East side development plan moving ahead

Details

Published on Tuesday, October 11, 2016

By Eoin Devereux

Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

Neepawa Town Council - Tuesday, Oct. 4

Progress has been made in the development of a large parcel of land on Neepawa’s east side. An update was provided to Town Councillors on phase two of the project on Tuesday, Oct. 4. The plan involves 15 industrial lots located on the north side of PTH 16 on the east side of the community. 

The existing property is designated as industrial area (heavy industrial) and will be within 1.6 km of the former waste disposal ground, sewage lagoon and livestock operations. The land is currently used for agricultural purposes, as it is rented as hay land. There are no existing buildings on the land. 

The intended use of the land would be for commercial/industrial purposes. All respondants to the project had no comment or concerns on the next stage of the development plan. Council reviewed the update and approved advancing to phase two of the subdivision.

Completion of phase one included the creation of a service road. Access to the lots will be off of that newly created municipal road, which directly south of the subdivision. 

Canada 150 committee

The Town of Neepawa is examining several options for Canada’s 150 birthday celebration in 2017. Several ideas to help commemorate the anniversary, including further development of the Flats, themed bike racks for downtown Neepawa and trail markings and signage for the walking trail, were brought forward. All these suggestions are in the early discussion phase. A public meeting to explore other potential ideas and grant options has been discussed for the near future. 

Misc.

The search is underway for a water treatment plant operator. The previous water treatment operator is moving on to a different career opportunity. Details on the position, including the job description and requirements for application, has been placed on the Town of Neepawa’s website. Interested individuals have until Friday, Oct. 14 to apply.

Phase two of the town’s massive sewer upgrade project is underway, as work has started near the Co-op gas-bar and grocery store. Progress has been proceeding on schedule. The upgrades will address high volumes of effluent currently experienced by the town and prepare the area for future expansion.

The Town of Neepawa’s new website is currently at the content review stage. The most recent update indicates that the redesign is advancing nicely. The official relaunch of the site remains on schedule, with the completion date still expected to be for the end of 2016.

A written update was presented to council from fire chief Scott Gibson. For the year to date, the fire department has responded to 47 calls, 28 less than compared to last year at this time. The weather during the summer is thought to be a main contributor to the decrease in calls, as there were less reported grass fires across the region. 

Minor repairs were recently made to truck #1. The vehicle was out of service for less than a day. On Friday, Sept. 30, a revised set of drawings for the new Neepawa and district fire department building were sent to the firehall committee. A few small changes were made to the design. A formal presentation will be made to council in the near future.