The RM of Shellbrook is trying to modernize how it does business.
At their regular meeting on Wednesday, August 12 the RM council continued to look into creating Inquiry Sheets as suggested by Division 1 councillor Cliff Skauge.
Reeve Doug Oleksyn said they want to create a paper trail to keep track of ideas that come before administrator Duane Storey.
“We are trying to streamline,” Oleksyn explained. “A new administrator will be done his probation in February, and this is something that Cliff has been exposed to in the past when he worked for the City of Prince Albert. He just said it creates a paper trail. If there was a particular question that was submitted on the enquiry sheets, it gives the administrator ample time to research and come back with a report on that particular item.”
They also looked at improving meeting operations in other ways. The biggest are meeting structure and time utilization.
“That is just, again, on housekeeping, to see how we can improve,” Oleksyn explained. “That will have input going on from all of council and administration.”
Things continue to gradually return to normal in the COVID-19 pandemic with four councillors in attendance and two attending by phone.
Foreman Bill Aug attended the meeting with his update on municipal operations.
“We had a request from the Sturgeon Lake reserve to do some grading and so that was done on a cost plus,” Oleksyn explained. “It is just a main road on the south side of the lake and their machine was down for a while. There was also Hobein lot sales and that was just confirming the hamlet board’s request for the sale. So it goes through the RM and they were below what they were originally asking for. With the hamlet board direction, we don’t have a problem with that at all.”
They also discussed the upcoming passing lanes on the way to Shellbrook.
“Highways had submitted some diagrams on passing lanes to see if we had any problems and I don’t think we did there at all. They are the experts on the engineering side,” Oleksyn said.
He said that in spite of the pandemic the municipality is still on par for tax collection,
The municipality is still working through their Municipal Economic Enhancement Program (MEEP) 2020 planning. The RM is working with both Sturgeon Lake Reserve and the community of Spruce Home to figure out some projects.
“Just from the way it is going right now we are still waiting for some final costs and I don’t know if it will happen this year,” Oleksyn said. “It looks like it would be put out for bid we have talked to an engineer and talked to the contractor that is working. It is a timing thing at the end of the year. Everybody wants to get stuff done so if we line it up for the beginning of next year it is not a big thing.”
