OUTLOOK - The town council of Outlook met for a regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, October 23. Present was all of Council; Ryan Husband, Justin Turton, Sharon Bruce, Kyle McLeod, Bob Stephenson, and Kevin Grotheim, as well as Mayor Maureen Weiterman, Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Trew, and Assistant CAO Rachel Sillers.
The meeting was broadcast live on the Town of Outlook's official Facebook page.
A number of topics and items were discussed, including the following highlights.
Reports of Administration, Staff and/or Committees Requiring Decision
One of the meeting's biggest talking points was the subject of roof repair to the town office building, which CAO Trew said was mainly for information rather than any official decision at this time.
An inspection was recently done of the roof, stemming from some complaints made by office space renters of leaks coming down from the ceiling. Those leaks were addressed and taken care of, but the Town felt that they needed to take some proactive and preventative maintenance as it related to the building's roof. The inspection resulted in some recommendations for repairs, and a quote came in at just over $19,000.
The Town didn't budget for such a project in 2024, and after asking if this was something that could wait until next spring, it was said that there was "some risk" but very little that could make it an issue for the time being. Trew said that the repair will be put on the capital budget for 2025 and the town council can decide at that time how they wish to proceed. Around the room, members of Council gave their insight, feeling that it was something that didn't need urgent attention right now and that waiting until next spring is the right move at this time.
Mayor and Councillor's Forum
Mayor Weiterman thanked Councillor Husband for taking over meeting duties at the last council meeting as she was sick.
Unfinished Business
Trew gave Council a state of the town's tax collection report as of the end of September. The town has $1,950,000 in municipal collections, which is approximately 85% of the levy that has been collected as of the end of September. Last year had an 81% collection at this time. When it comes to school taxes, the town has collected 76% so far, whereas last year, 78% had been collected in this timeframe.
Trew noted that the reason that the municipal and school numbers are different is because there are no discounts offered on school taxes. He also shared that the town is now down to six properties that are on tax enforcement from 2023, noting that six properties for a town the size of Outlook is "pretty good".
New Business
Council next discussed revaluation changes for 2025 from SAMA. The revaluation happens every four years by SAMA, also known as the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency.
Looking over highlights that SAMA provided to the Town, assessed values decreased by half a percent as opposed to the provincial trend that had a 23% increase. As well, taxable values decreased in Outlook by 4.2% and land values are mixed, with some lots increasing and some decreasing.
Overall, residential buildings in Outlook showed a decrease in value.
It was said that generally, the assessed values for residential in Outlook are going down, with Trew saying that it'll be interesting to see where these all pan out by next year.
Next for discussion was the upcoming civic election for the Town of Outlook. Trew shared that since the deadline for nominations had passed and there were no other names listed for the role of Mayor that the poll had been abandoned, the process makes current councillor Ryan Husband the new mayor of Outlook. Applause was given to Husband, with Mayor Weiterman sharing that, "We'll be in good hands" and Husband noting that he was looking forward to what the role will bring.
Next up, Councillor Grotheim recused himself from the meeting as Council discussed a non arm's length payment to Riverbend Industries. A motion to make a payment of $312.97 was carried by Council.
Finally, a lengthy discussion was had on the 2024 Financial Report, highlighting the third quarter which concludes at the end of each September.
Trew said that the town's cash flow continues to present challenges as they navigate through large capital projects in 2024, but with the highway water and sewer rehabilitation project coming in under budget, that was said to have helped "significantly" in the third quarter.
The Town is continuing to make progress payments for the ongoing water treatment plant upgrade and raw water intake project, and in turn, continue to claim a portion covered by the ICIP grant program.
After some lengthy discussion, Mayor Weiterman commented on the preparation for the future that the Town has done in recent times.
"I'm really happy with the fact that going forward with the new council, and with our capital plan and strategic plan, that we HAVE a plan, which we didn't have when we started," she said. "I'm very proud of all the work that's been done here by the council and by our leadership and the team that we have a good place to go forward from."
Trew noted that new faces will bring new ideas in the future, as well, adding that it makes for an exciting time of renewal in the community.
The meeting was then adjourned.
