Highlights from the October 15 meeting of Estevan City Council:
*Council had to pass a motion to reinstate Councillor Rodney Beatty. According to provincial municipal regulations, if a member of Council misses meetings for at least three consecutive months, that member is disqualified. Beatty was at his first meeting since June 11; he had been absent due to illness. He thanked Council and the public for their patience and understanding during his absence.
*Council referred the budget requests from the Estevan Arts Council to the 2013 civic budget deliberations, which will happen later in the fall. Council offers support to the arts council’s administration and craft room expenses each year.
*The first meeting after the October 24 civic election will be a swearing-in ceremony on Monday, October 29. A reception will follow. Orientation sessions will take place on November 1 and 5. The first regular Council meeting will occur on November 13. Financial plan meetings will take place on November 28, December 3 and December 5.
*Wilhelm Construction was awarded a pair of contracts to get two building projects to the tender stage: City Hall for $50,480, and the Icon Centre Expansion for $24,656.
*A new grill for Spectra Place will be purchased for $7,146. The current grill, which was donated by the Estevan McDonald’s, has required nearly $2,000 in repairs, and it won’t last until budget deliberations are finished.
*Remuneration for Council members will be reconsidered following the election. Local councilors receive about $30 per hour, and worked an average of about 40 hours a month in September.
*A new street sweeper will be purchased from Joe Johnson Equipment in Winnipeg for $239,980. The street sweeper is expected to arrive by March 31, 2013. Council had ordered a new street sweeper early this year from a company in Regina, but the Regina firm couldn’t deliver the equipment, and so the contract was cancelled.
*Council approved a revised developer agreement for Phase 9 in the Trojan subdivision. One of the partners who was involved with purchasing the land from the City has backed out, but the remaining developers involved are still interested.
*Simpson Engineering will complete the design for a biosolids processing building at the waste water treatment plant for $64,000.
*A change order for $12,870.40 for phase 2 at the new water treatment plant was approved.
*Council gave three readings to a bylaw that will place stop signs on Ninth Avenue at the intersection of Ninth and Third Street.
