Issues relating to growth and development in the RM of Weyburn dominated their recent council meeting, held on Aug. 18 the RM office.
Issues relating to growth and development in the RM of Weyburn dominated their recent council meeting, held on Aug. 18 the RM office.The council hosted a visit by Grant Paulson, a senior health inspector from the Sun Country Health Region, as the RM wanted to get information in regard to septic tank systems particularly as they relate to new subdivisions.Reeve Carmen Sterling pointed out that the RM does not make such approvals, but they wanted some information they could pass along to developers when they make applications for a subdivision.We would need to know what sort of sewer system they would need, what the criteria is and what the process is to obtain approval from Sun Country for it, said Reeve Sterling.With any kind of development, a permit has to be obtained from Sun Countrys public health department, and they will tell them (the developer) what is acceptable in relation to the proposal, such as whether its a low-density or high-density area, she added.At the council meeting, the RM approved four development permits, all residential in nature, and also passed a bylaw which provides for tax concessions to new business developments.As per the RMs tax concession bylaw, a new business is provided an incentive, said Reeve Sterling, explaining, Its a way of helping developers inject more funds directly into their project.In the first year of operation after the business has been constructed, the business gets 100 per cent of their taxes waived, and then 50 per cent in their second year.As of the date of the meeting, the RM approved 10 new businesses for tax concessions; of these, five will get the first-year full tax concession, and five are getting the 50-per-cent concession as they are now in their second year since opening.The RM also received an update from the PTI Group, which is proposing to situate an oil industry-related work camp in the RM. They have put in an initial request for a development permit, but the RM requires some additional information from the company before it can be granted.The permit is to construct a 48-man work camp, with the option to add capacity for 24 more workers if needed, and the camp could be up by this fall.The permit could be issued immediately, as soon as they can give us more details, such as where they are going to be located on the parcel of land, and how far back from the road theyll be set back, said the reeve.The RM also had a delegation from the Nickle Lake Regional Park board, as they asked for financial assistance to help repair the park access road.We gave them $24,000 for the initial paving of the road, and we also gave them an annual grant of $2,000, said Reeve Sterling.The RM asked to put the request towards budget deliberations for next year, as based on the amount they were asking for this year, the RM does not have the funds available to help right now.Information was also provided by SARM on their new program encouraging RMs to hire new administrators; in their pilot program, SARM will help pay the wages for the administrator as they take their internship with the RM.It looks like a good program, and we support it; we just dont know if we have the room to have a person here on internship. If the RM of Weyburn participates, the person would only deal with Weyburn and Brokenshell matters. Its purely a matter of space consideration, said Reeve Sterling.SARM is setting up the pilot program as they are concerned with upcoming retirements that RMs will be left short of trained qualified administrators. If the pilot program gets support, they will add more positions that they will help pay for.
