For those unfamiliar with pump tracks “a pump track is a one-to-three-metre-wide track that can be used for bicycle, skateboard, in-line skates and scooter riders to practice skills on a series of features, such as berms and rollers placed in quick succession,” detailed their report to Council in April. “I just think it’s a really great amenity we can bring to Yorkton at a fairly reasonable price,” said Zaharia this Monday. Zaharia made a motion to have City Administration look into potential locations and the potential scope of a track project. The original presentation identified three potential locales; Heritage Heights Park, near the Gloria Hayden Recreation Centre, and Weinmaster Park, but Administration was instructed to look at other potential sites too.
“I can’t see why the City of Yorkton can’t do that.” For those unfamiliar public accounts are a listing of city accounts, and includes staff salaries in excess of $50,000 annually. The accounts are presented to Council annually. As it stood in Yorkton the accounts have always been available to residents for a fee, which Ashley Stradeski, Director of Finance with the City explained was simply “a cost recovery fee” associated with printing the material. In terms of Council packages, Zaharia noted that at present the agenda for meetings is all that is posted, adding “that don’t give a lot of the information.”
As a result of the restriction the City has received complaints from local farmers who cannot drive their heavy machinery from one field to another since this bridge has a reduced capacity, she added. The cost of retrofitting this bridge is significant with a price tag well over the $1,000,000 range and this road is a low priority for the City. In essence, there are no plans to upgrade the road or the bridge and the neighbouring RM and farmers have been advised of this, noted Kaal. In response the RM is looking to upgrade another road as an option for farmers.
It was recommended by the Economic Development Committee and was endorsed by YBID with a monetary contribution. The project was set to commence this spring with a budget of $900,000, with $350,000 from the MEEP grant, $150,000 from YBID and $400,000 from the City’s 2021 budget. The project will feature gabion walls with City of Yorkton signage and lighting on the South West and South East corners to welcome inbound traffic. The project will also include pathways, concrete planters, native grass planting, berms and landscaping. “During the winter months we have been looking at the designs for this project in conjunction with Parks, Engineering and the consultants at Scatliff Miller Murray (SMM). As we dove deeper into detailed design, we realized that in-order for us to build close to the conceptual drawings that were presented to Council in June 2020, we needed to either refocus our funds on two sides of the intersection or come back to Council for further direction,” no
The sessions facilitated initial discussions regarding the direction of the 2021 Operational and 2021/2022 Capital Budgets, explained Jessica Matsalla – Director of Legislation and Procedures (City Clerk), with the City at the regular meeting of Yorkton Council Monday. The Committee of the Whole Council voted on several recommendations to come forward for formal adoption at a future Regular Council Meeting, she said. Council would proceed Monday to pass those recommendations, although the details of what those recommendations might mean were scant. City Manager Lonnie Kaal said the recommendations came from pre-budget deliberations and were not binding in terms of the actual budget. “This was giving direction,” she said, in essence laying the foundation for Administration to work with to create a budget to be brought before Council in an open meeting for discussion and approval.