Highlights from the July 30 meeting of Estevan City Council:

*Council approved the replacement of 800 feet of nine-gage chain link fence at the south side of the City cemetery. Borderline Fencing Services will complete the work for $16,900. Leaning posts will be repaired, and broken top rails will be replaced. Councillor Dennis Moore would like to see the rest of the fence replaced in future years.

*The City will seek funding from the federal government's Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund for two projects – renovations at the Ikon Centre (formerly the Lignite Miners Centre) and paving of the Ikon Centre and Souris Valley Aquatic and Leisure Centre's parking lot. The deadline to apply was August 2. Estevan will look at funding for several projects through November's allocation, including the Royal Heights water park, the Leisure Centre's front outdoor plaza, and the swimming pool at the Westview playpark. Councillor Chris Istace suggested the money could be directed to a new, full-sized outdoor pool – a project that he believes is long overdue from a recreation and athletic standpoint. It's a facility that he says the city is lacking, and it's a popular venue in many southeast communities.

*The June building permit report shows there were 13 permits, worth about $2.267 million, that were issued in June. The total number for 2012 is 64 permits worth more than $19.3 million.

*PS Electric was awarded the lighting tender for more than $250,000 for three parks: Kensington Greens, Trojan and Torgeson.

*Land Development Services manager Rob Denys offered an update on a pair of subdivisions. The first was a residential subdivision on the Estevan Shoppers Mall site. The subdivision review is not finished, so final readings for the bylaw will be delayed. The other is the Essex development in northwest Estevan. Land development is working with the developer for the final subdivision arrangement.

*Council gave second and third readings to a bylaw that will allow for Trimount Developments to tackle Phase 3 of the Dominion Heights subdivision. There will be 35 single-family dwellings, 36 townhouse-style dwellings, 17 duplex dwellings and four multi-family condominium buildings that will contain a total of 137 units. The project is expected to contain 225 housing units, and accommodate 518 people. There will also be a 2.09 acre institutional parcel that will be retained by the City for a future fire station, and a 1.32-acre commercial parcel. Work on the project is expected to begin soon.

*The residential waste collection rate will increase from $14.30 to $14.70 per month, effective July 1. The increase is stipulated in the City's waste collection contract with Regens Disposal. 

*Council gave three readings to the campaign disclosure bylaw. Councillor Brian Johnson questioned the requirements of the bylaw, even though it features only a couple changes from the 2009 elections, and similar bylaws exist in other communities. Candidates for mayor and councillor will have to disclose the donations they received, and how much money they spent on the campaign.

*Council also gave three readings for the local improvement bylaw for Sixth Street between Souris Avenue South and Kensington Avenue. The Saskatchewan Municipal Board has authorized the watermain replacement to proceed. It has yet to go to tender, but Mayor Gary St. Onge expects that they will be able to complete the work this year. Sixth Street will eventually have an asphalt surface.