KAMSACK — Much of town council’s resources in 2022 were tied up with the first phase of the Broda Sportsplex renovation, which also limits council’s expectations for 2023, Mayor Nancy Brunt said last week in a beginning-of-the-year interview.
Asked to outline the successes and failures of 2022 and to look forward to what 2023 might have in store for the community, Brunt immediately mentioned the Saskatchewan government having cut back services at the Kamsack Hospital, which had for a period of time, lost its beds.
“We’re trying to get those beds back,” Brunt said, adding that beginning at Christmas in 2021, she had been involved in meetings with Terry Dennis, the Canora-Pelly MLA, and with the health minister and ambulance personnel, discussing the community’s health needs.
“We spent a lot of time at those meetings,” she said.
Regarding the other big concern of 2022, Brunt said that now that the first phase of the Broda Sportsplex renovation has been basically completed, she is pleased to know that the facility will now last much longer than it would have.
“The building’s envelope is done and new geothermal pipes have been placed under the concrete floors,” she said, adding that because of the huge expense required by the Sportsplex, council has had to pull back on initiatives in 2023.
A big concern and expense will be the decommissioning of the landfill, she said, explaining that the process has begun with the planning of a transfer station to be located at the current landfill site.
During 2023, council will also be concerned with infrastructure repair, which will include looking at sewer mains and work at the lagoon.
Pointing to positive developments, Brunt said she was pleased to see the new building that was constructed for the SARCAN outlet and welcomes the Highway 5 Repair and Service that has opened in the former Country Service building at the intersection of Queen Elizabeth Boulevard and Highway 8 north.
During the year the water tower was upgraded with sandblasting, new paint and a urethane coating to the tune of $110,000, she said, adding that the Town also helped sponsor the Dead Levee concert during the year.
“We began the Voyent program, which provides residents with a variety of information and notifications via phone or Internet free of charge,” she said.
“We’re still working on building relationships with the First Nations communities,” she said.
“In August we expect to receive the new Kamsack Handibus, which although smaller in size to the current bus, will be able to accommodate eight to 10 passengers, including three in wheelchairs,” she said. Not as bulky as the current bus, it will be easier to drive and park than is the current vehicle.
The Town has received $50,000 in provincial transportation assistance funding for the bus, she said.
“We look forward to having a Community Safety Officer hired this year,” she said. It is expected that the trees that have been ordered in the memorial tree program that the Town has undertaken with Wolkowski Funeral Service and Natural Reflexions Country Market and Greenhouse are expected to arrive this spring.
“We’re interested in proposals as to how Broda Sportsplex might be better utilized as a year-round facility and would love to encourage any interest there may be in reestablishing a revitalization committee,” she said.
With the resignation of Steven Dutcheshen, Brunt said that Ben Sipple has taken over the position of manager of recreation and community development.
Sipple, who began working for the Town in 2019, had worked as the communication clerk with recreation and then as an administration and utility clerk.
Having been elected as the East Central Alternative Representative for SUMA (Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association), Brunt said she is looking forward to attending the next SUMA meeting, expected in April. At last year’s SUMA convention, a resolution advanced by Kamsack, calling for the ability to increase taxes on empty commercial buildings had been adopted.
The cities can add a tax to such buildings, but to date, towns are not allowed to do that, she said, grumbling about the owners of a couple buildings on main street that remain vacant in spite of businesspersons having made requests for space.
“We want the Municipalities Act to be amended to allow such a change.
“Aside from the landfill project, there’s nothing really big being planned for 2023, but we are still working on getting those beds back into the hospital,” Brunt said.
