Becky Tait, the operations and marketing manager for the Estevan Bruins was before council to speak about the team's ongoing early bird season ticket blitz. Under the plan, all season ticket renewals and new purchases will receive the early bird price until April 21.
Tait also pointed out the team is hosting a season ticket event April 21 at Spectra Place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Anyone who attends the event will receive a tour of the Turnbull Redi-Mix Estevan Bruins Complex which is comprised of the team's dressing room and players lounge. All fans who purchase a season ticket during the early bird blitz will also receive a Bruins hat.
Council agreed to renew their lease with the Estevan Archery Club for five years. The archery club currently operates out of their facility south of the city adjacent to Highway 47.
City manager Jim Puffalt again reminded residents that the kick off to the Keep it Clean campaign is April 16.
On that date, City staff, members of council and volunteers will fan out around Estevan and pick up litter. The City is also offering a free week at the landfill from April 16 to April 22.
As well, Puffalt added residents can help the campaign by walking through a park near their home and picking up litter, by picking up litter on their property or in their back lanes and boulevards near their home.
The warm spring has allowed the City and its contractors to get a head start on miscellaneous concrete work from water breaks and street repairs.
Crews were out on Monday, filling in potholes with asphalt and will likely be busy with that task for the next few weeks.
Puffalt added that the much awaited completion of Souris Avenue was expected to begin this week. Crews from Glen Peterson Construction will first complete all the concrete work and then move on to preparing the road surface for paving.
Council received the results of a parking survey regarding the number of handicapped spaces in the downtown core.
Eighteen of the 39 property owners who responded to the City's survey agreed with the proposal to reduce the number of stalls to four specified locations as well as another north of City Hall. The four stalls will be located in front of Henders Drugs, The Tap House, the Wicklow Centre and the Bank of Montreal. Signage will also be improved to alert motorists to the spots.
Council passed a motion to accept the changes and proceed to changing the bylaw.
Council agreed to the purchase of an exact pour machine for Spectra Place. The units allow City staff to pour draft beer very quickly which has helped reduce lines during events at the facility.
The City already owns two of the machines and wanted a third to serve larger events and act as a backup should one fail. The cost of the machine is $4,792 and will be paid for with profits from food and beverage services.
Council also approved a request for additional funds for the tot park on Eva Street. Approval had initially been given to purchase three pieces of equipment for the park roughly two years ago at a cost of $6,841.
However, the equipment was not purchased at that time and the same equipment will now cost $9,911 with taxes and shipping factored in.
Council gave first reading to a bylaw to rezone a section of land located behind Walmart.
The land is currently designated as an urban holding zone and would be converted to a commercial shopping centre zone should the bylaw pass.
The much debated computer hardware tender was back before council April 2.
The tender was initially brought to council in March but was eventually defeated as council elected to re-tender the package to ensure fairness to local businesses.
In the end not much changed as CDW was awarded the packed at a cost of $25,596 which was almost $4,000 less than the closest local tender.
A bylaw amendment to regulate billboards in the city was also passed. Under the amendments, any signage will have to meet professional design requirements. It will also cost $1,000 a year to place the billboards on City land, up from the current price of $325.
