Ritchot’s council held a regular public meeting on December 19 where they addressed a variety of current agenda items. Sitting in for mayor Chris Ewen was deputy mayor Shane Pelletier.
Two conditional use proposals were heard by council. The first was a request to install a 20-by-4 foot illuminated sign on the commercial building of Quality Mobile Trucks and Trailer Repair Inc. The commercial building is situated near the corner of Highway 75 and Red River Drive. Council agreed that the sign was very similar to the sign on the neighbouring Frontier Autobody and did not seem to pose any concerns. No objections were received from area residents. Council approved the request subject to conditions.
The second conditional use was proposed by Jaspal Singh Bkral of Global Truck Repair and Recycling Inc., requesting the construction of a commercial site at 1339 Highway 75 in the Howden district. The proposal was for an implement and machinery shop with sales and service, as well as a junk and auto-wrecking yard.
A representative for Mr. Bkral addressed council, describing the business as a small trucking operation limited to three to five trucking units. Traffic, he stated, would be minimal and the wrecking yard would be primarily used to store heavy truck parts for their own business use and a small amount of resale.
Bkral anticipated collaborating, to some degree, with the existing trucking company on the bordering property and assured council that they would be vigilant in controlling any toxic substance spills that occur as a result of handling truck parts. They are prepared to fence the compound according to council requirements and would respect the neighbourhood in terms of noise and aesthetic bylaws.
Council heard objections from seven residents and business owners in the area, many of whom shared concerns regarding the wrecking yard portion of the business proposal. They described such entities as messy, loud, disruptive, and an eyesore in the neighbourhood and to travellers commuting along Highway 75.
Other concerns included the incompatibility of this business model in an area zoned agricultural restrictive, citing the risk of toxic leaches into neighbouring farmland, especially during flood years. Three further objections were received by email prior to the meeting.
Councillors Curtis Claydon, Janine Boulanger, and Ron Mamchuk agreed with the concerns that were shared. Council unanimously denied the request.
Further agenda items included proposed council and mayoral indemnity changes for 2019. CAO Mitch Duval indicated that council had received recommendations from a taskforce that had been previously designated to conduct a comparison with other council indemnities in surrounding municipalities. They also took into consideration the federal government’s move to withdraw the one-third payroll tax exemption from municipal councils pay beginning in 2019.
It was determined that council members would see a 16 percent increase to their monthly salary in the new year and a zero percent increase in their dollar-per-hour rate, which will remain at $22. The mayor would see a monthly indemnity increase of 8.6 percent and an increase of his dollar-per-hour rate, which would move it from $20 to $25. Technology allowances would remain the same.
The Public Works Department has been given authorization to replace missing civic addressing signage in the rural areas. It was recommended that a policy be created to make this the responsibility of the ratepayer in the future.
Council has approved a fleet vehicle purchase from the Ledingham auto dealer in Steinbach. This has become a necessity as the municipality grows.
Finally, council has had the opportunity to review a study conducted by Schooley Mitchell Telecom Communications regarding wireless services used by the RM. Based on the study, it was recommended to move from Bell MTS to Rogers, who can provide a cheaper monthly package on the 11 existing cell phones the staff uses. As well, Rogers would provide cell unit upgrades. Another recommendation was to eliminate the existing five hard-mount cell phones in the fire truck, as fire members all carry their own cell phones.
This change would mean a saving of $400 per month. Rogers would further provide switch-over credit, amounting to another $6,000 in savings. Over a five-year period, it’s estimated that this move will amount to a $30,000 savings for the municipality. The proposal was passed by council.
