Neepawa Town Council briefs
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, September 9, 2015
By Eoin Devereux
The Neepawa Press
Neepawa Town Council has returned to its winter meeting schedule. Councillors will now meet on every first and third Tuesday of the month. The first of these sessions was held on Tuesday, Sept. 1, and featured discussion on several topics, including:
Sidewalk delay
Concerns regarding the proposed installation of a new sidewalk on Ellen Street have forced the Town of Neepawa to reevaluate its plans. During the council meeting, several property owners in the area expressed their displeasure with a plan to build the new pathway on the north side of the road.
The old sidewalk was removed from the south side of the street when the road was widened earlier this year. The original plan called for no sidewalk to be installed, but a petition was brought forward from home owners on the south side asking that a pathway be put in.
Council discussed the issue earlier this summer and decided to put the sidewalk on the north side. That option requires the removal of eight trees. Residents on the north side of Ellen sent a letter to council, indicating that they were concerned about the trees being removed and that council didn’t provide adequate information regarding the decision. Mayor Adrian de Groot said that the process has not been a secret and that the decision was made at an open council meeting. However, de Groot did add that council will address those concerns by having staff and councillors visit the area in question and discuss the matter with representatives from both the north and south side of the street.
New fire truck
Town council is looking at buying a new fire truck. During the council meeting, de Groot explained that there are two options, with the only major difference between the two being the water carrying capacity. De Groot said the smaller unit would cost about $250,000 and would be ideal for an urban setting. The second option would cost around $325,000 and is viewed as a better option for rural situations, due to its larger water capacity. Neepawa Town Council has mutual aid agreements with surrounding R.Ms and must take that into consideration with its selection. A decision will be made on the preferred fire truck in the near future.
Canada 150 funding
An application will be forwarded for federal funding to take on a project along the Trans-Canada Trail. Neepawa Town Council passed a resolution to apply for the Canada 150 funding. The Canada 150 fund provides grants to aid in the creation of a legacy or heritage project in the community, in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017.
Mayor de Groot was the lone dissenting vote to this resolution. De Groot noted that while he agrees with the concept of the project, he was concerned about the lack of specific details supporting it; not in regards to the application for the fund, but rather the method of doing it.
The resolution was still passed by council majority and an grant application will be made in the near future.
