A new sidewalk is to be constructed along Souris Avenue North this year.
Estevan city council awarded the tender for the sidewalk, to be located from Edward Street to Wellock Road, to Turnbull Excavating for $71,490 during the March 25 council meeting.聽
The tender was not the lowest one submitted, but city engineer Kiflom Weldeab said a couple of the submitted bids were disqualified because a consent of surety was not included in the package.聽
It is expected the new sidewalk will provide greater safety for pedestrians.聽
Construction is slated to start May 13 and be completed by May 31.聽聽
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Council received a letter from Catherine McKenna, the federal minister of the environment and Climate Change Canada. In her correspondence, McKenna thanked council for three letters they sent from Dec. 3, 2018, to Jan. 22, 2019, regarding the equivalency agreement for coal-fired electricity in Saskatchewan.聽
Council had asked her to meet with community stakeholders, and representatives from the Estevan Chamber of Commerce and SaskPower.
She apologized for the delay in her reply.
McKenna pointed out that the equivalency agreement that would extend the lives of Units 4 and 5 at the Boundary Dam Power Station has been published. The agreement has since been published a second time, delaying its ratification.
McKenna also noted the progress for Canada鈥檚 first geothermal facility, which will be located near Estevan and completed by Deep Earth Energy Production.
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Habitat for Humanity鈥檚 request for support was approved. The local Habitat committee is preparing for its second build, and asked council for $10,000 in funding support, along with the waiver for permitting costs, similar to what was done for their first home.聽
This second home will be located on Sillers Street, next to Habitat鈥檚 first home.聽
Members of council suggested a future home could be located on Wellock Road or another area where lots are available.聽
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Two public works tenders were awarded at the meeting. The dust control tender was granted to Fort Distributors at a cost of $0.32 per litre, delivered and applied. The estimate of the amount of product needed is $110,880. Dust control is applied to a number of gravel roads within city limits, with some roads requiring only one application annually and others needing two, due to the amount of vehicle traffic.聽
Also, the traffic paint tender was awarded to Sherwin Williams for $38,443.95.聽
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The monthly water quality reports for January and February from Shane Bucsis, the manager of the water treatment plant and wastewater treatment plant, showed more than 185 million litres of water were treated and more than 145 million litres were pumped into the distribution system in January, and more than 145 million litres of water were treated and 123 million litres were treated for February. No plant upsets occurred and all registered parameters were below government regulations, except for trihalomethanes, which will remain high until the city鈥檚 primary water source is shifted from Boundary Dam to Rafferty Dam.聽
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One building permit for $1,500 was issued in January, and another permit for $45,000 was granted in February. There were five permits for $375,000 issued in the first two months of 2018.聽
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Council gave first reading to a bylaw to reduce the speed for vehicle travelling on Souris Avenue North from Wellock Road to the north city limits to 60 kilometres per hour. Second and third readings will come at a later date.聽
