Want a chance to win 4 seats in the RE/MAX Blue Chip VIP box? It is our “ABOVE THE CROWD” contest. You could win 4 VIP seats to the next home game, 4 game time meals and a gift bag! Just Like our facebook page Remax Blue Chip Realty -Yorkton and watch for your next chance to win!
Your Community Connection
Volume 46, Issue 16 Price - $1.52 plus GST Return undeliverable items to: Yorkton This Week 20 Third Ave. N., Yorkton, SK S3N 2X3
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Gingerbread dreams The Parkland Regional Library held a special workshop for kids to make gingerbread houses. Staff Photo by Cory Carlick
City Operations Centre sent to tender By Devin Wilger Staff Writer The City of Yorkton’s Public Works Department is in the middle of a crisis. Their building is no longer habitable, and the 75 people on staff have to be relocated for safety reasons. The problem with the current facility comes down to contamination. Environmental testing confirmed that the presence of petroleum-based
hydrocarbons at the site. As a result, the city’s fleet staff has been relocated to a different property on Sixth Ave. North, while the administration staff is waiting for construction site trailers so they are can move out of the facility. The solution, offered by Public Works, is to build a new facility, referred to as the City Operations Centre. This facility would combine the bulk of the city’s core
services in one location, including water, sewer, drainage, curbs, sidewalks, roadways and streets, signs, traffic, fleet operations, inventory, facility maintenance, landfill, garbage collection and recycling, parks, horticulture, forestry, outdoor fields, cemetery and administration for all of these areas. This project has been in the works since 2010, since the city’s building assessment indicated
that the public works building was a priority for replacement. In his presentation to council, Trent Mandzuk, director of Public Works indicated that they have explored numerous alternate options suggested by council, and the proposed facility is the option that will fit the needs of the departments involved, and allow them to have cross department synergy. However, the project
is not having an easy ride through council. Questions of cost are already on the minds of city council, and the projected cost of the project, which could be in the neighborhood of $20 million, have some councillors wondering if the project is viable. Because the project has been in the works for a long time, funds have been set aside for the build already, and the city can borrow up to $14
million without raising taxes. One of the proposals for reducing the cost of the project was to take the Parks Department out of the plan. Mandzuk suggested this would be a bad idea, because their facility, which is going to be tested for air quality as well, also has hydrocarbon contamination. There is a risk they could be pushed out the same way as Public Works was. Continued on Page A2
Proposed 2020 budget available to public By Devin Wilger Staff Writer The City of Yorkton presented its budget to
council, and now it’s before the public. The budget will be brought before council again on the next council meeting,
Dec. 16. The headline of the budget is the tax rate, which will be an increase of 2.9 per cent. That will
Canora man wanted on Canada-wide warrant Canora RCMP is seeking the public’s assistance in finding a young adult male wanted on a Canada-wide Warrant for 3 counts of sexual assault, 2 counts of invitation to sexual touching, 2 counts of sexual interference and breaching his conditions. Appeal court overturns sex assault acquittal, says judge relied on rape myths 22-year-old John Alfonso Anasarias is wanted in connection with events which occurred in September 2017. Saskatchewan RCMP has investigated these events and Anasarias is now wanted since June 2019.
Experience
BETTER HEARING
John Alfonso Anasarias
mean two per cent for operations increases, with the remaining going towards capital projects. Mayor Bob Maloney said that they while no taxpayer wants to pay more tax, the problem the city faces is that there is an infrastructure gap, and they need to address it. “It’s real. When you’re looking at 100 year road replacements, that’s not tenable. 300 year sidewalk replacement, that’s not going to work. When you see those gaps as a council, I think it’s incumbent that you do something about it.” Maloney, for his part, advocated for a larger tax increase to account for
NOW ACCEPTING APPOINTMENTS FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN Welcoming new and previous clients!
275 Bradbrooke Dr Yorkton, SK S3N 3L3
306.782.1881
the infrastructure gap that the city faces, but was overruled by the rest of council. The total impact of the tax increase will be approximately a $5.00 increase per month per household, or a total of $160 per month tax bill for the average Yorkton home. Some of the issues faced by the city involve increased costs that they can’t control. The carbon tax will have an influence on the city’s budget, and the city is not able to access rebates like taxpayers are. They expect the annual amount of carbon tax to be $67,000 in 2020 and rise to $112,000 by 2022, without account-
ing for fuel costs for the city’s fleet. The increase in funding comes after record infrastructure projects in 2019. The city spent $22.9 million over the past year, with projects including: North sanitary storm channel, Highway 9 bridge, Darlington overpass and Landfill bridge, an $11 million project shared between Federal, Provincial and City governments. Broadway East resurfacing from the CN tracks to Highway 9. Whitesand Drive and Pheasant Cove drainage improvements. Continued on Page A2
Coralee Schoenrock M.A, Aud(C)
Audiologist/Owner Registered Sk
Serving Yorkton and Area for 20 years.