Town council starts cutting services

Duane Hicks

In order to reduce a $60,000 deficit, town council has begun to make service cuts to its 2017 operating budget, including closing the north-end outdoor rink.
At a budget meeting yesterday, council agreed to close it due to lack of use.
The snow won’t be cleared from the rink, and it won’t be flooded or lit–a projected savings of $3,519 in electrical and water costs for 2017.
The rink shack also will be removed and the rink boards relocated to the McIrvine rink, where usage is higher but it needs repairs.
“I’d hate to see it go but really for the amount of money we’re paying to maintain it and pay the electricity for it, there’s very seldom anybody out there,” noted Coun. June Caul.
Council also agreed to reduce its Parks and Cemeteries summer student labour force from 13 to 12 employees, saving $15,140 in wages and benefits.
One additional student labourer previously had been added to the crew to handle the additional work to maintain the tourist information centre once the town had started leasing it, as well as the old library property.
Operations and Facilities manager Travis Rob noted the 12 students should be able to handle the workload but pointed out that next year, once the new Rainy Lake Square is open, the situation may have to be revisited.
Meanwhile, the Memorial Sports Centre will reduce its hours for the gym, fitness room, squash courts, and pool in May on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
This will mean that instead of being open Monday to Friday from 6 a.m.-10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m.-10 p.m., those services will be open Monday to Thursday from 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday from 6 a.m.-8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Community Services manager Jason Kabel noted that May traditionally is a slow time of year, being after the ice season but before summer hours commence.
The reduction in hours will save the town $731.
Council also agreed that Public Works will remove from service one set of traffic lights and replace them with stop signs.
This will save $668 in electrical costs and repairs/maintenance. As well, the removed set will provide a spare controller for parts and thus another cost-saving.
Council still has to determine which lights will be removed and replaced with two stops signs.
The north-south traffic lights either on Armit Avenue or Crowe Avenue on Second Street East are up for review.
One potential service reduction off the chopping block is the Sorting Gap Marina.
Council had considered a proposal to reduce operating hours there from Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m.-9 p.m., and Friday to Sunday from 8 a.m.-10 p.m., to a new schedule where the marina would be open Monday to Friday from noon-10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
But council ended up deciding saving $1,884–and the hassle of having boats calling arena staff during Sorting Gap off-hours so they could buy gas at the marina–just wasn’t worth it.
Council also increased handi-van rider fees to generate an estimated $1,865 in additional revenue this year.
The fee for Rainycrest residents and community support services users will increase from $1.25 to $2.
Kabel noted both handi-van drivers were consulted, and they felt this increase was reasonable as many riders comment on how cheap it is to ride the handi-van.
Meanwhile, the fee for daily school riders will go up from $5 to $5.50.
This second fee, which has not been increased since 2012, is paid by the school boards.