ESTEVAN - Estevan city council approved a community emergency evacuation plan for public events during the Sept. 9 meeting.
Safety co-ordinator Helen Fornwald said the issue was raised after the Energy City Ex. in mid-June, when a severe thunderstorm rumbled through the area during an outdoor cabaret. Fornwald said the weather created the possibility of people evacuating to a safe location.
The plan was developed with the Estevan Fire Rescue Service, Estevan Police Service and the emergency measures organization co-ordinator. Fornwald said it is designed to assist community event organizers in building their own plan in preparing for a large-scale emergency or disaster.
"This applies to events utilizing city facilities or outdoor spaces, city-sponsored events and/or events where the plan would involve city facilities for events consisting of 100 people or more," she wrote.
It not only applies to extreme weather, but also fires and explosions; chemical spills; radiological accidents and toxic gas leaks; civil disturbances and moments of unrest; and event-site violence resulting in bodily harm, trauma, and destruction of property that can put others at risk.
Prior to the start of a community event, Fornwald said there should be a muster point location, emergency contact information, the correct fire extinguisher for the event site, an accessible AED unit, an evacuation map with emergency exits readily available to the public, and a procedure for shelter in place.
The EMO co-ordinator would confirm with the reception centre manager on the location of the evacuation site and entrance procedures, and the Estevan Police Service would take the lead on evacuation of the public with assistance from the Estevan Fire Rescue Service. If needed, the RCMP would assist if possible.
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Council supported the RM of Estevan's request to the provincial Traffic Safety Fund to have a street light installed at the southwest corner of the intersection of Range Road 2081 and Township Road 25 to address safety concerns with the dark intersection. There would be no cost to the city.
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A six-foot high fence for a property in the 400-block of Fourth Street will be allowed to remain. The maximum height, according to the city's bylaw, is four feet.
In his report to council, land development services manager Richard Neufeld said the current zoning bylaw allows for an over-height fence through a development permit. Any application of this type is assessed on its merits.
Neufeld said the developer has stated that he was unaware of the current height limitations as there are other fences on Fourth Street with a height of six feet in the front yard.
The developer has submitted a letter along with the permit application.
Neufeld noted that at one time, there wasn't a limit on how tall a front-yard fence could be.
Mayor Roy Ludwig said when someone builds a fence, they should get a permit. In this case, the applicant explained why they wanted a higher fence.
In approving the request, privacy concerns were cited as an appropriate criteria for the additional height.
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Three building permits worth $486,500 were issued in August, bringing the total for the year to 26 permits worth $6,366,301. All three permits for August were classified as miscellaneous.
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Council gave second and third readings to an amended borrowing bylaw. The city will borrow an additional $500,000 to cover costs associated with the downtown revitalization project, bringing the borrowing for this year to $2.6 million. The city's long-term debt will increase by $500,000 in 2024.
