Neepawa buys new fire truck
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Neepawa Town Council Tuesday, May 3
By Eoin Devereux
Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
The Town of Neepawa is moving ahead with the purchase of a new fire truck. The 2016 International pumper truck has been ordered from Fort Garry Fire Trucks, based out of Winnipeg, at a cost of $399,895, before taxes. A purchase of this type for a municipality is tax exempt however, so the town will receive the cost of the taxes back at a later date.
The purchase was officially made on Wednesday, May 4, with assembly of the truck beginning immediately. The purchase of the vehicle will be made in instalments, with 50 per cent as a down payment, 25 per cent at the mid-point of assembly and the other 25 per cent paid upon receipt of the finished vehicle. Town administration expects to receive the pumper truck before the end of the year.
Budget approved
The financial plan for the Town of Neepawa has been approved. Council gave second and third reading to the document, which allocates $7,655,027.81 towards the general operating fund and $5,047,751.51 to the utility operating fund.
Compared to the 2015 budget, that’s an increase in spending of $936,897 towards general and a $1,969,431 increase for utility. The majority of that extra funding however, is being transferred from the town’s reserve funds and will not impact the mill rates for property owners.
New town website
Neepawa.ca will soon have a new look. Council has approved the creation of a revised municipal website by Insightrix Research, a Saskatchewan based company focused on online marketing and website development. The town received 16 proposals to update the website, 15 from Canadian companies and one from the United States. Neepawa’s revamped online presence is expected to be finished by the end of the year.
Yellowhead Centre request
Board members with the Yellowhead Centre forwarded correspondence to Town Council requesting assistance with the first stage of its capital improvement project. The first stage of improvements to the facility are already underway and include the installation of new LED lighting in the entrance concourse and arena, a dehumidifier for the west-end of the facility and a low-emissivity (Low-E) arena ceiling. The cost of all these energy saving efforts comes in at around $125,000. The Yellowhead board passed a motion earlier this year to pay for the improvements from part of a pre-approved line of credit made available from the Beautiful Plains Credit Union. The Yellowhead Centre has also received a grant from Community Places for $30,000 and has applied to several other organizations for additional funding.
Council has allocated funding to the Yellowhead Centre in its 2016 financial plan. In previous years, however, that support was needed specifically to aid with the general costs of operating the facility.
Hydrant flushing
The Town of Neepawa confirmed that its annual hydrant flushing program will begin on Thursday, May 12. It will operate throughout the community for approximately two weeks. Administration noted that people may notice periods of low pressure or moments with no water. Water may also be discoloured after flushing is completed. People are asked to please run cold water through an unfiltered tap until the water runs clear. The water remains safe to drink during this process.
Misc.
Summer staff have been hired and are working around the community. Work at the former C.N. Rail property is underway by Dig-All Construction. Line painting on municipal roads is underway. A Canada Day celebration meeting was held on Monday, May 2. Representatives with two organizations (Scouts and the United Church) attended and offered to assist with the festivities. Scouts offered to organize a canteen, while the United Church will aid with putting together an old time picnic event. Other events are still being pursued. Interested volunteers or organizations are asked to contact the town office if they wish to help with the day.
