WILKIE — With many exciting projects on the go in the community of Wilkie, the council held a town hall meeting for residents to get informed and to voice their concerns April 24 at the SaskCan Centre.
Council members present were Mayor David Ziegler, Jerel Wood, Clarke Jackson, Les Henderson, Nadine La Greca, Gary Neigum and Theresa Parkinson. Along with the council members, Town Office staff members Rebecca Parent, Karen Jaindl, Lori Fenrich and Kevin Kropf, were also ready to answer any questions.
The meeting started with the announcement of hiring a new bylaw officer, Jack Bell, who lives within the community of Wilkie. Mayor Ziegler explained that he is quite optimistic that Bell will help enforce repeat bylaw offenders. He then handed the floor over to Andrea Gutting, secretary of the Wilkie Healthcare Foundation, for an update on what the foundation is and what they have done over the years.
Tim Ledding with BCL Engineering Ltd. was then introduced to the residents present. He was asked to assess the water treatment plant, focusing on capacity, condition and quality. In his report, Ledding said the capacity rate for the Town of Wilkie is currently 41 litres per second, which is almost double what a community the size of Wilkie would need. He was also happy to report that the water in Wilkie continues to be safe for everyone’s needs.
However, the condition of the plant is starting to show its age. Currently, some of the electrical panels are showing some corrosion, the filters and pumps are reaching 40 years and there is very limited space in the current building. The system is also connected to a diesel backup generator and, as Ledding explained, having this type of generator near the water source is not ideal and the status quo now is natural gas. He also added that most water treatment systems are built for a 10-year intent but most systems are stretched out to 20 or 30 years.
In 2014, the assessment on the water treatment facility recommended an expansion of the building and the installation of a reverse osmosis (RO) system, with a price tag of $3.625 million, however grant funding was not secured at that time and the facility remained as is. With the latest assessment, Ledding is recommending a new facility with an RO system, bringing the cost to $8.6 million. He added that grant funding has already been applied for. A couple of residents questioned Ledding about the possible upgrades, asking how the installation of an RO system will affect varying metals and where the money will come from if the town plans to upgrade. Ledding assured the residents depending on the systems to be put into place, pH balancing would rectify any issues with metals. Both Ziegler and Parent spoke to the crowd on the funding, saying any revenues from the water/ sewer bills each year are put into a separate account for any future infrastructure upgrades. At this time, a decision on upgrading the water treatment plant has not been made by Town of Wilkie council.
Past council member, Dave Dornstauder, spoke to the crowd with an update on the new swimming pool. Western Recreation was contracted to construct the pool while Home Hardware in North Battleford won the tender for construction of the change rooms. Dornstauder shared that the pool construction is on schedule, with some of the features being constructed this week. The change rooms are currently behind schedule as contractors are waiting for SaskEnergy to come in. Some of the features that will be installed in the new summertime destination will include two geysers, a basketball hoop, a paddling area for toddlers, four swimming lanes, a diving board and a dual racing waterslide. The pool will also have a zero-entry depth and a handicap-accessible change room with a mechanical lift, making it possible for Prairie Branches residents to beat the summer heat as well. The town staff confirmed there is $450,000 still owing on this project after the $100,000 donation for naming rights was received by Delta Co-operative. While there are still plans to raise the funds to cover this cost, Parent did say the money can be borrowed and repayment is within the town’s budget.
The floor was then opened up to the residents who could ask a question about any topic. Through these questions, residents were able to learn that Sarcan will not be moving into the new building as planned and that the building is up for sale, as well as the motel is now under the ownership of the Town. At the time of the meeting, the council had not determined what they planned to do with the building.
Residents also asked about the healthcare situation and lack of doctors in the community. Ziegler said the council has regular conversations with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and Healthcare Minister Jeremy Cockrill had reached out to the Wilkie mayor about their situation. Although the SHA is actively advertising for a nurse practitioner for the Wilkie area, Ziegler added that the news of losing two more doctors is motivating him again to discuss options with the SHA.
A couple of residents also inquired about some of the bylaws, more particularly regarding roaming pets and how to report a bylaw issue. The mayor and council said they will be reviewing the bylaws and looking at ways to clamp down on frequent offenders. Ziegler said the new bylaw officer, Bell, was shocked to hear residents only get one warning before a fine is issued, as many communities he had resided in usually give three warnings before fines are applied. Parent informed residents that for a bylaw infraction to be dealt with, a detailed account of the situation must be documented for the town on a special form available at the office.
There were other questions regarding the new green bins, the status of asphalt and street repairs and unattended empty lots, as well as a concern about the four-way stop by the McLurg High School. A resident who lives nearby says she watches vehicles all day going through the stop signs without slowing down. Although this concern is more traffic-related, the council said they will be connecting with the Wilkie RCMP detachment and the bylaw officer to see how this issue can be resolved.
Following the meeting, Ziegler said both he and the council members were hoping for a good turnout, however of the 1,195 people who call Wilkie their home, roughly 30 residents came out for the informational meeting.
