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ESTEVAN BRUINS
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Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Issue 45
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903
www.estevanmercury.ca
Mailing No. 10769 | Publication No. 40069240
Infrastructure fee increase approved Estevan city council has proceeded with second and third reading of its utility rate bylaw, despite concerns from the public about a contentious component. Council approved the bylaw at Monday night’s council meeting. The bylaw does not include a utility rate increase or a consumption rate increase, but it does include an increase in the infrastructure fee, from $20 to $30 per bimonthly billing cycle. The fee was introduced in 2004 as a means to ease the financial burden for those facing a water main replacement through the local improvement plan. The fee decreased the burden on affected ratepayers from 80 per cent of the project to 50 per cent. But those who have had their water mains replaced since 2004 have expressed concern with the infrastructure fee increase, because they believe they’re now being hit twice. The infrastructure fee increase is expected to generate enough money so that the water main replacement program can resume next year, but not as a local improvement. Two ratepayers wrote to council about the issue. The first, Jared Stang, noted that when he purchased his home in 2012, the original bill for water main replacement was $10,224.41, and the previous homeowner had made two payments of $1,372.76. Stang eventually decided to take over the existing balance and pay it in full rather than through annual payments. “All current homeowners of Estevan should have to be held accountable for their individual infrastructure replacement,” said Stang. Mack, meanwhile, had his water mains replaced in 2008, and also said it’s unfair for those who have had local improvement projects completed. “I think this is double-billing the affected homeowners and needs to be corrected,” said Mack. Mack noted he has paid $20 per billing cycle for 14 years, as well as the cost for the water main replacement. Mayor Roy Ludwig said approximately 680 properties have been involved in the water main replacement program over the past 14 years, and many are still paying back the cost of the replacement. Ludwig hopes a fair and equitable solution exists for those affected ratepayers, but council also has to worry about the needs of the city. “We are making inroads and I think we’re doing the right thing, it’s just what to do to try to pick up and help out the people who have already paid,” said Ludwig. Each member shared their thoughts on the issue. Councillor Trevor Knibbs wanted to know how far council would take the exemptions for the infrastructure fee, and how council could move forward in a positive way so that people don’t get a $10,000 water main replacement bill. Councillor Lyle Yanish voted in favour of the bylaw, but suggested some form of a rebate to some of the affected property owners. “To me, I’ve had a lot of citizens talk to me who were concerned, including these two gentlemen here (Stang and Mack), and I’m glad they wrote letters, because we’ve never had letters from anybody,” said Yanish. Coun. Greg Hoffort, in a lengthy speech, noted that he had his water mains replaced in 2012. He said it’s important to get back to replacing water mains and sewer mains to address the city’s infrastructure debt. Water mains are a city asset, not a personal asset, and so replacements should not be billed to the affected homeowner. “Yes, it happens to run by my house, but it services the entire community, and not just my house,” Hoffort said. “These lines go everywhere, and they’re not my asset to do with what I want.” Ludwig asked city manager Jeff Ward and city staff to come up with options for what could be done as far as a rebate or an exemption, but the mayor cautioned that it doesn’t mean a rebate is going to happen.
Police release recommendations from meeting on impaired driving By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
The Estevan Police Service (EPS) has released the recommendations from the impaired driving meeting that was held at Affinity Place last month Police Chief Paul Ladouceur sent the letter last week to those who attended the meeting, and thanked them for their participation. “This meeting has certainly got the wheels turning of many individuals in this community,” Ladouceur said in an interview with the Mercury. “There were some excellent recommendations that were brought forward. “That’s not to say that all of the recommendations may be implemented, or may not be implemented. We’re going to comb through those very carefully and diligently as we move forward, and see what, of those recommendations, would we feel would most likely result in a reduction of impaired driving in the community.” A couple of those suggestions have already been implemented. One of them is to reach out to establishments for staff training by police. The other is to release the names of those charged with impaired driving to the media. Ladouceur said the EPS will release the names of those charged with impaired driving because it’s public information once
someone has been charged, and he believes the public has the right to know. “Keep in mind that generally when people are charged with impaired driving, there are certain caveats that go along with that,” said Ladouceur. “They’re not to operate a motor vehicle and so forth. Their licence is suspended. How is someone else to know if that person is then out there operating a vehicle, contrary to those charges?” It’s also a public safety issue, he said. Other recommendations from the meeting included: • Spotters in liquor establishments and public events to determine if people are attempting to drive after consuming alcohol; • Partnerships with taxi companies, possibly through a shared cost system between partners; • A leave keys behind program where free or discounted taxi rides are offered for those who leave their keys behind; • A portable sign indicating the date and time where an impaired driver was apprehended; • Providing rides for company functions; • Bar employees calling police before impaired patrons leave the establishment; • Bar staff telling patrons they are refusing service to them, and taking the initiative to ask if they
Police Chief Paul Ladouceur, pictured here at an impaired driving meeting last month, hopes to see greater involvement from the community to curb impaired driving. File photo plan on driving; • Distributing advertising and messages on merchandise such as coasters and handbags; • Having an interlocking device on every vehicle; • Designating people as a wingman and supplying them with a wingman t-shirt; • More taxi companies coming to Estevan; • Getting more schools involved and doing so at a deeper level; • Having school kids design and hand out giveaways with handwritten messages on such materials as liquor bags; • Getting older students to help with more advertising, including designing props, posters, pamphlets and more; • More personal stories
shared with schools, community groups and companies to bring awareness; Mothers Against Drunk Drivers working alongside police officers during check stops; • Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming giving incentives on permit applications for those who indicate their provisions for a safe ride home; and • More mobilization as a community. “It’s time that as a community we work together,” said Ladouceur. “The police have been trying to tackle this problem for far too long. Community groups have been working to tackle this problem for far too long and the idea is to get everybody on board in this community to say ‘Enough is enough.’” A2 » LADOUCEUR
Alice Cooper coming to Affinity Place
Alice Cooper will perform at Affinity Place on Aug. 26. Photo by Rob Fenn
American rock icon Alice Cooper will be performing at Affinity Place this summer. The City of Estevan announced Monday morning that Cooper will be bringing A Paranormal Evening with Alice Cooper to Estevan on Aug. 26. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Cooper is known for pioneering a grandly theatrical brand of hard rock that was designed to shock. Drawing equally from horror movies, vaudeville and garage rock, the group created a stage show that featured elec-
tric chairs, guillotines, fake blood and boa constrictors. He continues to tour regularly, performing shows worldwide with dark and horror-themed theatrics that he’s best known for. Cooper was born in Detroit and moved to Phoenix with his family. The Alice Cooper Band formed while band members were in high school in Phoenix, and the group was discovered in 1969 by Frank Zappa in Los Angeles, where they were signed to Zappa’s record label. A2 » COOPER
2018 F-150
Senchuk Ford Sales Ltd.
118 Souris Ave. N., Estevan 306-634-3696 www.senchukford.com