Weed Notes: Oct 31

Details

Published on Friday, October 31, 2014

By Sid Lewis

      Supervisor

There has always been a little controversy because Midwest Weed District is mostly a user fee system — in our yearly budget we really can’t say we can show a profit in any given year.

As well as user fees paid by the four municipalities and one town which are currently members, we derive some moneys from contracts with Infrastructure and Transportation, plus payments from ratepayers for yard spraying. 

With the moneys derived from the two non-user fee customers, we are able to keep from asking for more moneys from the five partners (Blanshard, Daly, Hamiota, Saskatchewan and Woodworth) in the district as well. Only once in the years I have been supervisor (which is more than 35) has the board needed to go back to the partners and ask for more money to finish up the year. That time the partners did give more, but the stipulation was firmly stated we were to manage the program better in the years to come. 

In 2009 our old 1980 roadside truck gave indications her time doing grunt work was coming to an end. After discussions between board members and councils, it was decided to purchase a new vehicle, with moneys coming from the five respective coffers. With a chance to bid for huge contracts from Infrastructure and Transportation that summer, we were able to earn the money back for the cost of the new equipment plus extra! That was a feather in our hat as far as I’m concerned.

On Oct. 28 Super Thrifty Pharmacy in Hamiota honoured Heather Sheane who has been a pharmacist with them for many years. Heather and I were in the same class from Grades 1 to 12. In Grade 9, for whatever reason, she and I were locked in the class closet together. For reasons I won’t go into detail in this column, I was put through the door!

If you have any questions or concerns for Midwest Weed District please phone 204-764-2128.