Barnhart’s desire for re-election stems from wanting to continue current projects the organization has begun and see them through to completion. One near and dear to Barnhart’s heart is the infrastructure deficit. He sees that many municipalities are struggling with ageing water mains and water treatment plants. Increased requirements to attain potable drinking water has also increased the need for new water treatment plants at a huge expense. Government grants are available, but there is not enough money to meet the need. “If a community cannot achieve potable water standards, a boil water advisory is imposed which is a black mark on the community,” explained Barnhart.
(980 CJME file photo)
A number of Saskatchewan communities are set to share $750,000 in grants from the Provincial Traffic Safety Fund for road safety projects.
In total, 66 communities are getting funding for 70 projects. The grants range from $547 (for a speed management project in Torquay) to $72,300 (for the installation of “Prepare to Stop When Flashing” signals in Battleford).
Other projects include the installation of speed signs, speed bumps and pedestrian crosswalk lights as well as the removal of foliage to improve sight lines. A complete list of the projects appears below.
“Everyone in Saskatchewan benefits from safer roads in our communities,” Minister Responsible for SGI Don Morgan said in a media release.
The City of Estevan received $13,563 to promote pedestrian safety. The money will be used to install a lighted pedestrian crosswalk at an existing crosswalk on 13th Avenue near Dairy Queen, which is a high-volume area. Also, the Town of Arcola received $7,000 for speed signs; the RM of Benson received $7,035 for a speed sign within the hamlet of Benson; the RM of Browning received $6,300 for removal of vegetation to improve sightlines; the Village of Carievale received $6,784 for speed bumps and a solar-powered speed display; and the Village of Gainsborough received $6,784 for speed reader signs and speed bumps. “Everyone in Saskatchewan benefits from safer roads in our communities,” Minister Responsible for SGI Don Morgan said. “The communities who applied know their roads better than anyone, and the provincial government is pleased to assist their efforts to improve traffic safety. The next intake for applications begins in January, and I encourage other municipalities a
Small councils increasingly eye digital governance When Saskatchewan announced its first case of COVID-19 in March and encouraged businesses that could operate remotely to do so, many small municipalities didn t have websites, Orb says. Some municipalities understood the need to be transparent and accountable and pushed forward with website development. In November 2019, roughly 55 per cent of 775 local governments had a website. Orb says that number has grown in the last 12 months. And while web traffic has typically been relatively low on many municipality websites, Orb thinks COVID-19 is changing that; he says more residents are checking out their communities websites and reading online meeting minutes to stay informed.
With Saskatchewan Party members set to elect a successor for Premier Brad Wall on Jan. 27 and a possible cabinet shuffle coming as a result, Fidler is not sure what to expect heading into the SUMA meet up. “I don’t really know what to expect as to any of the outcomes because we don’t know who’s going to be leading the government and who’s going to be sitting in which position,” said Fidler. Fidler said topics for discussion had already been submitted to SUMA’s board in November, with resolutions likely to come during the meeting in Regina from Feb. 4-7.