Moment with the Mayor: A little of this, a little of that.

Hi Everyone:

By the time you read this, Council will have taken part in an intensive two-day retreat with public sector advisor George Cuff who will be speaking with us about how to maximize our effectiveness as your elected officials. I’m looking forward to it!

In the meantime, here are a few updates on a variety of miscellaneous topics:

Official Community Plan (OCP)

The long-running saga of our OCP is coming to an end. The Province has reviewed it and made a couple of recommendations. The primary recommendation is to strengthen the cultural component of the OCP. That work is being done and we hope the OCP will be approved by the end of April or beginning of May.

Community Garden

This spring, Kindersley will have a community garden behind Dawn View (corner of Railway Ave and Ditson Drive). The expected start-up date is May 1 and it is the initiative of two local ladies.

The Kindersley Housing Authority is also partnering in the project. Please watch for advertisements to become involved.

Traffic Lights

The good news is that the project to replace the lights on HWY 7 and Ditson is moving ahead; the bad news is that it is a slow process. As you can tell, the Ministry of Highways, which is responsible for the lights, has provided repairs, and those repairs have worked on Ditson but not HWY 21. The report from the consultant who has worked on the lights is that the parts are no longer available, as Town staff has previously indicated, and the technology is obsolete.

Here are some additional notes about the plan to replace the lights:

•             Advance warning signals are a part of the project;

•             Crosswalk lights may be considered at a later date;

•             The tentative schedule to replace the lights (including tendering the project, awarding the project, and the work) may not be until August;

•             Redesigning the intersection at HWY 7 & Ditson is still to be negotiated and the design is to create ease of turning for trucks and improved safety for pedestrians and autos;

•             Funding for the lights is a Highways responsibility, and the intersection redesign will potentially be cost-shared.

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.