Neepawa Council disappointed with Dutch Elm deal
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, January 24, 2017
By Eoin Devereux
The Neepawa Press/Neepawa Banner
Neepawa Town Council meeting - Tuesday, Jan.17, 2017
Neepawa Town Council has agreed to a new deal on the control of Dutch Elm Disease. The cost sharing agreement is with the province and outlines the responsibilities between the two sides.
In accordance with the new Community Forest Grant Agreement, the province comes in and marks any diseased trees that it finds. The community is then tasked with removal of the trees before Mar. 1, 2018. They’re then reimbursed for the cost of the work. The set amount on the deal is $181.32 per tree, plus $2,000 for administration costs.
The Town of Neepawa, along with several other municipalities have attempted to get the reimbursement amount increased, citing that it was insufficient amount for the cost of removal. The province has not made any adjustment to the amount.
Council expressed disappointment with the decision, indicating that this was akin to ‘a legislated tree deficit’. They agreed to the deal, noting that it was still important to get something from the province to cover the costs of this mandated removal.
New senior housing: A new senior housing project has received approval in Neepawa. On Tuesday, Jan. 17, Town Council agreed to rezone the land at 474-2nd Ave. to allow for the construction of a four unit 55+ residential building. The 1,000 square foot units will be for rent and are being built by the same developers who are currently building the housing complex on the corner of 1st Ave. and Mill St.
Fire report update: The final Neepawa Fire Department report for 2016 was presented to council. It indicated that there were a total of 70 fire calls made in 2016, down from 88 the previous year. The report also noted that a pair of firemen are participating in a Level I fire course. That training course is offered for free through the Office of the Fire Commissioner Mutual Aid District. As well, council received an equipment update from Fire Chief Scott Gibson. He noted that the prep work for the new fire truck is moving along well and that the fire fighters are pleased with the purchase. He also added that preliminary plans are in motion to find a suitable replacement for the grass fire truck.
Mayor’s report: Mayor de Groot opened his report with an update on the sub-division of the former C.N. property. He noted some frustration with delays being dealt with from the province’s municipal planning. De Groot said additional housing opportunities are at a critical stage in Neepawa and that the municipality has done everything that’s been asked of it to get the process moving ahead. He stated that he feels it’s the municipalities who are in the best position to figure out the configuration of lots for future development and requested that the provincial body get moving on approval. De Groot then shifted attention to an update on the transition to a new third party garbage collection. He acknowledged that the early transition could have been managed a bit better. He also apologized for an error in his public comments on the company that took over the contract and it’s global reach.
