UNITY — Civic officials from the communities of Kerrobert and Unity are speaking of their experience while attending the 2022 Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities convention in early April.
Unity's delegation included Mayor Sharon Del Frari, CAO Aileen Garrett, Councillor Brent Weber and Councillor Ryan Sernecky.
Del Frari adds of her experience, “At least 19 different communities were represented at the microphones on topics from dogs running at large, separate bylaw court, mental health stresses and COVID’s affect on our hospitals and staff.”
One session attended by Del Frari was “Plug in to Project Governance.”
“This dealt with oversight of the major projects our communities take on and how to ensure the project is successful," she says.
"I found this session very valuable as Unity has had, and will have major projects that we are responsible for. We talked about focusing on the framework and project lifecycle; under whose domain does each step of the project fall; ensure communication, detailed times and schedules for measuring progress. Clear decision making and ongoing discussion are key to success.”
Kerrobert CAO Tara Neumeier attended alone, representing their community.
Two things Neumeier said drew her interest and could pertain to Kerrobert was the concern raised about regulations 小蓝视频 too difficult for qualified professionals entering Canada and then not 小蓝视频 able to practise when they come over to Canada.
“Other topic that would eventually affect Kerrobert: the cost of 小蓝视频 forced by government to close small-town landfills which strains the operating budget in two ways," she says.
Neumeier notes one is the cost of closing the landfill, especially on the smaller rural communities, which she says, even with the help of the ICIP grant small communities share, is well above their yearly tax generated revenues. The other problem is abandoned and unsafe buildings that are a growing problem in small town Saskatchewan. The cost of disposing of them without a landfill increases costs, so many town leave them as they just can’t afford the cost of the demolition and the mobilizing of refuse to a regional landfill, she explains.
In this landfill discussion. there was also a call for Saskatchewan to finalize their guidelines so there is consistency.
