs associated with such a project and what it’ll take to get things done, even in a much more expensive climate than what he’s worked with in the past. “If we do local improvements it gets so expensive,” Puffalt said. “When we started doing it down south in 2002 and 2003, prices were reasonable, $3,500 to $4,000 to do a local improvement outside your house. But in 2007 and 2008 those prices just skyrocketed. Property taxes don’t cover undergrounds, so we have to find a way to cover those costs. “You just have to have the willingness to be creative and find different ways to do things.”