Manitoba's Neepawa Council Debrief: Water Upgrades and Environmental Concerns

After holding a public hearing for the 2024 financial plan, Council handles related topics including a new series on forthcoming water and wastewater projects and a bylaw to allow implementation of the financial plan to levy taxes.

With the Association of Manitoba Municipalities conference just having taken place last week, Mayor Hedley reports on the sessions that he attended as well as the committee work that he is a part of. Councillor Sisley runs down several upcoming events of interest to the community, including an introduction to the new Neepawa chapter of Habitat for Humanity as well as a local job fair. Councillor Nadeau adds that the new Environmental Health and Volunteerism committee will be bringing forward its plan in the next couple weeks.

Manager of Operations Denis Saquet reports that summer staff for the town have been hired and will shortly begin work in the town, and with the swift ascent of spring weather, they have been busy assessing roads, street sweeping, and beginning yard waste pickup. Council is observing Invasive Species Week by sharing information on the species of concern in the Neepawa and Westman area, including the Emerald Ash Borer, Zebra Mussels, and Dutch Elm Disease. Saquet highlights the town’s tree replanting initiatives, and reminds residents that it is illegal for any firewood to be transported from one community to another.

FIL-CAN, the local Filipino-Canadian Association, has asked the town to take part in an observance of Filipino Independence Day on June 12, which would include a small ceremony and flag-raising in front of the Courthouse. Council discusses options for how that might take place using a temporary flagpole.

The town votes to adopt the new financial plan they presented for 2024, and as well approves the somewhat-delayed 2022 audit. The financial plan sets out not only the priorities for the coming  year but also the grants to non-profit organisations that the town will be approving. The 2022 audit, while important in its own right for fiscal responsibility, is also necessary to claim the remainder of certain grant funding that the town has been awarded.

As the town does every year, they are submitting their upcoming capital projects to the Water Services Board to help get them funded. Many projects are already underway so the town is only submitting three this year: a new liner for the water tower, that required the town to first build water capacity elsewhere to be able to take the water tower offline for the duration of the process; an addition to the water treatment plant; and a relocation of the Mill Street Lift, which was compromised during the 2020 flood and remains in a location that is not ideal.