MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 30, 2020 • PAGE A21
City Hall Council Notes
Council approves budgets and projects for police, library, parks and rec Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express
The parks and recreation department, the Moose Jaw Police Service, and the Moose Jaw Public Library will have a happy new year after city council approved their projects and budgets for 2021. During the final 2021 budget discussion meeting on Dec. 21, city council approved three initiatives worth $131,645 that the parks and rec department wants to pursue next year, including: • Implementing one temporary crew lead to oversee the maintenance activities of the city complex crew for $33,145; council voted unanimously in favour; • Hiring two temporary labourers and purchasing one utility turf vehicle to enhance weed trimming for $32,500 and $14,000, respectively; council voted 5-2 in favour, with councillors Jamey Logan and Dawn Luhning opposed; • Hiring one temporary parks irrigation attendant and purchasing a road-safe utility vehicle to enhance maintenance and operation of municipal irrigation systems for $32,000 and $20,000, respectively; council voted 6-1 in favour, with Luhning opposed. Police budget Council received an updated budget from the Board of Police Commissioners and unanimously approved it. The original budget had operating expenses of $12,183,194, but those decreased by $25,478 due to power savings and two recruits’ resignations. The police budget makes up 1.1 per cent of the 2.96-per-
cent tax increase that council eventually levied. “I appreciate the police department and the work they have done in keeping the increase honestly under the level of inflation. That’s commendable,” said Luhning. “(However), there’s always a need in that department for more dollars … .” Coun. Crystal Froese agreed, saying she looked forward to the police commissioners lobbying the provincial government for more officers for the police service itself and the organization’s Police and Crisis Team (PACT) unit. The Board of Police Commissioners has had a good track record of increasing the number of officers on the force, said Mayor Fraser Tolmie, the police board chairman. There are now “unseen” crimes that occur on the internet, so the Moose Jaw Police Service needs to adapt to that environment, while it also needs more members on the PACT unit. “They are also modernizing,” he added, pointing to new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology that has helped with recent searches. Library budget Council voted 6-1 to approve the 2021 budget for the library. Luhning was opposed. The library asked for $1.2 million next year, which is an increase of $14,230 from this year. Council reduced the organization’s funding this spring by $150,000 since the pandemic forced the building to close.
“Going into 2021, it is not anticipated that that (reduction) will occur again,” said finance director Brian Acker. The library rose to the challenge during the pandemic and, while the reduction was difficult, the organization still maintained great service and had an “extraordinary uptake” while closed and when it reopened, said Coun. Heather Eby. However, if the pandemic worsens in 2021, Eby added that she would push for library staff and other municipal employees to go on the federal Canadian Emergency Response Benefits (CERB) rather than keeping them on the city payroll. The library and its services are important, while it usually asks for and receives a slight increase in grant funding each year, Luhning said. However, she thought council wasn’t “holding the line on increases” for the library or third-party groups, which is why the municipal tax increase was nearly three per cent. “I know all of these groups are doing good work and doing their best to change their businesses to adapt,” she added, “(but) I’m just struggling with the across-theboard increase where we’re at.” This year was unusual since pandemic restrictions posed challenges for everyone, said Tolmie. However, the increase of $14,230 is marginal for a whole year of service, while families can use the library’s resources during this time to learn about the community, others and nature.
Council freezes third-party funding for next year at 2020 levels All third-party groups that asked for funding in 2021 will receive the same funding they received this year since city council is uncertain how the pandemic will affect next year’s budget. During the Dec. 21 budget deliberation meeting, council voted 6-1 to approve funding for all third parties using 2020 amounts. Coun. Kim Robinson was opposed. Council also voted 6-1 to approve Wakamow Valley Authority’s (WVA) operating and capital budgets for next year using 2020 amounts of $329,612 and $30,770, respectively. Coun. Heather Eby was opposed. Third-party funding
Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express The following groups will receive funding next year using 2020 funding levels: • STARS Air Ambulance: $0; • Moose Jaw and District Seniors Association: $35,000; • Cosmo Senior Citizens Association: $15,000; • Tourism Moose Jaw/Canada Day committee: $90,775 and $2,7534, respectively; • Festival of Words: $7,867; • Murals of Moose Jaw: $13,300; • Moose Jaw Cultural Centre: $156,979; • Art museum: $134,296; • Saskatchewan Burrowing Owls: $6,428; • Airport authority: $30,000; • Humane society: $229,029;
• Moose Jaw River Watershed Stewards: $10,000. Council discussion “I think that we should be cautious. I also believe that that funding is sufficient to get us through 2021,” said Coun. Dawn Luhning. “If something drastic happens or things get better, 2022 is not very far away.” The agreement with WVA is the only one where the municipality matches what the authority puts up, Coun. Crystal Froese said. She believed that the WVA should have to propose projects before budget instead of submitting funding proposals afterward. While the organization has several ongoing projects — including upgrading the campground, which is a source of revenue for it — she wanted to see the arrangement changed, so it wasn’t a guarantee that council provided a matching grant. “… We are in a bit of a different time,” Froese added. “I’m just looking to have people share in the burden we’re carrying here.” The matching capital grant is great for the community since there is a never-ending list of items that need to be upgraded there, said Eby. She opposed reducing the WVA’s operating budget since the valley — including parks, bathrooms and other amenities — was one place during the pandemic that saw increased use. To remove $5,600 from the authority’s budget is probably significant for that organization, even if it’s not much in the city’s budget, she added. Council and residents still expect the WVA to keep trees trimmed and garbage picked up. Council is not looking to reduce the Wakamow Valley Authority’s budget, but instead, it’s freezing how much the organization receives at 2020 levels, said Luhning. She agreed that the matching-grant process should remain the same. “Wakamow definitely has seen a huge uptake in park usage. My only issue is they should propose a project, so we know what the money is going towards. Maybe they need more (or) maybe they need less,” said Froese. “But it should be project-specific and not just something that we rubber-stamp every year. Maybe it’s part of a fundraising campaign that we can participate alongside them with the citizens too.”