Water rate increase receives approval
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, February 14, 2017
By Eoin Devereux
The Neepawa Press/Neepawa Banner
Neepawa residents will start paying more for water a little later this year. On Thursday, Feb. 2, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) approved a revised water and wastewater rate for the Town, effective July 1, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Before the increase is enacted, the Town will embark upon informing the public on the upcoming change and how it impacts them. As part of that effort, a notice to customers including the decision found in the PUB order, will be sent in the next quarterly billing. Changes to the rates will likely not be noticed by ratepayers until they receive their September water bill.
This water rate decision has been a long time coming, as the Town last received rate change approval from the Board back in 2008. That approval was for a three year phased-in approach which concluded in 2011.
The process to get to this point saw the Town have to submit three separate applications to PUB over a three year period. Late last year, Council expressed disappointment with the Board and its lack of progress in processing the request, stating that it could force a larger one time increase on ratepayers once the application is passed, as opposed to smaller incremental bumps that are more in line with annual increases to costs or labour.
Fire Hall drawings
Neepawa town council has released the completed drawings for its proposed 10,000-square-foot fire hall, which will be built on the northeast section of the former CN property, near Mill Street. The design work was a collaborative effort between the Town, members of the Neepawa Fire Department and Calnitsky Associates Architects Inc, a Winnipeg based company selected to come up with the design.
Mayor Adrian de Groot said that it’s gratifying to see the project, which is a priority for the community, take another step forward.
“This process started a long time ago, it’s been on the agenda for years and years. Now it’s starting to take shape and we’re seeing some physical evidence of all of that work and planning,” said de Groot. “Quite a bit of detail has gone into the design. Making sure that the new building isn’t all glitz. That’s more importantly, it’s a functional building that’ll suit the needs of the community and the region.”
The next step in the project will see geo-technical and engineering work on the foundation, which will help determine a cost.
Misc.
- Representatives with Budz N’ Bloom Daycare made a presentation to Town Council. The group updated them on their efforts to find a larger operating space. They noted that the regulations for child care spaces are very specific, so the existing locations that would be potentially feasible as a new location are slim. Council suggested a few location options.
- The conceptual designs for the Canada 150 Trail have been completed and will likely be made public in the near future.
- Leisure Services provided an update to Council on its ongoing Canada 150 meetings and preparations. Manager Amanda Novak noted that those efforts are progressing nicely.
- Some slight changes have been made to the Town of Neepawa Summer Day Camp to generate greater participation. Registration is set for Mar. 1.
- Due to the success of the initial High Performance Basketball Camp in 2016, a second event is in the works for this year. The camp is scheduled for Aug 21-25.
- Funds for annual Neepawa Swimming Pool improvements and repairs are in place. The facility has also received a water safety grant, that’s expected to help offset the cost of staff training. Online registration is set for Mar. 14.
- A mental health awareness fun run is currently being planned for Aug. 20.
- The Neepawa Ag Meeting will take place at the ArtsForward building on Feb. 23. Several speakers have been arranged for the day.
